We woke bright and early feeling fresh and ready for anything that the day would hold. The crew were preparing for departure and we went up to the top deck to watch the proceedings before venturing down for breakfast. The cruise manager, Howard, had suggested the previous evening that passengers might like to watch the departure before breakfast as the scenery on this first leg of our journey would be interesting.
 |
We looked down at the ramshackle quay from which we had boarded last night. Perhaps it was just as well that it had been dark and we saw nothing but the traders and the welcoming group of crew members. In the cold light of morning it all looked a bit rickety. We were swathed in damp morning mist and many of our views today would be through mizzle (misty drizzle)
Our excursion today would depart at 9am so we would not be going too far along the river this morning. Time to go down to the restaurant and have a good breakfast. As with almost every breakfast in China it was buffet style. A wide selection of Western and Chinese dishes and fruit.
Shortly after we set sail we arrived in the dining room to have breakfast. We found that our table was one of the first as we entered the dining room so, we put down our backpacks and went to collect our breakfast. We tended to have a western style start to the day throughout our holiday. Although I would often add some wonderful steamed buns to my bacon and egg. We did not find any fried eggs, just as we had failed in Shanghai but, there was a very good selection to choose from. We had just settled in our place when our table mates started to arrive. We could see that they were not Chinese but we had no idea what their native language was - maybe German? So, we smiled and mumbled a greeting. The chap opposite me leaned back in his seat and demanded 'Are you Poms?' So, now we knew that these were Australians. 'Yup!' We said. 'So am I' said the guy who introduced himself as Alan, a Pom who had emigrated to Oz a lifetime before. From these new friends we learnt that for fried eggs we had to ask the grill chef who was stationed right by our table and was making omelets to order. We would know what to do in the future.
All of our table mates were Australian and they were all part of the same tour. We were actually the only English on board and also the only independent travellers, commonly known on the excursion lists by our cabin number - 425. There were a few other Australians who were associated with different tours to our table mates, quite a few Americans, a large contingent of German speakers and many, many Chinese. One of the Officers on board was himself German, Kristoff. He had worked in China for twenty years or more and was fluent in Chinese and English in addition to his mother tongue.
We seemed to hit it off with our table mates right away. It helped to share the same sense of humour. Kerry and Daphne and Alan (the Pom) and Marylyn ( known to her friends as Maz ) were long standing friends from Sydney. Kate and her young daughter Michelle were also, I think, from Sydney, and Allan and June were from Perth. It turned out that we had all booked to take the Dragon Valley excursion that morning. Comfortable flat shoes had been recommended as a longish walk would be involved and the paths might be slippery.
By the time we had finished breakfast we had docked and the guides had boarded to take us on our way. Each guide took a smallish group and our table were all together, all being English speakers. Our very attractive guide was absolutely delightful. She entertained us with traditional local songs and told us a little about the culture and old lifestyle of the area. I never saw her without a smile or a giggle on her lips. All of the guides were dressed in a uniform based upon traditional local clothes.
The valley was one of the newer 'attractions' along the river. Whilst the wonderful valley scenery was totally natural everything else had been artificially created to give the visitor an idea of how life had been in earlier times. The walk to the end of the valley and back would take about two and a half hours but that would include many stops for photo opportunities.
The walk was very pleasant and the mist was clearing. In fact, although a little damp, it was a lovely morning, made all the better because of the very enjoyable company that we found ourselves sharing.
We passed a number of drawings on the rock face and a series of statues, some rather comical. Mick thought that I might have been the body model for two of them. Sadly, I think that gravity has taken it's toll over the years. Actually, to be honest, I don't think that there was ever a time when gravity did not play it's part. The 'ancient' statues were mostly fibre glass and the rock paintings probably owed a lot to acrylic but, none of the guides tried to imply that these were old and even joked about how new they were.
We crossed this part of the river by stepping stones. No particular problem for the able bodied but I could see that these might present a problem for anyone with a disability.
At every step of the way there was a new view and photo opportunity. We tried to make the most of it.
All along the way we would come across groups in traditional costume acting the parts of villagers. A young woman playing a traditional Chinese instrument, a flautist, cormorant fishing boats, women doing the washing and even a village wedding. As each group of visitors approached the 'villagers' would play their parts.
