28-May-2005 -- 31 N – 118 E Anhui (安徽), China

Visit Date: May 28, 2005

After a pleasant visit to 31N 119E, we headed straight west, and it took us an hour and half to reach Zong-Ming Township and put us about 4.5 km from this point.

The secondary road we took to go toward the confluence point was in very bad condition, and it was very slow going. For quite a while, this road seems to go around the confluence point and keeping a straight line distance about 1.6 km.

Eventually we settled on a smaller road which seem to head to the right direction. This road brought us into a large compound for brick making. The head guy gave us permission to drive into the compound and we went as far as we can go and this put us exactly 1 km from the confluence point.

One kilometer is a very reasonable distance to hike, except we were separated by a series of lakes and swampy waterways. I was clear it is not possible to forge our way over. Added to our distress was the fact that, we did not see any road heading toward the confluence point except the one dead ended in the brick factory.

As we were standing on the small clay hill looking at the impossible 1000 meters to cross, a fellow carrying some chopped wood came to a truck parked next to us. We asked him is there a way to reach the confluence point area, and he indicated there is a road a little ways back should be able take us there, and told us that the small road located between two buildings and may not be obvious from the road. He gave us detailed description of the two buildings.

The direction turned out to be perfect, and we found the small road. Indeed it was not obvious from the main road that was why we missed the first time when we pass by.

This small dirt road brought us to a village name Shou-Shen, and end of village was the furthest we could drive, and this put us 420 meters from the confluence point.

We found a path heading toward the point, and the area still full of waterways and swamp. We walked on a dike for the last 200 meters, and pretty much prepared to accept the fact this confluence point will be located on water, but we hope to reach within 100 meters of the point.

As we kept on heading north on the dike the reading on the GPS approached zero. Amazingly, this point actually located on the path on top of the dike. Just as we almost reached the confluence point, a family walked through the CP. Later we watched the mother pulling young lotus root from the lily pond within the range of the confluence point.

We felt very fortunate to reach this point. Luck was on our side to run across the fellow who gave us the direction as we were about to give up. In this particular area, nearly 80% of the surface is water, we able to get all the zero points without getting into the mud.

It was nearly 4.30 pm by the time we completed this hunt, and we still got a ways to go. After a brief visit in the village, we headed out to the main road. Our goal for the day was to reach the Tai-Ping Lake 76 km south for the night, and go for 30N 118E in the morning.

A suitable name for this confluence point: “Thousand lakes”

Rating of this hunt:

Degree of Challenge: 2 – rough road but once the right path was found, pretty straight forward (Scale: 1= very easy - drive to the point; to 5= a death march – glad it is over)

Scenery: 3– Land of water (Scale: 1= not interesting at all; 5= take your breath away)

Culture-social factors: 3–rural central China community (Scale: 1=dull; 5= most stimulating)