Part 2 -Longcanggou - In Red Panda country but we didn't see any.....

As we travelled along away from the city the smog lifted and the stunning sharp scenery emerged, every green patch of usable ground was cultivated and huge works were being envisioned throwing up tunnels through mountains.

Our next night allowed us to stay in newly built wooden chalets, not heated but serviced with a very useful heated blanket, agghhhh.

Our chopstick abilities were beginning to be put to the test. Similar meals began to pop up, lots of vegetables with minimal meat, to add texture the meat would tend to be gristly or fatty. Initially this would not be favoured by myself however you do get used to it.... Food would come one or two plates at a time which would be gannet eaten by us, a little unseemly. Interestingly rice would only appear at the very end acting as a filler.

The next couple of days involved going up a hill stopping every few metres thank goodness for a new spot of another bird although the men did do the boyish thing of striding out on occasions leaving quite a few of us breathless on the steep inclines!! Along these area we would meet locals, in standard dress but with a fibre cape on.... the fibres were coarse almost like coconut husk gathered on the cape in a form of thatch. The area was immensely damp in general and apparently this was to allow you to continue to work, the thatch acted like it did as a roof on a house allowing the rain to sweep away and not penetrate your clothing!!

Around the chalet was beautiful cultivated fields along which I took a day off from the bird watching and got up late : ) and strolled along looking at life at MY leisure. The day was warm but with a slight morning chill, the fields had a slight haze over them and morning in the houses had already calmed down..... I walked along and found that obviously that not many tourists came around here yet, the chalets were used for wedding parties and local conferences, thus as I walked along and was noticed and stared at a lot. We had already begun to get used to this in towns and wherever we went that was not on the standard tourist trail. My dearest memory of this day was an old couple tending their field who I think appreciated the break of seeing me. They waved me over and through sign language they worked out I was married, had three adult children, what our jobs were etc. I appreciated the time as it was a lovely chance to meet some kindly local people. It also of coarse gave me a chance to take photos, at last......