It didn't matter that these were staged performances, isn't every type of 'theme park' experience in the West staged in the same way. It really was a very pleasant morning and we were so glad that we had decided to take the excursion.
All of our table mates were Australian and they were all part of the same tour. We were actually the only English on board and also the only independent travellers, commonly known on the excursion lists by our cabin number - 425. There were a few other Australians who were associated with different tours to our table mates, quite a few Americans, a large contingent of German speakers and many, many Chinese. One of the Officers on board was himself German, Kristoff. He had worked in China for twenty years or more and was fluent in Chinese and English in addition to his mother tongue.
We seemed to hit it off with our table mates right away. It helped to share the same sense of humour. Kerry and Daphne and Alan (the Pom) and Marylyn ( known to her friends as Maz ) were long standing friends from Sydney. Kate and her young daughter Michelle were also, I think, from Sydney, and Allan and June were from Perth. It turned out that we had all booked to take the Dragon Valley excursion that morning. Comfortable flat shoes had been recommended as a longish walk would be involved and the paths might be slippery.
 |
| The entrance to Dragon Valley viewed as we docked. |
By the time we had finished breakfast we had docked and the guides had boarded to take us on our way. Each guide took a smallish group and our table were all together, all being English speakers. Our very attractive guide was absolutely delightful. She entertained us with traditional local songs and told us a little about the culture and old lifestyle of the area. I never saw her without a smile or a giggle on her lips. All of the guides were dressed in a uniform based upon traditional local clothes.
The valley was one of the newer 'attractions' along the river. Whilst the wonderful valley scenery was totally natural everything else had been artificially created to give the visitor an idea of how life had been in earlier times. The walk to the end of the valley and back would take about two and a half hours but that would include many stops for photo opportunities.
 |
| The 'sleepy' harbour |
 |
| Any moment you expect the crew to arrive and set sail |
 |
| 'Ancient' rock paintings |
 |
| No comment!! |
We passed a number of drawings on the rock face and a series of statues, some rather comical. Mick thought that I might have been the body model for two of them. Sadly, I think that gravity has taken it's toll over the years. Actually, to be honest, I don't think that there was ever a time when gravity did not play it's part. The 'ancient' statues were mostly fibre glass and the rock paintings probably owed a lot to acrylic but, none of the guides tried to imply that these were old and even joked about how new they were.
 |
| Hear No Evil, See No Evil? |
 |
| A good stride is needed to step from stone to stone |
We crossed this part of the river by stepping stones. No particular problem for the able bodied but I could see that these might present a problem for anyone with a disability.
 |
| Looking back towards the stepping stones |
At every step of the way there was a new view and photo opportunity. We tried to make the most of it.
 |
| Cormorant Fishing Boat |
 |
| Traditional Chinese music |
 |
| Family San pan |
All along the way we would come across groups in traditional costume acting the parts of villagers. A young woman playing a traditional Chinese instrument, a flautist, cormorant fishing boats, women doing the washing and even a village wedding. As each group of visitors approached the 'villagers' would play their parts.
 |
| Flautist |
It didn't matter that these were staged performances, isn't every type of 'theme park' experience in the West staged in the same way. It really was a very pleasant morning and we were so glad that we had decided to take the excursion.
 |
| A woman's work is never done |
We had a wee chuckle at all of the performers who would relax a little between the visiting groups and, as we approached, we could sense them saying to each other, 'Quick, look busy, here comes another lot.'
 |
| One of the local residents |
 |
| Who do you think you're looking at Mate? |
There is a tribe of wild monkeys living in the valley. They stay mainly in one area but scamper across the rocks and seem to be perfectly happy in this environment. They do come right down to meet the visitors so there are many photo opportunities but, always remember that these cute creatures are wild animals and so could do you a nasty mischief if provoked. Keep a tight grip on your bags and cameras. They probably knew the The Artful Dodger.
At the heart of the valley there are beautiful waterfalls. These are the Dragon's Tears. The legend tells of how a dragon came to the valley and fell in love with a beautiful young woman from the village. His love was not returned and the waterfalls represent the tears of the distraught, lovestruck, dragon.
 |
| Coffins in a cliff niche |
It was traditional throughout the region to 'bury' the dead in coffins set in niche in the cliff face. In this valley the practice has been recreated for the benefit of the visitor but throughout the cruise it is still possible to see the real thing, although you often have to look very carefully up at the cliff face.
