Hi Jack --- Its an interesting idea, isnt it? Wybe Kuitert suggests it might have been a Chinese priest named Lanqi Daolong. In addition to what Wybe said in a lecture about Tenryuji, here are some excerpts from "Themes in the History of Japanese Garden Art" on the subject (from pp. 81-82): "Many writers on Japanese garden art ascribe the garden [Tenryuji] to Muso Kokushi. This attribution starts with a popular eighteenth-century garden book (Kitamura 1735) and is also found in an old tourist book on the celebrated gardens and sights of Kyoto (Akisato 1799). "Theories of Song landscape painting are skillfully applied in the waterfall arrangement of rocks at the pond shore. Generally speaking this rather sudden appearance of Song-influenced rock work cannot be ascribed to an indigenous Japanese like Muso. Muso himself could not have had such detailed knowledge; and he did not paint; and he never went to China. Besides, Song landscape painting was not yet being imported on a large scale "The appearance of Song-painting-inspired rock work in Tenryuji, then, is too sudden to be ascribed to an indigenous Japanese. Besides the waterfall arrangement, the concept of pond and hillock with winding pathways in between rows of rocks used as retainers is so typically Chinese in concept that one also hesitates on this point to attribute it to an early medieval Japanese. Another reason to attribute the design to a Chinese artist is the so-called carp stone halfway up the waterfall.. At the side of the upper step of the waterfall is a curved stone with a split tip, quite suggestively representing a fish jumping the rapids. It is generally accepted that this stone relates to the Chinese legend of a carp that, after successfully ascending the gorges of the Yellow River at Lung Men (Dragon Gate), will turn into a dragon The carp stone leads to another hypothetical attribution of the waterfall rock grouping to the Chinese Lanqi Daolong (Jpn. Rankei Doryu). This Zen priest came to Kyoto for three years to deal with questions on Zen matters at the court of ex-Emperor Go Saga, whose palace was located at the present site of the Tenryuji temple. Two other temples that Lanqi Daolong revived during short periods of residence have the same type of Dragon Gate waterfall.. Again, no documentary evidence exists that proves his engagement in constructing these Dragon Gate waterfalls" Lee

Hi I used expanding foam in both a 75 and 150 gallon standard aquariums. The 75 was actually a paludarium 150 used a false bottom . Took a lot of trial and error to keep the water from splashing on the glass.. Streams were even more difficult ,containing the water . false bottom runaway the best.. I used a canister filter for the power, plumbing was PVC under the foam Used acrylic paint to alter the color of the foam Though the 75 has returned to an aquarium the "waterfall" now serves as a background. Has been running since 01 with only minor problems. The 150 got some frostbite this winter but will be returned to a terrarium come spring. WITH a reliable heating system !!! lol gary

I certainly am enjoying your travels with you, I hope you're having as much fun and adventures as the trip sounds. You guys are real troopers to put it mildly!!! Continue in good health and have no problems. Susan209 in Valparaiso, IN

Given the desired size desired, that eliminates a fiberglass shell. They aren't big enough. There very few things you can't/shouldn't do with a liner pool that a gunite pool can do. If there aren't any gunite builders in the area, go with a liner. The tend to be, at least in my area, slightly less expensive too. With a sloped area, expect to have to cut into the land and build a retaining wall and drainage. Those will eat into your budget. I would also be concerned with hitting rock. Bedrock and boulders will need to be jack hammered and that will cost too. While a liner pool normally has 42" walls, the floor can be deeper. In fact, that is how the deep end hopper is designed. They use either smoothed cement or a vermiculite and portland cement mix to form the bottom and slopes that exceed the 42" depth. That which is above ground, such a grotto, won't matter to any pool as long as the proper footing is laid to support the weight. Thermoplastic slides are pretty standard fair and can be pretty darn long if you want. Scott