Beautiful, rural countryside and dramatic views on the Yangtze tributary, Shennong.
Boatmen on the Shennong Stream
Today we really got the feel of the Yangtze River area. On the top deck at 7 AM, we were outside for the entry into the Qutang Xia (Gorge). The weather has returned to being quite chilly, and we have a brisk wind blowing today. This is the shortest of the gorges, but maybe the most famous, since an image of its Kui Gate appears on the Chinese ¥10 RMB note; it took us just ½ hour to pass through.
About an hour later (well timed after having some breakfast), we entered the longer Wu Xia gorge for a beautiful 2-hour journey. It may have been windy and overcast, but we did not have the fog that so often obstructs much of the view. This gorge features the Goddess Peak among its 13, with what appears to be a solitary figure standing high above the river – worshiping at two facing peaks. I was running in and out from the enclosed lounge/observation area to the deck and back and forth from the port to starboard sides to try get some good shots while trying to stay warm.
In the late morning we took a smaller ferry down the Shennong Stream, a much smaller, more shallow tributary. The scenery here was really spectacular, you are away from the commercial and transit barges, and have a much more intimate experience. It was also a bit warmer, since we were protected a little from the wind. High up in a dramatic crevice we also saw one of the unbelievable hanging coffins placed by the Bai, ancestors of the Tu Jia, who are indigenous to the area. It’s right out of an Indiana Jones movie.
Eventually we reached the end and transferred to wooden sampan boats for a lively ride with modern-day “trackers”, boatmen who rowed, steered and pulled us for about an hour. These craggy boys and men range in age from 17-87, and actually pull the boats along the stream from the side with long ropes. The tributary is still shallow and narrow, but before the 1950s the rough conditions called for extreme measures and the system of rowing and pulling was the only way to move goods and people in the area. In the ‘50s the rapids that caused the difficulty in the area were cleared ending the need for the men to pull the boats. It’s amazing the strength these men have – and all packed into such wiry, compact frames. Of note, the original tribesmen used to work with no clothes when they were standing in the water – today they all wear clothes (thank goodness) and keep the tradition alive for tourists.
This afternoon, back on our mother ship the Yangtze Explorer, we traveled through what used to be the most dangerous of the gorges (pre-river enhancements), the western portion of Xiling Xia.
During the evening, we took about four hours to successfully traverse the five locks of the river and lower the ship 370’. Between all this activity, we grabbed snatches of television and internet updates to follow the news back home and the ultimate capture of the second suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing.
Tip of the day: God Bless America.
We saw some unusual items on Chinese menus, but never just pig snouts; market in Fengdu.
Fengdu day care kids at play.
We are spending the next three days on the M.S. Yangtze Explorer, reputed to be the most luxurious ship on the river. The 124 passenger ship is home to our group as well as A&K, Nat Geo and a few independent travelers. It is nice and very comfortable, our cabin having 333 sq. ft, a king bed and a balcony. Wi-fi is slow and intermittent, but we do have CNN, and can keep up with breaking news from Boston in the USA.
After sailing during the night, we docked around 7am at Fengdu, the Ghost City. When the Three Gorges Dam was built on the Yangtze and opened in 2008, the water levels rose and flooded many communities and historically significant sites along the river. In anticipation, the government moved 1.3 million people into new homes, sometimes nearby. In the case of Fengdu, most of the local residents were moved to new apartments across the river, and some were moved higher up the hill. The government also saved and moved several homes, each more than 100 years old.
Today we visited some of those beautiful historic homes, as well as a local market and a pre-school.
The children, ages 3-6 were precious and enjoyed singing for us, as well as playing games with us. My husband had quite a time playing with a group of kids with three soccer and basketballs – it’s hard to say who actually had more fun. There was a lot of laughter all around.
Next up was the incredible market. We saw beautiful vegetables, tanks of live carp, every kind of meat (and organ) you can imagine, teeth (yes, teeth), tobacco and more. Locals were playing cards on the streets, and people were everywhere. No matter where you looked, you saw something wonderful and interesting. The only place I was shooed away from and couldn’t take pictures or even watch – was a local Mah Jongg parlor!
We toured a historic home that had belonged to the area’s wealthiest citizen, a local salt merchant. As we continued walking through the reconstructed historic area, we were treated to a surprise reception from the ship, with a variety of beverages and tasty snacks set in a handsome courtyard with two beautiful girls playing some delightful Chinese music.
Today we felt like we had a window into the way typical Chinese live their daily lives.
Back on board the Yangtze Explorer, we have been relaxing, attended an interesting lecture about the river, ate, drank, ate some more . . . . and enjoyed the scenery.
Tip of the day- don’t eat the pig snouts.
Cute Lesser Panda
You You has a bamboo snack.
We left beautiful Guilin this morning on Xiamen Air headed for a rendezvous with Pandas in Chongqing.
The long drive out of Guilin showed off even more of the city’s parks, landscaped medians, and clean, attractive commercial areas. As with all the Chinese airports, this one was built with future expansion in mind and located a fair distance from the center of town.
They say Chongqing is the largest city you never heard of, and with 33 million residents it proved to be true; currently the largest incorporated city in the world, it includes towns in the nearby Yangtze area. There are massive residential towers lining the highways, one after another, for as far as you can see; then you round the next bend and there are even more. This is the worst pollution we have experienced on the trip, and since we are in a very industrial city, not surprising. The weather has gotten much warmer than forecast (91), but those gracious Chinese ancestors have kindly held off the predicted rain. So basically, we are having Miami weather – it’s warm and humid. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be in the summer when the humidity is up and temps reach well over 100.
