Chong Qing - 10.25
Horrible Horrible chinese tour groups! Yes I have sworn off them before. Yes this time I took not one but 2 tours in a row, for convenience and time saving. But horrible they were, i shall swear off them 100 times more.
Instead of the 8am CD departure the travel agent said, the guide told me last night he'll pick me up at 6am. Ok, fine, I was sure used to early rising at this point of the trip. But at 5:20, the pickuper showed up at my door. I was denied the leisure of strolling out to search for breakfast, as I originally planned.
When they collected all the people on the coach bus and pulled out, it was nearing 7:30. Now the tour books said from CD to Chongqing, bus takes 4hrs and train takes 6. But trains are far superior to buses! We were glad in JZG that we didn't have to suffer 10 hours of mountain bus ride (we did 1hr to HL and that was plenty), but now I truly comprehended the reality of long distance bus in china.
It was packed, packed with people, people who smelled, people who smoked, people who smoked right behind me! And it didn't take 4 hours, it took 6. Bus suck!!
Ok, enough about bus. I slept the first 5 hours so I think I missed most of the mountainous crossings. I woke to rolling green hills and idyllic country scenes. Terraced fields much akin to Huang Long's pools, flooded instead with brown water good for growing rice. Rows of greens led up to old country houses, blue gray tiled roofs some even with those sky-curving corners. Flocks of snow white geese and ducks, groves of bamboo, bent-back farmers laboring in a world of luscious greenery.
Then we traversed some tunnels, some several minutes long, some right after another. Then we exited darkness and there was Chongqing. So suddenly it changed from country to city. It was so easy to sense the vibe of this city. Flurries of activity at every corner, people and cars, cranes and trucks, it was a port city without a doubt, it had that air. Chonqing was also nicknamed mountain city, fog capital. My day was warm and sunny but the hills were evident, not like san francisco's hills, not graceful and beautiful, but dramatic, almost grand. There were these old old buildings tucked into the sheer rock faces, or hidden amongst trees. Their long pillars dug into the grounds, stony pathways wound up and down. The rivers were never far; Jia Li Jiang was to the north, a major tributary that fed the Chang Jiang to the south. Many low tunnels were dug into the hills to serve as bomb shelters during the chinese revolution wars. Now they have been converted to auto repair shops.
We drove through the whole length of the city before arriving at Chao Tian Men (Gate that faces heaven) bus and ferry terminal. The guy receiving me and others took us into a ferry ticket center and asked for our tour contract. When I went through all the itinerary with the clerk he promptly said it was absolutely impossible to stay on the boat on the morning of arriving at Yi Chang. This was a sticking point I repeated confirmed with the CD agents. And of course, it was impossible for the CQ people to straighten this out with the CD people directly.
After making my great dissatisfaction crystal clear to the CD guy, and several cellphone ping pongs, he finally admitted that he promised me this and relented that he has mistaken. His offer was to find another boat at Yi Chang to put me up until morning, but it would have to be 3rd class. Like I was going to trust him that I'll get properly transferred at 2am in Yi Chang. I was so glad I could converse fluently in chinese, so I could politely tell him to fuck off. Sick of dealing with the BS, I told him to give me the money that he said he would pay out of his own pocket for the 3rd class accommodation (a meager 40Y). I ended up buying the 3am bus to Wuhan from the boat people.
I suppose this was just a case of poor communication, or bad coordination. I suppose they did make an attempt at rectification, albeit feeble. But the bad taste didn't leave my mouth easily. There were many other small annoyances along the way I am glossing over here.
On a minibus with a different guide, we stopped in a restaurant for a quick lunch at 1:30. 8 dishes and a soup. All of my eating mates apparently enjoyed the food in their various dialects, and I would concur. Even compared to the food in Chengdu, there were some real gems here. One sliced pork stirfried with pointy peppers. One green beans with Mei Gan Cai. Robust flavors without being overly spicy.
We made a quick stop at the People's meeting auditorium, where the regional communist party hold their office. It was built in the style of Tian Tan (heavenly pavilion) in Beijing, and sat facing a very modern Three Gorges museum. However, this half day tour only afforded us a quick go-around outside. The next stop, of course, was a sales stop, some jewelry place. Like, every place in china has some expensive and "famous" local product that the travel industry considers a do-not-miss for every tourist. There were three Wuhan women sitting beside me on the minibus that invited me to mahjong with them on the boat later. When they heard I was going to spend a day in Wuhan they excitedly gave me tips on what to do and eat. But what I couldn't get over was that even to these chinese people I look younger than my real age! Hurray for excessive gluttony and sloth!
