As I'm enjoying the luxury of my morning Sichuan Black, this is a real awakening. The area of Wenchuan is predominantly agricultural and thick with tea farms. These are the people who provide us with these gifts of the earth and now the earth has crumbled beneath them. Here's Gordon's note:
Date: Tue, 13 May 2008 18:25:21 +0800 (CST) From: "ldllu" Subject: »?´£º »?´£º Earthquake etc. To: "Shenoa" Dear Shen,
Thank you and all kindhearted friends there in America! Whether there is bad, ambulances and machineries could not be sent there. Soldiers are trying to reach there by road, river and air, however, all three ways are blocked so far. A group of 20 scouts has been despatched there, they are walking, no planes could fly there. The roads to Wenchuan are so narrow that they measure about 7m only. All the way to there are blocked by huge stones rolled from the top of mountains. Actually, no way at all. All Chinese people are focusing on it, we are doing our best to save prople there, many people are still under ruins waitng for rescue. The goal is to clear the path to the city by 0:00 May 14.
Buildings there could not stand the severe earthquake. It is a undeveloped area of Sichuan province, most of the structures are built by local farmers and workers, I guess few of them applied the standards for buildings which could stand up to earthquake.
Thank you for your donations, that must be very helpful to thoese people who are sufferuing from the disaster there. We Chinese are making our best to save them asap.
Gratefully,
Gordon"