Off topic I know... but with the Olympics just around the corner... maybe not a completely irrelevant thread.
I just returned from another trip into the heart (or should I say heat) of China. This time the temperatures were just as intense but in the opposite extreme (my last trip had me dealing with near zero degree weather without the benefit of heating). This trip also offered me the opportunity to take a site seeing boat trip down the Li River in Guilin which is well known for its striking views. I also got to experience for the first time rural China at the height of the growing season. Now on with the photos:













This is a famous mountian which known for the 9 horses which are visable on its surface:






They do like their food hot here:




This tree is 1300 years old!


A view inside one of the many caves in this part of China:


Corn - a closer look:


Harvesting the Rice seedlings:




Planting the Rice:


Food for 1.5 Billion:






Snail eggs:


Cooling off:


Yep... a pink umbrella


Dinner:


Caught this guy out of the corner of my eye:


A spider I've never seen before but they were all over this place.


And I can now say I've seen a dragon in China!

 

awesome...fantastic pictures.

 

great pics...j/w how do they harvest the rice?

 

Great pix. Never seen rice on a 'rice plant'. LOL.

 

Amazing pictures

They make me wanna go visit China one day


Modified by 00TypeR1071 at 10:44 PM 7/29/2008

 

These pictures are mind blowing. Wow.

 

Great pics. You using three different lenses? A 10-22 EF-S, a 70-200 f2.8L and a 24-70 f2.8L?



Modified by Type-R Yo! at 11:49 PM 7/29/2008

 

Absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing these with us.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Type-R Yo! &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Great pics. You using three different lenses? A 10-22 EF-S, a 70-200 f2.8L and a 24-70 f2.8L?
Modified by Type-R Yo! at 11:49 PM 7/29/2008</TD></TR></TABLE>

hehe... the 4 lenses are:
- 24-105 F4L
- 70-200 F2.8 Sigma
- 10-20 F4-5.6 Sigma
- 150 F2.8 Macro Sigma

I used to have a 17-40 F4L but thought the 24-105 a much better lens to walk around with.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by get RIGHT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Absolutely amazing. Thanks for sharing these with us. </TD></TR></TABLE>

No problem... I find this place absolutely amazing and love sharing the experience with my friends!

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BlueIntegraBoy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Great pix. Never seen rice on a 'rice plant'. LOL.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Neither had I

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TODAwhore &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">great pics...j/w how do they harvest the rice?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

My bad... forgot to take pictures of that. They cut the mature plant off at the base and tie it in bundles. It is dried and then they place the bundle in a thrashing machine which shakes the rice off. The land is then turned over and they plant another crop. I believe they get 2 or 3 crops a year based on what I saw.

 

Wow, It must have been an awesome experience. and Nice Camera!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BABY NSX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

- 70-200 F2.8 Sigma
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Such a great lens. If I didn't love my 70-200 F4L so much, I would have picked one up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BABY NSX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
hehe... the 4 lenses are:
- 24-105 F4L
- 70-200 F2.8 Sigma
- 10-20 F4-5.6 Sigma
- 150 F2.8 Macro Sigma

I used to have a 17-40 F4L but thought the 24-105 a much better lens to walk around with.</TD></TR></TABLE>

24-105 over the 17-40 for walk around... YES
I have a 24-70 f2.8L. I want a 70-200 f2.8 IS so bad.

O and you got any wallpaper for desktop (the Li River in Guilin)?

 

That is some dope *** pics. One of these days I will make the trip to China

 

wonderful pic's they look amazing

 

amazing pictures Doug. Looks like one heck of a trip.

 

Unbelievable pictures!!

 

Nice camera.

The shot with the Preying Mantis is sick.

 

those are some very nice pics man

 

Doug...as per usual, thanks so much for sharing.

This community misses having you around, and we definitely missed having you at EXPO this year.

 

Outstanding pics!

 

some excellent pictures dude, envious of your trip

 

Wow thanks for sharing Doug.

 

Wah-wah-wee-wah, seriously awesome pictures. Thanks again for sharing. I look forward to your next set of pics!

 

very cool, great pics! I've been to Hong Kong but we stayed in the city

 

Wow I want to be there