The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
May 1 - Badong and the Sampans
Our guide Nancy took good care of us on this trip ... an excursion she makes almost every day of the year! Among other things she pointed out were several "hanging coffins" in crevices along the walls of the gorge. These were about 100 feet off the present water level, meaning they were four times that high when they were originally placed!
We went upstream through three smaller gorges in a small ferry, at which point we transferred into sampans to continue our journey upstream. Four "trackers" rowed the boat until the water became too shallow and the rapids made it impossible to continue in that manner. Then the trackers slipped into dog-sled like sling harnesses and actually pulled the boat upstream for a short way. Then we all rode the boat back down through the rapids to the ferry.
Traditionally the trackers were naked when they pulled the boats upstream, a practice that was discontinued about 20 years ago in deference to increased tourism. The ladies were sad to see age-old practices fade away! As I understand it, before the water level was raised, the trackers used to have to pull the large boats upstream in this way during the summer months when the water level was too low for free passage. So I guess there are some plusses to the flooding ... even if there seemed to be no real purpose to our little side trip other than to kill some more time.
© 2008 Restaurant Doctor
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