Historically, Chongqing was an important city and a major salt mining area; during WWII it was extensively bombed by the Japanese but never occupied, partly due to the assistance of the Flying Tigers, a group of American pilots.
We saw the locally famous Great Hall of the People, new tank-shaped Opera House, many bridges and the incredible amount of construction currently underway. They have cleared massive spaces for more new buildings and everywhere you look, the skyline is a mix of cranes interspersed with the existing monolithic buildings.
I saw my first Panda in 1972 at the London Zoo, it was a really big deal since at that time only about four were outside of China and visiting China was not an option. Today, China has dispersed a few more of the rare animals around the world, and zoologists are working closely with the Chinese to breed and monitor this national Chinese treasure. Currently there are only about 1,400 Giant Pandas remaining in the wild.
The Chongqing Zoo has seven (one was just relocated for breeding), due to its proximity to the remaining natural Panda habitat. Things were in a bit of a tizzy, since they are approaching their very brief breeding period. We did spend time watching Liang Liang, a 13-year-old very prolific male; You You, a 6.5 year-old male, and the 1.5 year-old baby girl Mangzai. At least they think the baby is a girl, they are never really sure about Pandas. Mangzai was selected after a naming contest, and means honest, cute, active and healthy.
We also got to see some very active Lesser Pandas – they were just darling, and I would love to take one home, if I didn’t think it would put our cat totally over the edge!
Oddly, there is a major art gallery and art school located within the zoo grounds. We had an interesting, translated presentation from a Chinese Master, and were able to see some artisans carve stone and delicately paint the inside of small bottles. The gallery offered some very pricey major paintings for sale.
Eventually we made our way to the Yangtze River, and our other reason for traveling to this central Chinese town – to board the Yangtze Explorer for a three-day trip east down the river. Because the geography here is hilly, it can be quite a walk down to the river when the water level is low (which it is right now). This town is famous for the local “bang-bang” porters who carry cargo, supplies, luggage and more onto the waiting ships and barges or up to residential apartments and commercial shops and businesses. Even though these “bang-bang” men have been providing the same service for hundreds of years, their numbers have swelled since the river relocation project (more on that tomorrow) to around 100,000. Their technique is a simple one used for generations; they carry a single bamboo pole (called bang-bang) across their shoulders with ropes on either side to tie the items they carry or baskets to transport smaller items. Even though I had read about them, I was surprised to see so many along the downtown streets and along the waterfront. We even utilized their services to easily get our luggage and hand-carry items on board. It’s another interesting contrast of modern and ancient.
We boarded the Yangtze Explorer around 5 PM – got settled in and enjoyed dinner prior to the sail-away just after 10 PM. The departure was nice, and there were quite a few lively-looking boats used for short river trips; we would call these party boats at home because of their bright neon lights and music. It was nice that city officials turn on lots of additional lights on the downtown buildings for the benefit of the departing riverboats, but then, it’s lights out at 10pm!
Tip of the day: Chinese ladies don’t generally stand in an orderly line and wait their turn for the bathroom, they will sometimes queue at the door of the stall, or push past you; so, if you stand in line you might be waiting a long time . . . .
On the Li River – a Chinese Treasure.
After a very early morning fight from Xi’an, we found ourselves gliding down the beautiful Li River.
It was raining when we arrived in Guilin, but it’s as if we have some benevolent Chinese spirits looking after us – because by the time we were on the River the sun was shining and the temperature was perfect.
We are going to cruise the most scenic portion of this lovely site during a two and a half hour trip disembarking at Yangdi. This is the China of art and poetry; the scenes we see on scrolls and fans; and the serenity we associate with classic Chinese imagery.
The Karst topography (thanks Dad) has shaped one of the most scenic areas of the country, and even though this was a quick visit well worth the effort to get here. Limestone formations have evolved through the centuries creating the most amazing series of closely set “stone forests,” each less than 1000’. Sheer cliffs, water buffalo, deep caves, waterfalls, and clusters of river craft dot the dramatic landscape. It’s very green and very Jurassic Park-looking.
We were on a private boat and our hotel, the Guilin Shangri-La, sent substantial boxed/suitcase lunches for us to enjoy, so once again, no one went hungry.
On the way back to town we drove through beautiful countryside and farms with rice paddies. Once back in Guilin, we indulged ourselves with a one hour reflexology treatment – a foot massage technique that originated with one of the four minority populations from this region. We have to give a shout out to our Tauck Tour Director Annie for suggesting this, and making it happen so seamlessly; it is like she is channeling our inner thoughts; it was fantastic.
We were also enchanted by the beautiful parks and pagodas here. Guilin has four major lakes and two rivers, with the Li River winding through and around the area like a silver ribbon. Banyan trees, Phoenix Tail Bamboo and sub-tropical vegetation add to the peaceful feeling. The “silver” and “gold” pagodas are just two of the spectacular examples found here. Some of the parks development has been recently completed by the government. As a result of the geography and the improvements to the area’s green spaces Guilin and the Li River has become a big destination for Chinese who want to get away from the bustle of the cities and reconnect with nature. I would have liked another day here – to have time to see more parks, contemplate the beautiful pagodas and get out to the River at night to see the famous Cormorant fisherman on their flat bamboo rafts (you can arrange hour-long viewing trips in the summer).
You may have read about the latest variety of Bird Flu that has hit China. It started in the South and just reached Beijing while we were there. It seems to be affecting people who handle live birds, and so the government has been destroying populations of chickens, ducks and geese in the impacted areas. At dinner tonight in the resort’s Chinese restaurant, we encountered evidence of this action for the first time, when we found out that no poultry dishes were available.
Tips of the day: remember to take your sunscreen on the River and try something new every day (even if you don’t like it).
