The forest path from the viewing platform at the top of Hailuogou National Glacier Park was very slippery. Instead of taking it all the way to the Hot Springs at Camp #2, we just went back on the road and hailed the next bus. The Reshuigou Hot Springs…View image, also called “Gongga Magic Spring”, with pools of transparent, odorless and clean water to soak in. The Hot Springs water temperatures go up to 91 degrees Celsius/195 degrees Fahrenheit from geothermal action. Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit and I certainly wasn’t going to test the truth in a pool 195 F. water.
The bus let us off in front of Reshuigou Hot Springs/Gongga Magic Spring, at 2,580m/8,464′ and we began the long walk up several flights of stairs to the main entrance. Steam was rising from the other side of the mountain…View image… where the springs were located and accessed by a swinging bridge over a river. There are warning signs to be careful of troops of marauding and dangerous brown monkeys lurking around.
What a deal the Chinese Government has going for it. Admission is 70 yuan and another 10 Yuan for a towel. We bought tickets, showed to the guard sitting next to the swinging bridge and crossed over to enter the property. ex-Marine just wanted to video and photograph, not soak, but no one is allowed across that bridge without a ticket. Absolutely no exceptions. He bought…View image. Once across, there are men’s and women’s dressing rooms with key lockers, showers, toilets, blow dryers and plastic flip-flips in all sizes to use.
Changed into a bathing suit, chose a pair of flip-flops to fit and went outside trying to decide which tier of the mineral loaded and natural hot pools to try first. Reshuigou-Gongga Magic Spring was jumping with the extremely vocal (another word for loud) Chinese families shouting from tier to tier, children wearing goggles, floaties, ear-splitting cell phone conversations and everyone having a great time.
The pools become hotter and hotter as you ascend and the temperature is marked on the outside of each. I made a valient attempt to stick one foot into a pool with 43 degrees Celcius/109 degree Fahrenheit marked on it and almost levitated 50 feet into the air. Scalding! Mr. Wang thought he was going to be macho, began putting one leg in…View image… and man, did he let loose with some Chinese expletives. Forget about that pool but the one next to it was just right…View image.
The Hot Spring Experience turned out to be jolly and relaxing. Sharing a few words with the very vocal Chinese families and children…View image…and trying the different temperature pools…View image. TIP: Be careful. The rocks around the pools are slippery and steps leading down into the water as slimy with moss. It was wonderful just to sit and luxuriate in the hot water, steam rising from the pools, surrounded by stunning mountains and river sounds rushing below that were positively hypnotic. It was worth every Yuan…
I finally dragged my lethargic, relaxed body out of the heat, dressed and took one of the many Hailuogou National Glacier Park Services buses that run up and down the mountain all day, to Moxi for a very late lunch/early dinner.
