Longji Rice Terraces (11/11/2012)

Sunday, November 11, 2012
Happy Veterans' Day!
Kent started the day by clapping the dried mud off Tamiko's shoes:

A stooped Zhuang woman head off to the fields:

Outside our room, a Pyrus pyrifolia/Asian Pear Tree:

Our Longji One Hotel provided a breakfast of fruit, fried eggs and a large crepe/pancake.
Avan met us at 8:30 to start our morning hike. We checked out of the hotel, hoisted our backpacks, and set off.
The younger Zhuang women are preparing bamboo tube rice:

There is quite a drop-off next to the path to the next village:

A local carries firewood?

KSS

Some of the other crops grown on the terraces include Ipomoea batatas/Sweet Potatoes:

Zingiber officinale/Ginger:

 

Colocasia esculenta/Taro:

Solanum melongena/Eggplant:

KSS

Some Rubus sp./Wild Raspberries:

KSS

Irrigation ditch:

Burned stalks in the rice terraces:

KSS

Heading down to another wind-and-rain bridge:

The Dong-style bridge is made with the wood of fir trees:

It is constructed without any nails:

KSS

Looking back at Viewpoint No. 1 with three red Chinese flags:

KSS

Harvested rice terraces:

A gardener's cottage?

Gourds:

Irrigation system:

Abies sp./Fir Tree:

Here and there, including in the village, were tombs:

KSS

Ficus sp./Figs:

It appeared that some of the terrace walls were made from bamboo fencing and dirt:

Most were made with stones:

A view of the Zhuang village of Guzhuangzhai:

Tamiko will avoid these steps:

KSS

Avan was willing to try them:

What appeared to be grape vines from a distance, turned out to be arbors of the vines of the Siraitia grosvenorii/Louhangguo:

KSS

A large yield from a few plants.
The kiwi-sized fruits:

They are dried and the innards are used for tea which is naturally sweet.
From a distance, the louhangguo arbors look like camouflage nets:

KSS

Persicaria longiseta/Asiatic Smartweed?

KSS

It is known as a weed of rice fields, so it fits here.
There are numerous little mountain streams:

What?! A rototiller:

KSS

They still use water buffalo to till most of the fields.
A sawmill:

KSS

Our hiking companions:

At the edge of Guzhuangzhai:

Rooftops:

Ducks at home in a water reservoir:

Local buses:

Guzhuangzhai:

KSS

Water-filled terraces:

Persicaria sp.?

KSS

Fancy framework for a fence for rope lighting:

Perhaps it is supposed to look like a dragon since Longji means Dragon's Spine or Back.
Water-filled rice terraces:

Guzhuangzhai and rice terraces:

Tamiko & Kent and rice terraces:

Avan

At another entry to the Longi Rice Terraces Scenic Area:

Avan

Panoramic view:

There are a lot of big stones in the terraces:

Drying tea fruit:

The seeds are used to make tea oil:

KSS

On our way back to Guilin, we ran into a road block:

(Continued with Guilin Hills and Mountains.)