The rest of the afternoon we visited Zha Zi Dong and Bai Mansion, both political prisons used in the war between Guo Ming Dang and Communist party in the mid 1900's. As sickly fascinating as it was to see the restored jail cells and hear about the vomit-inducing stories of torture and massacre, I refuse to believe these 2 prisons are the high points of a city like CQ. What I saw on the bus along the way made me wish I could explore this place without the constraints of shitty tours.
And what shitty tour would be complete without a final stop at a shop to pick up authentic local products. Everyone has warned me of the price and quality of food on Chang Jiang cruises, so I stocked up on various edibles along with everyone else. Did I spy a big smile on the guide's face as she watched everyone cart out bag-fulls of grocery?
Back at ferry ticket center, I managed to find my next guide and acquired my cruise ticket and a big red tour badge for easy herding. Strolling the uphill road beside the dock, I picked out a busy dingy eatery among the numerous dingy eateries. Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian for 3, Xian Rou Chao Shou (Fresh meat sichuan wontons) for 4, and a fresh vegie for 5. Decent noodle. The wontons reminded me of Shanghai small wontons, with silky skin wrapped around a tiny bite of meaty morsel. The vegies were tips of Wuo Shun, a chinese stalky vegetable. They were brilliantly tender and delicious. Seems almost all the good stuff I have in china are vegetables. I took what I couldn't finish in a lidless paper bowl for later consuming on the cruise.
Walked to dock. A ride down a mandatory 2Y "cable car" that descended a whopping one story, because they locked the stairs access. Into my ship which docked not 1 foot away from the next ship. First class room on a 3 star ship, one'd expect around 3 star hotel quality right? Well, it was crap, and my mortal enemies were aboard (roaches) with its partner in crime rats (so we heard). What one ship crew called a stack of clean pillow cases, every one of them had some stain on it.
But when the ship sounded its deep baritone horn and the water outside my window started to churn, when the Chongqing neons slide past us, and the cool river winds blew through the room and upon the front deck rippling my shirt behind me, I couldn't suppress a wide grin of exhilaration. Just like the rhythmic rumble of a train, the gentle rolling of the ship tells of something unmistakable: adventure.
Bus Yi Chang -> Wuhan 120. Chengdu reimburse 40. Pommelo 4. Lunch 15. Food for cruise 58. Dingy dinner 12.
Instead of the 8am CD departure the travel agent said, the guide told me last night he'll pick me up at 6am. Ok, fine, I was sure used to early rising at this point of the trip. But at 5:20, the pickuper showed up at my door. I was denied the leisure of strolling out to search for breakfast, as I originally planned.
When they collected all the people on the coach bus and pulled out, it was nearing 7:30. Now the tour books said from CD to Chongqing, bus takes 4hrs and train takes 6. But trains are far superior to buses! We were glad in JZG that we didn't have to suffer 10 hours of mountain bus ride (we did 1hr to HL and that was plenty), but now I truly comprehended the reality of long distance bus in china.
It was packed, packed with people, people who smelled, people who smoked, people who smoked right behind me! And it didn't take 4 hours, it took 6. Bus suck!!
Ok, enough about bus. I slept the first 5 hours so I think I missed most of the mountainous crossings. I woke to rolling green hills and idyllic country scenes. Terraced fields much akin to Huang Long's pools, flooded instead with brown water good for growing rice. Rows of greens led up to old country houses, blue gray tiled roofs some even with those sky-curving corners. Flocks of snow white geese and ducks, groves of bamboo, bent-back farmers laboring in a world of luscious greenery.
 |  |
Then we traversed some tunnels, some several minutes long, some right after another. Then we exited darkness and there was Chongqing. So suddenly it changed from country to city. It was so easy to sense the vibe of this city. Flurries of activity at every corner, people and cars, cranes and trucks, it was a port city without a doubt, it had that air. Chonqing was also nicknamed mountain city, fog capital. My day was warm and sunny but the hills were evident, not like san francisco's hills, not graceful and beautiful, but dramatic, almost grand. There were these old old buildings tucked into the sheer rock faces, or hidden amongst trees. Their long pillars dug into the grounds, stony pathways wound up and down. The rivers were never far; Jia Li Jiang was to the north, a major tributary that fed the Chang Jiang to the south. Many low tunnels were dug into the hills to serve as bomb shelters during the chinese revolution wars. Now they have been converted to auto repair shops.
 |  |
We drove through the whole length of the city before arriving at Chao Tian Men (Gate that faces heaven) bus and ferry terminal. The guy receiving me and others took us into a ferry ticket center and asked for our tour contract. When I went through all the itinerary with the clerk he promptly said it was absolutely impossible to stay on the boat on the morning of arriving at Yi Chang. This was a sticking point I repeated confirmed with the CD agents. And of course, it was impossible for the CQ people to straighten this out with the CD people directly.
