Diamonds! And pearls and emeralds......we saw all of the gems today. Truly spectacular. A highlight of the trip so far.

And okay, I did get in the car with the driver this morning and he completed a very sedate four minute drive to get us close to the park entrance. Mind you, we have had two other drivers and cars during the day and for the evening activities. Mac had a talk with Kerry today expressing our reservations about yesterday's ride. Kerry informed us that Mr Fong was a "slow driver."

If you are into the bucket list thing....this one should be on yours! Jiuzhai Valley (Jiuzhaigou) has been set up to provide premium access for tourists. On our visiting day over 10 000 visitors passed through the park. On a busy high season day 30 000 visitors would pass through the gates. My seniors status saved China Holidays 200 yuan today! Hope I can do as well in Australia.

I cannot capture in words this feeling of being in a swarm of people. The mountain has a fleet of buses that Campbell would be proud of and they are in an endless hop on hop off loop. We visited 15 different viewing stages and walked up and down cliffs and gullies to catch glimpses of waterfalls and the most amazing lakes. The water was CRYSTAL clear and emerald blue. Reaching depths of 30 metres, it was possible to see the fish swimming and the fallen trees rotting in the glassy depths of the water.

We will let the photos do the talking. Each shot on the crystal clear surface perfectly reflected the landscape from above...a living tapestry on the mirror smooth surface. What an astonishing day. Remote but accessible. It was a massage for the soul. Get there if you have the chance.

We finished the night with a show and dinner. The local Tibetan people showcased their culture and talent in a singing and dancing spectacular featuring vibrant costuming and a lot of yelling, stamping and screaming. There were two large screens which translated the dialogue of the show into Chinese and an occasional subtitle in English. We have no idea what each of the acts were about but it was thoroughly entertaining - extravagant costumes, high energy performances, beautiful voices. The theatre was packed - an expansive lower floor and a large balcony crowd made up the Friday night crowd of about 800 - not everyone in the audience was a well behaved as we were - there was lots of photography, an incessant babble of chatter and some sneaky smokers. As people watchers that all added to the entertainment for us especially the very aggressive antics of the theatre security guards!

A pleasant leisurely drive home to the Sheraton for another delectable buffet! A spot of Jasmine tea and off to bed for the early wake up call of 4.45 to be ready for the 5.30 marathon to the airport. Who planned this itinerary?

Pedometer Reading: 17 948
Temperature: daytime range of 14 C to 20 C - light, intermittent showers

@ Aunty Gail please let Ruby know that Pandas are out of the question - any harm or interference to a panda in China carries the DEATH PENALTY - seriously

@Kathy thanks for the Emma update and THAT dish affirmed every feeling Mac has about tomato

@Julie and Von ... and we thought the spring in his step was from the surgery. And remember, when in doubt, there's always the moose!

@Denise HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear friend ..... ..have a Fab5-ulous birthday....let's get our countdown on to Vegas