Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

It’s located close to the Zhangjiajie Wulingyuan  scenic area.  Our bus took us to the top of the cliff and we had to descend very steep steps into the floor of the canyon.  It’s all one way, descending only and unless you are very strong and sturdy, you want to hang on to the railing as you descend.

 There were many, many people going all the way down.  Some stopped to take photographs of the steep canyon wall while others had to pause for breath.

We thought that the ordeal was over when there were no more steps to descend but we were in for a surprise.  There was a marble slide, winding its way down to the bottom and there was no choice except to slide down on your buttocks.  We were given a piece of material to tie round our thighs to protect our pants and a pair of gloves. We were told to use our knees to slow down if we didn't want to go too fast.  There are two parallel slides, one of which lets you slide down faster.  However, we opted for the slower one and we had to keep a reasonable distance between one another as we slid down.

 On reaching the bottom of the slide, we had to walk out of the canyon.  It was a very long walk, easily a nine-hole round of golf but we passed through beautiful scenic areas.  That was most rewarding despite the wobbly legs.

 We also had to go through a couple of caves, one of which was pitch dark. Luckily someone had a handphone so he was able to provide some light for us to walk through.

 Another surprise was yet to come.  We thought we would see our bus waiting for us once we emerged from the beautiful canyon. But no!! The walking path ended at the edge of the river! Were we going to have to swim our way out??

 Fortunately no!  We were told to wait for a boat that would come to pick us up and take us out of this scenic area.

We boarded our boat and as it plied its way along, the sun was already calling it a day. There it hangs, a golden orb in the sky!

The river was quite wide and the high mountains on either side as we rounded each bend were a formidable sight.

To think that we had been atop one of them and actually walked down most of it, before sliding down the rest of the way.  This is surely a memorable experience.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China

Our coach took us towards the mountains heading for Zhangjiajie National Forest Park.  This is a most scenic area, surrounded by majestic peaks with sheer cliff faces.

 There are four streams meeting at a confluence in this park and the peaks have names that are very interesting, such as Mother and Child peak. There is also the Three Sisters, which are peaks that resemble a trio of young ladies.

 It was a long walk into the park.  There is also a path constructed with stones and pebbles so that you get a good foot massage as you traverse it.

 There were lots of trees and at certain stretches the stream was a bed of stones.
We reached a place where we could board a small train to take us further into the park.

 It stopped at a place where there were small shops that sold souvenirs, local snacks and even native costumes.

 At one stall the vendor was busy chopping up red chillies which is an important ingredient in the local dishes. Every dish served is cooked with chillies.

En Route to Zhangjiajie, China

China is a country of great beauty with its mountains and rivers. 

It is also a country of great contrasts.  The cities are expanding fast with high rises and multi-tiered roads. Super highways and fast trains connect the cities.

The Shenzhen train station is huge and we caught the fast train to Changsa from here.  It was a four hour ride even at the speed of 307 km/hr.

 As these highways and trains cut across the countryside, there are still lots of small farms worked by farmers who have only their hands to toil and till the land.

The fast train has coaches dedicated to the disabled and nursing mothers.  There is also a buffet car. Here is one of their menus and here is my ice cream!

 The train is very comfortable with plenty of leg room and an overhead shelf to store your luggage.  The seats area numbered so there will be no quibbles about seating.

 It stops at major stations along the way for passengers to disembark as well as to pick up new passengers. The stops are just long enough for passengers to get off and to get on.  Ticket inspectors conduct random checks to ensure that everyone is a bona fide passenger.

When we alighted from the train, our bus was waiting for us and we wended our way to our next destination.

Cactus Garden in Changi Airport

This lovely spot is tucked away on the rooftop of Terminal 1 in Changi Airport, Singapore.

An unobstrusive signpost pointed to a staircase leading to this evergreen oasis which showcases a variety of cacti. Here are some of them.

They are very pretty and perhaps it's the thorns that keep itchy fingers away, thus protecting them from would-be poachers.

Although no smoking signs are posted among  the plants, there is a spot uncomfortably close by where the smokers puff away unconcerned.  Don’t they realize that smoke travels through the air??

Let’s hope that the health of the cacti remains unaffected, hardy as they are. 

Changi Airport Terminal 1

Changi airport has new surprises each time we pass through. This time there is the Social Tree, lit up by lovely lights that catch your eye as it rotates.

I saw people busy at one of the four or five kiosks not far from the tree.  When there was a kiosk that was free, we approached it and this is what we saw.

We had 2 alternatives, either to snap a photo of ourselves and post it up on the social tree or take a video.  All that we had to do was to press on the button of our choice and follow instructions on the screen.  Hey, voila!  There was our snapshot floating up in the tree among the others.

Different types of flowers are planted in the main area of the of the departure lounge.  This made it very pretty and relaxing, as if you were in a little garden.

Many people posed for photos with these flowers as backdrops, perhaps to capture memories of this terminal.