By the time we got ShiLin it was after 1. We got lunch at a little place. I ordered a vegetable soup but it was only nappy cabbage and bugs. Not really what I wanted to eat for lunch but it was alright once I got the bugs out. What Matthew got was much better than my soup. He got a bean dish and it really did taste good.
The admission price was pretty steep but it was really nice to be there. When we first walked in there was a lake that the stones reflected in, which was pretty nice. There were lots and lots of people and the guides were trying to get you to go on their tour. It was really kind of annoying.
The stones were pretty amazing. The one thing Matthew and I were worried about was that we wouldn't be able to get away from all of the people. Whoever we were able to get away pretty easily just by walking up into the outside of the park. We stayed away from people for most of the day. Which is what we wanted. We didn't see the elephants or anything but we did get to see other things.
The path we took was meandering and I'm not really sure where we ended up walking. We did see some pretty funny descriptions of what the stones were looking like. They each had names like candle and wanders. The paths we were hiking on had small cracks you had to walk through between the stones. It was really pretty cool. However, it wouldn't have worked in the States because over weight people wouldn't have been able to get through. I have to say it would have been upsetting but I guess maybe the more populated part of the park was more accessible.
It was really pretty warm and I was trying to keep from getting a headache by drinking lots of water. What this resulted in was me have to look for a bathroom and having every one be closed. Why they were all closed I don't know. However it wasn't like I wanted to just use the wilderness as they had cameras out there. It was kind of strange to see the rocks and then there be a camera watching you suddenly. I guess it was to make sure people didn't get lost out there but it was a little strange to be out there and then see a camera.
Between some of the rocks we did get a break from the heat and that was nice. We saw some squirrels chasing each other. They were making these really loud pursing noises. When we saw them we were trying to find "cliffy paintings". We were following the signs but it seemed like we were not getting any closer. We did finally find them and then we were going to go looking for the "Eternal Mushroom" but we didn't make it there as we had to get back to the bus by 6.
Walking back we walked through a small town. It was strange to see the gardens in amongst the stones. In some ways it seemed normal like they had probably been there for a really long time but the water buffalo they used to plow didn't look happy to be out in the middle of the field.
The stone forest area that Matthew and I hiked in was really pretty dry. There were lots of dried pine needles and such on the ground. I'm surprised there weren't more warnings about no fires. The only place there was water was the lake at the front and a little pond by the village. The village pond was pretty low on water though.
Matthew and I made it back to the bus with plenty of time so we got to eat a snack before we got on the bus. On the ride back we noticed that the buses unlike in the states are the fastest vehicle on the roads. In China it seems like the biggest vehicle is the one that rules the road.
I'm really glad Matthew and I made it there as it was a really amazing and I don't think I will see anything like it again. I have to say that by the end of the day I was really worn out.
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