At the far end of the valley there is a re-enactment of a traditional wedding but we were not able to get a clear view of all of the performance due to the huge numbers of Chinese tourists. Our guide was most apologetic. It was not possible to wait for the next performance as we had to start to retrace our steps and return to the ship for lunch.
 |
| Our ship Century Star is the large white ship with a few others having joined her to enjoy this excursion. |
As we made our way back on board members of the crew were there to greet us and welcome us back. As we entered the lobby area we were given refreshing towels and tea. This would be the norm after every excursion.
And so...... to lunch. Lunch and dinner would be similar meals, buffet style. There was always a large selection of dishes with a good mix of Chinese and Western styles together with two different soup choices, a salad bar and two grill chefs just inside the dining room. The chef close by our table usually had a pasta dish to offer and I kept forgetting that the chef on the other side had a different choice. The one time that I remembered, he was serving delicious roast goose. Being buffet style it was possible to return to the servery several times if you were still hungry or particularly enjoyed a dish, so there really was no point in piling the plate so high that it was difficult to carry. Needless to say there were many who did carry plates that were almost over flowing. The Chinese do not often eat desserts but the chefs made a valiant effort to provide a good selection. A wide assortment of bite size apple tart and many flavours of cheesecake or fruity dainties was the norm. There was always fresh fruit and a hot choice. However, there was one small problem.
Our UK friends will remember the early days of the package holiday when it seemed that certain groups of European tourists went down to the pool side at 2 or 3am to place towels on all of the sunbeds in order to reserve them for the day. I am sorry to say that we had the same situation on board. While most people were still enjoying their soup, one particular group were emptying the dessert table before they had even started to eat anything at all, leaving precious little for the rest of us. Such a shame but, these things seem to happen everywhere.
 |
| The view as we docked to visit the Dam |
The Dam is under the control of the Army. The procedure on arrival is very strict. Everyone disembarks the coaches and must go through an airport style security screening. Bags may taken into the complex but must not contain alcohol or other combustible materials, cigarette lighters and so forth and they must pass through an x-ray screen. The reason for this and the Army presence is the terrible destruction that could occur in the event of any terrorist attack causing a breach in the Dam. It doesn't bear thinking about.
I have to hold up my hand and admit that the sight of this great feat of engineering is certainly impressive. A short talk is given to each group of visitors about the building project and the benefits to the area and the local people. Huge panoramic photos are unfurled on the ground to show the vast area affected by the Dam. There was a slight drizzle when we first arrived so part of the Dam was shrouded in mist.
A large diorama shows the full layout of the Dam. From this hall one passes into the sales area. Not all souvenirs though. There was a vast assortment of packaged Chinese food on sale here. It seemed rather a strange thing to be selling in a place like this. I did buy a fridge magnet from here to add to my slowly growing collection and I was very surprised to find that haggling was the expected norm in here just as it was in the markets. I had assumed that in here the prices would be fixed.
 |
| The future viewing area |
 |
| Close up of the bronze relief |
There is still work continuing although the Dam is now functioning but, the work force is far smaller than during the peak of the building when many thousands lived and worked on the site. The views from the new visitors centgre will be fantastic.
Garden areas are being beautifully landscaped and a new visitors viewing area is under construction.
 |
| Part of a series of locks. |
We would be making our own way through these vast locks later in the day.
 |
| Even here there are gardens to gladden the eye. |
 |
| A consignment of new cars pass through the locks |
We were on a strict schedule to return to our ship as she would have to take her place in a queue to pass through the locks. We did make a small purchase before boarding, a pack of six beers for which we haggled for a very good price. We put them into the fridge in our cabin just in case we fancied one later.
 |
| Our final view of the magnificent entrance to the village |
It was tea time when we were back on board. The sun was now shining and we took our place on the sundeck with beverages, cookies and cakes and our e-readers. A short way along the river we halted to await instructions about the time that we commence our progression through the locks. The passage might take up to 5 hours.
Time to explore a little before we prepared for our evening meal. In the lobby the official photographer had his stand. Here he would show the photographs that he taken during the day and clips from the official video. We had decided that we would buy a photo of us if we saw a nice one but, in actual fact we never really had the opportunity to have a good look at many as there were always crowds of Chinese, Germans or Americans around this table.
