I’m planning a China trip next year to visit friends, take care of some business, and show J where I grew up. He’s never been to Asia before, and I’m looking forward to showing him all the natural beauty and rich culture my native country has to offer. I do have to say that I’m somewhat wary of doing a touristy round of China, having experienced first hand the chaos of massive Chinese tour groups invading every possible place of interest around the world.
This photo was taken some time in the later summer of 2005, in Jiuzhai Valley. We had arrived early in the morning, but the first bus was already completely filled. The official guide encouraged everyone to take the bus all the way to the top and walk down, but halfway through the ride, something caught my eye and I insisted on getting off. As we wandered through the narrow paths into the forest, the noises faded further and further away, until we came up on this gorgeous lake. The water was in gradient shades of cerulean, clear enough to see the white sand at the bottom. A tree leaned over the lake, like a girl tip toeing to look at herself in the mirror before a much anticipated date, only to have a breeze wrinkle up its perfect reflection.
The reprieve from the crowd did not last long, and we were soon shoved away from this paradise by our old bus buddies, and I’m ever so grateful to have captured that brief moment on camera. Unfortunately, the original RAW files for this trip perished along with a defective hard drive, and all I have is this pathetic 700×465 JPG. I wonder, if I ever go back, will I still be able to recapture the same beauty?
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