Yangtze River Cruise

After our visit to the walls of Xian we headed for the airport where unfortunately our flight was delayed for several hours. At the other end there was a hastily arranged meal near the airport followed by a long drive to the city of Yichang where we boarded our cruise ship at nearly midnight. We missed the views of the countryside since it was dark as we drove along. The roads have all been good, modern expressways linking the major cities, no litter at the sides of the road, and there are usually plants and trees on the edge of roads with more planting in the middle of the dual carriageways. There are also lots of gardeners and litter pickers to keep them looking pristine.

Yangtse No1 - our cabin is directly under the CPC sign

Our cabin on "Yangtse No.1" was fine for our trip which was to last three days and four nights, travelling upstream to Chongqing, and passing through the massive shiplocks at the Three Gorges Dam, before travelling through the gorges themselves. There were lots of sitting areas on the boat, and we also had a small balcony, useful for drying clothes and for watching the world go by. We shared this cruise with another Wendy Wu tour, all Australians and New Zealanders except for one English couple who were travelling with Australian relatives. They travelled in parallel with our tour but usually on different flights. There were also many Chinese tour groups. Breakfasts are usually a mixture of Chinese and western food with other meals always of rice, noodles and about six to eight other dishes. We are a group of 21 and are usually allocated two tables with a revolving glass "lazy Susan" in the middle of the table. Beer or soft drinks are served with our meals. The first night we were given some "Great Wall" wine to try. Let's say that they have not fully mastered wine making yet. There is imported wine at a cost but the beer is good so we stuck to that.

There were trips ashore each day. Our first trip was to go up a tributary and walk along paths which were very pleasant. It was really a photo opportunity, open air set pieces showing life in the past. The rain added to the atmosphere. Len and Lesley had celebrated their Ruby Wedding earlier in the tour. To our amusement Len was chosen to take part in a traditional wedding ceremony with a beautiful young lady. It was the subject of many jokes for the rest of the day.

Emerging from the Shiplock

That same afternoon we visited the Three Gorges Dam. The facts and figures about this project are phenomenal. Suffice to say it is 2335m long, 185m high, 18m wide on the top and 130m wide at the bottom. The river level above the dam has already been raised over 110m and will eventually be 130m above its original level. We were told that 1.3 million people have had to be relocated, mostly in a completely new city at Fuling. Many people believe it has negatively affected the spectacle of the gorges but we were still very impressed. The dam aids flood control, produces electricity (it is claimed to be the largest power station in the world with an installed capacity of 22.5GW, about half of the UK's current usage), aids navigation (barge traffic has increased by a factor of six),  and provides irrigation. The weather was still wet and not the best for an open air visit. We can't help thinking that Grandpa Bald would have loved this tour. That evening we passed through the shiplocks and into the Three Gorges proper.

Tu Jia boatmen

The highlight of our second day on the Yangtse was a trip up another tributary, Shennong Stream, to see a demonstration by boatmen from the Tu Jia minority, and to travel in their traditional "pea pod" boats. This trip up the Shennong has only become possible recently as a result of the rising water levels.

The Bridge Over Troubled Water

On the third day we went ashore again to visit the Shibaozhai temple, an impressive nine-story building built of wood without nails
in the 18th century - Norwegian stave churches anyone? The temple complex also featured the Gates of Hell and the original Bridge Over Troubled Water. Our cruise ended in the city of Chongqing on the fourth morning.