Boomerang
After the guys finally got back from shopping, we took off after eating lunch. (Renay, Jenny & OuYang left with Meizi & her husband who met us here in QiuBei.) After about an hour's drive, we came to a small stream where Steve asked Yuan to stop. Since they had not been able to find clean sand for the bio sand filter, he thought he could find some there. About 2 1/2 hours of carefully digging & cleaning the sand using a bucket and a grain bag that I found in a nearby ditch, the guys had about 4 gallons of cleaner sand. But while leaning on the truck, Yuan noticed a nail in the front tire. He decided that he needed to get it fixed before heading deeper into the mountains--so back we went stopping at two repair shops but not finding anyone who could fix it. Finally, we ended up about a mile from where we started out this a.m.--got the tire fixed and then checked into the same hotel we were at last night. Enjoy the journey!
Terrace Farming
While waiting for the guys, I took a walk and got a close look at terrace farming on the nearby mountain. It's simply amazing to see how they have used so much of the mountain for farming. Plots about the size of a large garden have been leveled & a rock wall built to form terraces. One after another after another after another. Most the way up the mountain--some all the way up. The contrast between the bright green ones where something is growing is shoking next to the bleak stone & dryness of areas that are not cultivated. Can you imagine climbing up to work in the top terraces?? As Steve said, how would you have any energy left to work???
After the guys finally got back from shopping, we took off after eating lunch. (Renay, Jenny & OuYang left with Meizi & her husband who met us here in QiuBei.) After about an hour's drive, we came to a small stream where Steve asked Yuan to stop. Since they had not been able to find clean sand for the bio sand filter, he thought he could find some there. About 2 1/2 hours of carefully digging & cleaning the sand using a bucket and a grain bag that I found in a nearby ditch, the guys had about 4 gallons of cleaner sand. But while leaning on the truck, Yuan noticed a nail in the front tire. He decided that he needed to get it fixed before heading deeper into the mountains--so back we went stopping at two repair shops but not finding anyone who could fix it. Finally, we ended up about a mile from where we started out this a.m.--got the tire fixed and then checked into the same hotel we were at last night. Enjoy the journey!
Terrace Farming
While waiting for the guys, I took a walk and got a close look at terrace farming on the nearby mountain. It's simply amazing to see how they have used so much of the mountain for farming. Plots about the size of a large garden have been leveled & a rock wall built to form terraces. One after another after another after another. Most the way up the mountain--some all the way up. The contrast between the bright green ones where something is growing is shoking next to the bleak stone & dryness of areas that are not cultivated. Can you imagine climbing up to work in the top terraces?? As Steve said, how would you have any energy left to work???
