The journey to Yibin took about 4 – 5 hrs, depending on how fast one drives. It was nice to be surrounded by mountains and blue sky for once, as opposed to the cloudiness of Chengdu.
After checking in at the Eden Resort Hotel Yibin (RMB800), we went straight to the Cable car station to take a ride to the top of the mountain. It was easily 3pm by the time we reached the Cable Car station and then have to endure a very long queue. One thing I have learnt when travelling in China is that one have to get used to the crowd…they do not need foreign tourists here, the number of local tourists visiting the local scenic spots is enough to keep the tourism industry busy.
Bird’s Eye View of the Bamboo Sea
And it is here that we found out that booking your hotel via the internet is not necessary the cheaper option - a local lady tour guide told us that she could easily have gotten us into the same Hotel at some RMB200 cheaper!
After queuing for just over an hour, we were literally pushed into the cable car. It was a very tight fit for me and a friend and I am not one of those big sized fellow. The cable car didn't pause or slow down when you had to hop in so it was more like a scramble to get in before it took off. The views were quite amazing; everywhere the eye could see was covered in bamboo, just a sea of green. Those of you who are afraid of heights, note that it can be quite scary as it is one of the highest I've been in.
Local friends told me that the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was shot here. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to meet Zhang Ziyi or Michelle Yeoh there……..which is a pity! No sword fighting scenes being shot here that day hehehe.
If camera hadn't been invented, I think the local people would be lost. At every opportunity, in front of practically anything, they would pose, with their 'peace' signs and a smile. We paid tribute to this by trying the pose ourselves while waiting for our food to arrive during dinner time.
Dinner was everything Bamboo and mushrooms……cooked in a variety of local style. I haven’t enjoyed such delicious local cooking for a while and this have to rank as one of my favorites.
All in all, the bamboo sea was worth visiting, if only for the local bamboo and mushroom dishes or at least to get away from the dreary and gloomy skies over Chengdu.
On the way back, we made a quick stopover at Luodai, one of the many Ancient Towns dotting the countryside around Chengdu……..but that is another story.
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