Also in the lobby there was a small souvenir stall. A pleasant selection including silk scarves, some jewellery, guide books and a few costume dolls. Although I did want to buy a doll, as I have collected National Costume Dolls since I was a small child, these were all in 'Court' dress. I really wanted a doll in the costume of one of the ethnic tribes.
On Deck 4, close to the bar, there were more items for sale. Here a shop was dedicated to pearls, jade and art work. I was hoping to buy some jade jewellery but unfortunately all of the ear rings were set in silver. I can only wear silver for a few hours before my ears start to burn. I would have to keep looking. On board there was an artisan painter / calligrapher who had his own working and sales area within the ship's gym. In addition there was another artisan whose speciality was painting on the inside of small glass bottles ( snuff bottles ) with a special tiny curved tip brush. He also took commissions from the passengers who might provide him with a photograph of their grand children or whatever. His skill was absolutely amazing. In addition, there was a masseur and a beautician available. Naturally, the ship had a doctor on board in case of emergency. On one occasion he would give a talk about Chinese Medicine. One lucky lady would receive a soothing neck massage when the masseur introduced himself to the passengers.
On Deck 4, close to the bar, there were more items for sale. Here a shop was dedicated to pearls, jade and art work. I was hoping to buy some jade jewellery but unfortunately all of the ear rings were set in silver. I can only wear silver for a few hours before my ears start to burn. I would have to keep looking. On board there was an artisan painter / calligrapher who had his own working and sales area within the ship's gym. In addition there was another artisan whose speciality was painting on the inside of small glass bottles ( snuff bottles ) with a special tiny curved tip brush. He also took commissions from the passengers who might provide him with a photograph of their grand children or whatever. His skill was absolutely amazing. In addition, there was a masseur and a beautician available. Naturally, the ship had a doctor on board in case of emergency. On one occasion he would give a talk about Chinese Medicine. One lucky lady would receive a soothing neck massage when the masseur introduced himself to the passengers.
We had been told to listen for an announcement regarding the time that we would start our passage through the locks. It was anticipated that we would enter the first lock round dinner time and make a slow progression of up to 5 hours. Before dinner we would attend the Captain's welcome cocktail party and after dinner the staff would be performing their show.
 |
There is room for more than one ship at time in the lock.
 |
| The long wait for the lock to fill. |
We would pop up to the top deck to view our progress in between events, starting with a quick look just before the Captain's party.
|
The cocktail party was lovely. The Captain, his officers and senior members of staff were dressed in pristine 'whites'. All formerly greeting each passenger as we entered the bar area. Drinks and snack were being served. Whilst we sat to finish our drinks Howard, the cruise host, introduced the Captain and these key staff members. Toasts were made as the Captain passed through the throng to greet everyone with smiles. He did not speak any English.
 |
| " Hi, I'm Minny. How are you? " |
A quick look up top before we went down for dinner and then, after dinner, there was time to go up top to see how we were progressing through the locks. There was a bar up on this top deck so refreshments were available if required. Then, back down to the lounge bar to watch the staff show where the few young passengers had not been forgotten.
Bearing in mind that these were amateur performers, the show was very enjoyable.
The young performers had a variety of routines and many costumes. The whole performance was very enjoyable. Waiters passed through the tables to take orders during the performance. The show ended with the crew in evening dress encouraging the tourists to dance with them.
His camera is bigger and a lot more expensive than mine.
 |
| Preparing to pass through to the next level. |
As the evening wore on it became quite chilly and drizzly and so we retired to our cabin to sit and enjoy one of our recently purchased beers rather than using the top deck bar on this occasion.. We would return to the top deck shortly before the anticipated time to pass through the last lock.
It was very strange to be sitting on our wee balcony sipping a cold beer, with the walls of the lock within touching distance, whilst the ship was so obviously being carried upward by the rising water level.
The final lock gate opens and many people have returned to the top deck to watch the opening of these final great doors
And so to open water again leaving the magnificent locks behind us. Oh well, that's that then. Might as well go off to bed now or.....maybe we had better pass by the bar first, just to be sociable you understand.
No comments:
Post a Comment