After making my great dissatisfaction crystal clear to the CD guy, and several cellphone ping pongs, he finally admitted that he promised me this and relented that he has mistaken. His offer was to find another boat at Yi Chang to put me up until morning, but it would have to be 3rd class. Like I was going to trust him that I'll get properly transferred at 2am in Yi Chang. I was so glad I could converse fluently in chinese, so I could politely tell him to fuck off. Sick of dealing with the BS, I told him to give me the money that he said he would pay out of his own pocket for the 3rd class accommodation (a meager 40Y). I ended up buying the 3am bus to Wuhan from the boat people.
I suppose this was just a case of poor communication, or bad coordination. I suppose they did make an attempt at rectification, albeit feeble. But the bad taste didn't leave my mouth easily. There were many other small annoyances along the way I am glossing over here.
On a minibus with a different guide, we stopped in a restaurant for a quick lunch at 1:30. 8 dishes and a soup. All of my eating mates apparently enjoyed the food in their various dialects, and I would concur. Even compared to the food in Chengdu, there were some real gems here. One sliced pork stirfried with pointy peppers. One green beans with Mei Gan Cai. Robust flavors without being overly spicy.
We made a quick stop at the People's meeting auditorium, where the regional communist party hold their office. It was built in the style of Tian Tan (heavenly pavilion) in Beijing, and sat facing a very modern Three Gorges museum. However, this half day tour only afforded us a quick go-around outside. The next stop, of course, was a sales stop, some jewelry place. Like, every place in china has some expensive and "famous" local product that the travel industry considers a do-not-miss for every tourist. There were three Wuhan women sitting beside me on the minibus that invited me to mahjong with them on the boat later. When they heard I was going to spend a day in Wuhan they excitedly gave me tips on what to do and eat. But what I couldn't get over was that even to these chinese people I look younger than my real age! Hurray for excessive gluttony and sloth!
 |  |
 |  |
The rest of the afternoon we visited Zha Zi Dong and Bai Mansion, both political prisons used in the war between Guo Ming Dang and Communist party in the mid 1900's. As sickly fascinating as it was to see the restored jail cells and hear about the vomit-inducing stories of torture and massacre, I refuse to believe these 2 prisons are the high points of a city like CQ. What I saw on the bus along the way made me wish I could explore this place without the constraints of shitty tours.
 |  |
 |  |
And what shitty tour would be complete without a final stop at a shop to pick up authentic local products. Everyone has warned me of the price and quality of food on Chang Jiang cruises, so I stocked up on various edibles along with everyone else. Did I spy a big smile on the guide's face as she watched everyone cart out bag-fulls of grocery?
Back at ferry ticket center, I managed to find my next guide and acquired my cruise ticket and a big red tour badge for easy herding. Strolling the uphill road beside the dock, I picked out a busy dingy eatery among the numerous dingy eateries. Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian for 3, Xian Rou Chao Shou (Fresh meat sichuan wontons) for 4, and a fresh vegie for 5. Decent noodle. The wontons reminded me of Shanghai small wontons, with silky skin wrapped around a tiny bite of meaty morsel. The vegies were tips of Wuo Shun, a chinese stalky vegetable. They were brilliantly tender and delicious. Seems almost all the good stuff I have in china are vegetables. I took what I couldn't finish in a lidless paper bowl for later consuming on the cruise.
 |  |
Walked to dock. A ride down a mandatory 2Y "cable car" that descended a whopping one story, because they locked the stairs access. Into my ship which docked not 1 foot away from the next ship. First class room on a 3 star ship, one'd expect around 3 star hotel quality right? Well, it was crap, and my mortal enemies were aboard (roaches) with its partner in crime rats (so we heard). What one ship crew called a stack of clean pillow cases, every one of them had some stain on it.
 |  |
 |  |
But when the ship sounded its deep baritone horn and the water outside my window started to churn, when the Chongqing neons slide past us, and the cool river winds blew through the room and upon the front deck rippling my shirt behind me, I couldn't suppress a wide grin of exhilaration. Just like the rhythmic rumble of a train, the gentle rolling of the ship tells of something unmistakable: adventure.
 |  |
Bus Yi Chang -> Wuhan 120. Chengdu reimburse 40. Pommelo 4. Lunch 15. Food for cruise 58. Dingy dinner 12.
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