Day 1 Wed Oct 19 Chengdu to Maoxian:
We were met by our Chengdu guesthouse owner and staff at the airport, who promptly directed us to a local bus that would be with us for the 5 days of our trip to Juizhaiguo and its surrounding areas. We also had a local escort apart from the driver. We were told that this was probably the best time of the year to visit Jiuzhaiguo because of the autumn colours. We proceeded to Maoxian, a convenient half-way stop.
Day 2 Huanglong then Jiuzhaiguo: Contrary to what I have heard, the highland roads were of high standards and quite scenic.We enjoyed snapping away with our cameras at the numerous picturesque villages and farms all along the way. Despite the early start, we still arrived in Huanglong in the early afternoon and had to "rush" to cover as much as possible. The last stop Huanglong Temple is 7.5km from the entrance and only 4 of us managed to get there. Huanglong or Yellow Dragon is studded with waterfalls and terraced, coloured limestone pond os blue, yellow, white and green. We finished late and on our way to the night stop in Jiuzhaiguo, the bus broke down. We spent a couple of frightful hours in the cold mountains but the bus was finally repaired. By the time we arrived at our hotel, it was past midnight.
Huanglong Autumn / Huanglong Coloured Pools
Day 3: Juizhaiguo Day 1: We started the day later than usual because of the previous night events. By the time we got into the park, it was almost 11pm. We wasted precious time in trying to work out how to see as the park efficiently as the area is huge. October is also the peak period for JZG, the park was filled with visitors. Anyway I made my way to the Zechewa Valley by the numerous shuttle buses. The end of this valley is one of the highest point in JZG and it was snowing heavily. One is not allowed to visit the other areas of Zechewa Valley except for Long Lake and the Five-Coloured Pool. So I bussed back to the main Nuorilang Bus Station. I then walked/bussed my way out of the Park along the 14km trek/road covering the Nuorilang waterfall, Rhinocerous Lake, Tiger Lake and Shuzheng Lakes, among others.
Day 4 Juizhaiguo Day 2: We started the day early on our second day in JZG intending to cover a lot of ground. While most of the group members opted to bus up the further point on Rize Valley, I opted to walk up the valley, hoping to avoid the massive crowds of the previous day. My first stop was the Mirror Lake that had the early risers clicking away. By going on the walking trail on the other side of the Lake, I had solitude. It was great to be able to enjoy JZG by myself, for a couple of hours at least. As I moved up the valley track, a distance of about 10km, I encountered more and more people. By noon, I was at Panda Lake that was the dropping off point for the packaged tourists. I then boarded the shuttle bus for the Primeval Forest and Sword Mountain, which again had hordes of tourists. After the obligatory pictures I made my way out of the Park by bus, with many photo stops. At Shuzheng Lakes, I found a quiet rest hut and took a nap. After having recharged myself, I ventured out for more picture taking.
Day 5 Songpan and Chengdu: The group was "brought" to a Tibetan Temple on the pretext of paying a visit. Unfortunately it was a scam to relief careless tourists of their money by purchasing blessed buddhas. After a wasteful hour we left and spend a short time in Songpan. Then it was off to lunch followed by the long drive back to Chengdu. Fortunately it was a scenic drive. We arrived in Chengdu at about 7pm that left me with some time to visit the local Carrefour.
Fresh snow / JZG autumn blues
Day 6 Leshan Emei: The group opted to join a local tour i.e. with other domestic tourist, as this appeared to be the most economical and hassle-free. We had a short stop at a jade center and a scholar's home, where entrance fees was collected, before going on to visit the Leshan Buddha. Standing or rather sitting at 73m, it is now the tallest Buddha in the world. Much of the time there was spent waiting to get down to the bottom of the Buddha. Emeishan is a short distance away and we settle in early. We even had time to visit Emei town local food street.
Day 7: Emeishan and Chengdu: The local tour took us on the standard tourist route that brought us to only half-way up the mountain. Of course, it included some time spent at a local tea house. After having seen the beauty of JZG, Emeishan pales by comparison despite the presence of centuries old Buddhist temples. What we missed was the view from the very top of the mountain, which will be covered in my next trips. By the time we arrived in Chengdu it was almost 8pm. On reflection, I think I would prefer to go via public buses that would have given me more options.
Day 8: Home: In the morning I accompanied some members to the Computer Mall to purchase some stuff. We also took the opportunity to buy reasonably-priced outdoor clothes and daypacks. As we had a noon flight, we could not spent as much time as we would have liked.
