Exploring Shennongxi

[Jerry Cole Profile Private message]

During a Trip to China, we also cruised on the Yangtze River. One of the side trips that we took was in the Tujia region of the Shennongxi Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze.

Transport of people and goods once depended upon boat men in sampans. One sampan is usually steered by six boatmen who are local peasants. While appreciating the natural beauty and historic sights along the two banks, you can hear the songs from the rowers as they row the boat.

When reaching the shallow-stream places, they will paddle until the swift moving stream is too shallow, and then pull the boat upstream by a rope. Until recent years they did this naked, because of the cost of ruining clothing, and also the danger of being pulled under by soaked clothing.

If you are into travel, I offer this 9:50 min lpeek at the Shennongxi Stream and the Tujia people.
Jerry

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 0919&alb=0

[iknowwhereitis123 Profile Private message]

Hi Jerry, Thanks for sharing your show. It's a very interesting place and so different from our own culture. Nice job on the show btw, good pace and the music fit well. On another note... I am glad they decided to wear clothing or this show would have had a different rating!

Sue

[becky_calif Profile Private message]

Jerry,

Interesting show, I felt like I got to join in on the experience. We recently spent a day with an Indigenous Indian tribe in Panama. I find those experiences fascinating. Thanks for sharing.
Becky

[Jerry Cole Profile Private message]

Sue: Yes the culture there is much different, but unfortunately, much of that is disappearing. In the cities, people walk around with suits, ties and cell phones, just like here ... maybe even more so.
Thanks for watching.
Jerry

[Jerry Cole Profile Private message]

Becky: China was one of my favorite places. The people were wonderful and the topography so different from most places that I have seen. I wish that I had been able to spend more time with some of the "River People" ... we only got to go to the private home of some "city folk" in Bejing. I hope you photographed your day with the Panamanian Indians and will soon have a show for viewing.
Thanks for watching
Jerry

[becky_calif Profile Private message]

Panama: trip was for my father, 89. A few years ago he broke his hip/essentially been wheelchair bound since then. He always loved to travel and thought his desire to see the Panama Canal one day would never happen. During his hospital stays I promised him some way, some how I would see to it that he saw the PC. My boyfriend and I, along with a caregiver made the journey with my father last August. We were there 12 days, slow paced so he could enjoy and take it all in. The trip up into the rainforest to the Embera Indians was an adventure in itself. We went up a river for about 2 hours in a dugout canoe--my father carried to the river, put in the canoe all the while in his wheelchair, by the tribe members. The river, generally a calm flowing beautiful blue color was rushing with muddy water that day, as their had been a storm higher up in the rainforest. Although the "canoe captain", who looked about 16 was capable, there were many moments of the trip that I saw no way we were going to survive as we headed into the rushing waters, dodging downed trees and debris. The day turned out to be the highlight of our trip, one because we survived and also because we met the most lovely and genuine people. They were as interested in how we lived as we about them. I don’t believe anyone had ever visited them wheelchair bound. I put together a show of all our adventures when we returned. The show was for my father to show my mother (who stayed home alone as her "vacation"), along with the rest of the family. These two sections each run about 5 minutes, but take a while to upload as they are full of videos. Generally I would never post something like this because it has all sorts of technical flaws..but it was made for him to enjoy and recall his adventure.

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 8631&alb=0

http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewsho ... 8663&alb=0

[Jerry Cole Profile Private message]

Generally I would never post something like this because it has all sorts of technical flaws..but it was made for him to enjoy and recall his adventure.

Becky,
The shows were amazing. I enjoyed every minute, AND also got a chuckle at the false teeth scene. Whatever the technical difficulties, the story you told was wonderful and very much trumps any of those. You must have inherited an adventurous spirit from your father. I admire both of you! To get into a canoe with a wheelchair ...Wow!

NOTHING going to hold him down!

Thanks for the links,
Jerry

[becky_calif Profile Private message]

Jerry,
Thanks for the kind words. I am glad you walked away with the flavor of that day after watching the videos. My family couldn't visualize all we did with Dad until they watched it. I missed lots of kodak moments as I held onto the front of the wheelchair--tipping over was often a real possibility. There was the fish that spashed into the canoe and was swimming around my feet--some in the canoe had a full time position of baling out water with the provided buckets, and then that real tense moment when the little engine on the canoe failed-but got fixed with a tool in my eye glass repair kit I carried in my backpack. I do want to return someday with my Grandsons so show them another part of the world..but only after they learn how to swim!
Becky

[Dean Athans Profile Private message]

Jerry -

Your trip looked wonderful--part cruise, part exploring the shore villages and interacting with the residents. That's usually the best part of any trip--seeing the differences, but also how similar our cultures can be.

Your photography--especially the "washed out" colors (no insult intended!) through the mist/haze--really set the scene, and the music underscored it!

Keep up the travel (and the good "reporting").

- Dean

[Jerry Cole Profile Private message]

Dean,
Big oops here! I thought I had answered your post to thank you for watching and your comments...but that was not the case. Yes, I really did enjoy China, and the people are wonderful. Generally there is heavy smog in the cities, and whenever on the river, there is a constant hanging mist. Even to the poit that the autofocus was difficult to use and I often switched to manual.
Thanks for watching,
Jerry