Day 13 - Dahuofang Fishery

We had an early breakfast & set off for Dahuofang Fishery. We were taking a boat out to the middle of the Lake to see the early catch of the day.





It was freezing cold. I had on three jackets & I was still feeling cold. Jaymes was dressed only in T-shirt & shorts & he was clearly enjoying it. bbbrrr.......

We had to tread carefully around the rocky shore to board the boat. A slip & you could sprain your foot. Or you could fall & cut yourself on the sharp edges of the rocks. A fisherman helped us onto the boat.

No life jackets was given to us. We had to spread out evenly so that the boat will not be lop-sided & toppled.

Some kids leaned against the railings. The kids were told to stay away from the gate which is held by a little hook.

It is a humongous man-made lake. If someone falls in, where do you start looking?

It took us 40 minutes to reach the fishermen.

It was exhilarating to see the fishermen drew in the net & see the fishes jumping up. The fishes were so big. The fishermen had to sort the fishes.
























We went back to the fishery to pick up a couple of passengers & then set off again. It was getting warmer now.

We then went to a small island called Heerhu. It took us another 40 minutes. I witnessed so much drama onboard. Alvin was the star. He was very popular with the girls. He was their Prince Charming. Some were openly fighting over him. Jealousy, betrayal, bitching, quarrels, crying...... wow, plots for a drama. I was shocked at the strong words used by the girls. Kids....sigh......

Han Long was so sweet. He kept the weeping girl company, comforting her, cheering her & trying to bring the two friends back together again.



The kids needed to go to the loo the moment we reached land. The toilet was set in the middle of the woods. You could hear loud shrieks ringing through the woods. ha ha ha.......

Alvin made things worse by warning us that as the toilet is right in the middle of trees, there could be snakes lurking around. I didn't want to go to the loo. I made up my mind to hold my bladder for as long as I could. Let's see if I could make it to the Guiness World of Records. I have to remind myself not to laugh, or else the dam would be broken....ha ha ha......

There was a little hut selling drinks & titbits & in front of it, a cute little toddler in his cute pants.





A mini club offering entertainment in this wilderness.

We had to do some climbing. The steps to the top were high, steep & slippery. There was no railings for you to hold. One slip, the others behind you could fall like dominoes & you could have a broken head or limbs. I had to grab the branches of trees. Ms Gu stood midway to give us a helping hand.

At the top, we saw a pagoda in the distance. The kids wanted to climb that. The pagoda looked so far from where I was.

As we were going down the scary slippery steps again, Alvin graciously offered his help to the girls & lastly, held my right hand & helped me all the way to the bottom of the steps. So sweet. I was so touched. My own son ran off with the other girls.

My left knee was hurting so I asked to wait for them in the boat. Three other kids didn't want to go too. Mrs Er was to stayed behind as well but I told her to go ahead. There is another tour guide, Ms Gu Feng to keep us company.

.........the pagoda from the top of the hill where this picture was taken.......

As we waited in the boat, some Chinese tourists boarded it to take a rest. I was a little worried.

After an hour, the group came back & we set off for the shore. The kids were tired & they slept. We arrived at the restaurant run by the Fishery. There were 3 different types of fish for lunch. They were fresh & the meat tastes so fine.

After lunch Mr Yao bought 37 bottles of chilled mineral water for everyone. He was lugging one heavy carton of drinks while the stallowner carried another carton. I

After lunch, it was to another place of interest called Yuanshuai Lin (General's Woods). I have no interest in it because it was built by a general after the demise of the Qing Dynasty, for his father. He had the stone sculptures brought from Beijing. This woods was supposed to be a good fengshui plot. By burying his father here, he hoped to become an emperor. Chay! This smacks of corruption, anarchy, nepotism, abuse of authority.......

After all the walking, the kids were promised a shopping trip. They got very excited & their spirits rose. We came to puxingjie, a shopping belt & we were given 40 minutes to shop.






Jaymes & I walked through a departmental store & bought only a checker set. We bought a Chicken Roll at the food court & Jaymes found it tasted awful. We went early to meet the others but were later told about the extended shopping time of another 40 minutes. So Jaymes & I sat at a fast food restaurant to wait for them.

I had an orange juice while Jaymes had a Cappucino which tasted & looked like Chinese medicine. Jaymes took a sip & left it alone. One hour of waiting for us, so did Mr Yao. He was standing outside the restaurant all the time, watching out for any of the kids.

Alvin & Zhi Hao came to join us. Followed by Ying Zhi & Lan Keam.

When everyone had arrived, we dashed through busy roads to reach our bus. We went for dinner at a Steamboat Restaurant opposite the school. Jaymes was feeling very sick by now & he didn't touch his food.






I had a quick bite & we went back to the hotel first with Ying Zhi.

Jaymes threw up the moment we reached the room. I made Jaymes moved to my room so that I could look after him. Later in the evening, Lan Keam was sick & had to see a doctor. Ying Zhi & Mr Yao went with her.

Jaymes was fine after he threw up. He had some egg tarts for dinner. Chris called later & I spoke briefly to him. Jaymes was tired & slept early.