Lunch with Madame Ma

Our last meal with our hosts from Dezhou was at a restaurant on Deyue Lake, which is actually a reservoir. We had lunch with Madame Ma, the executive of the area. In the picture on the left, she is making a toast to John Barber, Evergreen Timber. All the fish we ate at lunch came from the Lake, and was very fresh. The vegetables served also were fresh from fields in the area surrounding the lake. The fish were cooked whole, with various spices, and were served bones and all. Each one was more favorful than the last. One of the platters contained dozens of tiny shrimp cooked until crispy with little seasoning beyond salt and pepper. The meal concluded with a fruit platter featuring fresh watermelon.

On our way to the restaurant, we drove out into Deyue Lake on a long causeway to a picturesque spot with a small pavilion circled with rose bushes. We stopped for a few minutes to take in the scenery and to take some pictures with our Dezhou hosts. On a clear day, it would have been a beautiful place to visit. As you can see from the pictures, there was a lot of low fog over the lake. We then drove along the lakeside for a considerable distance.

Madame Ma was a charming hostess and we all wished we had more time to spend with her. She was delighted to receive an I Love NY button and a US-China flag pin. She graciously invited us to make a return visit to see her again.