We travelled out of Lijiang for about an hour on our way to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. On route we stopped at a marvellous little temple that overlooked the Yangzi. The views were stunning and very atmospheric as the clouds kept rolling in and the view changed constantly. It was very moody and you could have spent a lot of time there just gazing at the wondrous view.
We made our way down to river level and after another hour or so arrived at the Tiger Leaping Gorge. This is very popular with trekkers and is not hard to see why, the scenery is spectacular. The river cuts its way through the mountains and leaves steep-sided slopes where farmers cling on planting crops.
You can if you wish take a rickshaw out to the viewing area, but we walked the mile and half route as it was flat and well paved. The river at first is smooth and peaceful, but as it reaches the point where the gorge narrows it picks up speed until it is a raging, foaming torrent as it is squeezed through the narrowest part of the gorge. There is a viewing gallery next to the waters edge where you can really feel the power of the water.
We made are way back the same way we had come and then after a brief lunch stop beside the river we stopped at a viewing point and small local market to view the first bend of the Yangzi. The views were good, but the market was quite poor, it was really a collection of food and nick knacks - most of which were very poor.
We travelled back to Lijiang and after dinner had a well earned rest in our lovely room. It was nice just to rest and have a chat with our friend George as the pace of travelling had been so hectic that we really hadn't had the time to catch up properly before then!
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