China: The Yangtze River, Day 1

Despite the staircase access to any other part of the ship, the cruise felt like the most accessible part of the trip. Here I floated through the beautiful scenery which could be enjoyed by simply stepping out onto my balcony. The help was everywhere when I needed it and often I was carried up or down the staircase. The schedule became much more relaxed and we could spend much of the day doing what we wanted or just resting (which I did often). One of my favorite places on the boat was at the very top. I could sit up there and watch everything float by at 360 degrees.

The first day we set off early on a side trip to see the imfamous Three Gorges Dam up close. The Chinese government has built this dam to provide a much-needed energy source but in the process are wiping out all of the towns and civilizations that lived near the bottom of the river. In fact, once the Dam is completed in 2009, everything 175 meters from the bottom will be submerged. The government is spending a huge sum of money to relocate all the people who lived in these areas and rebuild town that are lost. It's very contriversial and is changing the ancient landscape forever. I have to admit it is better than burning coal which has been their main source of energy. The air in China can sometimes be extremely thick.



Our ship went through the locks and it took about three hours and provided some unusual views.


A tight fit!