2014 China Trip
On September 20th we flew to Chongquin. Due to the 10 days of rain, the water was too high and swift to board the ship at the docks so we boarded a bus for a two hour drive to Fengdu where the ship was waiting for us. We were kind of glad we took the bus because we were able to see the rural way of life, with terraced farms on the mountain sides, farmers working their fields and groves. There are a lot of tunnels along the highway. One tunnel was nine miles long!
Prior to boarding the ship, some men were asking to take our bags to the ship. They use some poles and ropes to carry the luggage -- one man was carrying four large bags. It had to be hard work balancing such a heavy load on his shoulders.
The Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world; 3,917 miles long with 185 cities located along it length. It is a major commercial waterway.
The first evening we sailed to Shibaozhai which means Precious Stone Fortress. There is a beautiful Buddhist Temple there. We walked over a swinging bridge and through the marketplace to the entrance of the temple. There are 99 steps leading to the top where we had a beautiful view of the river and town. One of the ladies in our group had a problem with walking so they hired a sedan chair to take her up to the temple.
On our way back to the ship, John took pictures of several elderly people in town. One lady asked us to buy an apple for a picture. We saw a woman nursing her baby and another lady had a young child who was wearing an outfit with the bottom cut out. Not sure what happens when he poops!!
After the Captain's Champagne Reception, we had a Chinese meal and then later some of the crew put on a show called the Chinese Minority Costume and Traditional Dress show. They dressed in clothing from the various regions in China as well as some of the nearby countries surrounding China.
The next day we boarded a smaller vessel to cruise the Lesser Gorges of the Yangtze River. The river had a lot of debris due to the recent storms. The scenery is spectacular. We saw boats, ferries loaded with cars and trucks, small fishing boats and even a hydro foil.
Yangtze River Cruise - Day 1 & 2