Monks, monkeys and mosquitoes

The next three days of our China trip were for the most part very hot and humid -- and occasionally exhausting -- as we walked around Mt Emei, both a beautiful nature zone and a site of importance to local Buddhists.

Both were able to be harnessed usefully to tourism, and provision of jobs and incomes to former farmers.

After a morning exploring a local park, watching tai chi and exercise groups, we left Chengdu behind, beginning our day's travel with a visit to a giant Leshan Buddha built into one face of a gorge. Fortunately we chose to see it from a boat on the river rather than climb up and around it.








Then off to the Baogue temple, our base on Mt Emei.




Being a monastery, this had simpler rooms and much more basic toilet facilities than our group has encountered so far. Serenity and simplicity were the byword.




This did not extend to the settlement below, which was all about the tourist, and extended not just to common menus among all the restaurants, but also to some recently manufactured natural wonders -- something we found more of the next day as we visited the 'Golden Buddha' and then walked up the mountain to a second monastery for the night.





The 'Golden' originally referred to the roof tiles of the temple at the peak glinting in sun; today it is more spectacularly incarnated in a giant gilded statue, flanked by half-scale elephants, put up by the local government and the local temple -- who said the Party was antagonistic to religion?




Restoration included replacing old living dwellings, as well as upgrading TV reception ...



The result is a vision worthy of the name and status of the site in the eyes of Buddhist devotees, some of whom were known to jump off the surrounding cliffs in their enthusiasm. Hence the official advice.




After our haul up to the Buddha, it was down again -- some needing assistance due to their inability to run more than a half marathon -- before walking up the mountain to our resting place for the night.




We carried bamboo sticks to frighten off the monkeys, should this be necessary. One section of the path up the mountain was through a wildlife reserve with warnings about not feeding the monkeys (except of course with food bought from the reserve attendants). The main monkey encounter actually was the next morning, when Phoebe's room was raided.




Despite fears, hardly a mosquito was spotted. So far we have seen more pandas than mosquitoes in China -- although lots of spectacular dragon flies.

Dinner at The Hard Wok cafe, aka Lucy's, a tiny little shack built onto the side of the mountain path, just within a mobile phone light reach of the monastery.




Going down means more time to enjoy the wonderful scenery, as the actress said to the bishop, and so it was the next morning.







While some rugged individualists insisted on walking all the way, more sensible people changed from Number 11 to a different bus and opted for an early entry to the hot springs, with different pools demonstrating the fabulous food dyes now available.

Back to the tender care of the inestimable (and possibly mulitple) Patrick, who had organized all the necessaries at Baogue temple, including overnight washing and instant breakfasts -- essential given the early start to our day-long bus ride to Chongqing.


- Posted from the rooftop bar