Guangxi China ~ China Provinces Guangxi Zhuang

Bridge over the Western River, Wuzhou, Guangxi China

I'd come to Wuzhou Guangxi China with a group of Canadians who were adopting children (see Guangxi Provinces travel story).

Late one afternoon, and early every morning, I could look out the window of my hotel (the Wu Feng) and see a steady stream of traffic on this bridge.

One day I walked out onto the start of the bridge, just to get a closer look.

River view from the Wu Feng Hotel in Wuzhou China

This picture of Wuzhou shows the river view more directly west, and from above than the above picture.

This is a different river than the one in the first photo; this river flows south from Guilin.

Notice the high, steep river banks. In times of flood, usually Spring and early summer, this river overflows its banks.

Close view Wuzhou China Bridge, low river water level

The view from near the river's edge shows a closer view of this bridge.

Hard to believe, but I've seen it on television news.

I remember that the Wufeng Hotel lobby was accessed by a wide staircase that climbed about 12 feet above the street level to keep the lobby high and dry above any possible flooding.

On the Riverbank Path ~ Wuzhou Guangxi China

To take this picture, I walked across the street from the Wu Feng hotel, and part way down the path leading to the water's edge.

In early morning, until about 10 a.m., I could see a number of people swimming across the river here.

I had no idea if this was for exercise, or a formal training program, or simply a faster way to cross.

Wuzhou Streets and Bikes ~ Typical Guangxi Scene

I took this photo looking down from the bridge approach (at same spot as the photo on my contact page, link above).

I totally loved the Old China images of Guangxi that these streets invoked.

Much of the day, there was a misty quality to the air, and it lent an air of mystery to many of these older streets. Several times, I felt I had stepped into a movie location for time period several hundred years in the past.

Of course, up in the business district, the busy streets with metal center posts to prevent jay walking, and the elevated pedestrian overpasses, number of buses, trucks and cars and shops made me realize I was in a modern-day city.

In Wuzhou, we could buy the same brand of yogurt as at home, the same sodas, water etc. But the fruit was lovely -- those tiny sugar bananas and sweet little oranges.

Wuzhou Guangxi Snake Repository Pond and Garden

It was a very hot October day when three of us set out in a tiny cab with our guide to have a look at the infamou Wuzhou Snake Repository.

Outside the buildings, a garden with green pond water and intricate bridges made a nice change from the building with the snakes.

Other tourists here were from Japan, other parts of China, and the U.S.

Most foreign visitors to Guangxi go to the more-famous Guilin, for the caves.

Cobra ~ Wuzhou Snake Repository in Guangxi Zhuang China Province

Closely woven reed (bamboo? rattan?) cages hold the more poisonous snakes, though from what I can remember at the time, almost all of these snakes were deadly.

The handlers seemed very very laid back, and not the least worried as they flopped the snakes around to show the visitors.

A commentary in an Asian language told others what they were seeing.

The best we Canadians got was a rough translation from our guide.

Burmese Python photo at the Wuzhou Snake Repository

The sign informed that this snake is a Burmese python.

These pythons are one of the 6 largest snakes in the world, usually about 23 feet ( 7 meters) when full grown.

You can see in the picture that this python has a much stronger looking cage.

Burmese pythons are native to southeast Asia, and like the water, as well as trees.

I, for one, would not like to be walking in the countryside and come across one of these!

Viper Snake at Wuzhou Snake Repository ~ China Travel Pictures

My guide did not know the English word for this snake, only to refer to it as a viper snake.

I took 'viper' to be a generic term for any poisonous snake.

However, when I search online for viper snake, I do find decriptions that match this snake for colour, size, habitat and location.

It's such a pretty color! The better to camouflage itself on the jungle floor.

Snake Handler Wuzhou repository Guangxi China

This woman worked at the Wuzhou Snake Repository as a snake Handler, to show and display the vipers to the tourists.

Can you see from the expression on her face what I mean by referring to the snake handlers as being laid back?

She went from cage to cage, looking almost bored.

Yet signs in the snake building warned us in no uncertain language to Stay Back and Keep Our Hands to Ourselves!

For as nervous about this tour as we all were beforehand, we were all very glad we saw this unsual China attraction.

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