Three Gorges Day 2 - 10.27

Before dawn, we were woken to see the first of the three gorges, Qu Tang Xia. Well the ship's calculation was about half an hour off, for we could see shit all at 6am. Not wanting to brave the crowd and rain on the foredeck, I sat at the edge of my window with the lights off, wrapped in blanket, watching the morning light seep in. In the dark gray mist I could just make out the steep mountains on the south bank, rising fold after fold in the murk. It was awesome even in the pre-dawn hour. But the river was fairly wide at this point, at least 3 or 4 boats of space between us and the mountain foot on the south side. And it wasn't all that high. My roomate, who had seen the original three gorges, told of how it used to be only a single ship could pass breadth-wise through the Qu Tang Xia, and the sides reached far higher. What we saw was only a ghost of its past grandure.

At 8, we pulled over at Wu Shan and everyone switched to a smaller tour boat that was to take us up the Lesser Three Gorges. An unrelenting drizzle surrounded us the entire trip. Hurray for the seven-bucks hawaiian rain coat/pants; they doubled as wind blockers. I got a nice seat on the second floor of the boat but spent most of my time on the front deck trying to take pictures and keep my lens dry from the head rain. Most people might have preferred a sunny day cruise but I thought the rain offered an unique view of the gorges, one perhaps more suitable for its moody scenery. Beautiful were the lesser gorges, more than any views I've seen yet on Chang Jiang. The river was decidedly green. The waterway bent and curved, revealing mountain after misty mountain draped with verdant growth. It was ironic how I have seen ample cloud mist in both JZG and the gorges, yet completely missed out on Huang Shan's cloud sea for which it was most famous. Like at the other two places, I felt as if a character out of a fantasy setting witnessing some secret creations of a force beyond reckoning. Yet the gorges had both the quaint beauties of JZG and the hat-dropping grandure of HS.

Long Men Bridge	Long Men Gorge
The Mi monkeys

Between the gorges, locals were still eking out a living on the land and water. Our guide spoke of a village discovered years ago that had almost nil outside contact for centuries. Their land unaccessible by road or river, the people were almost "lost". When a reporter showed an old villager a picture of himself, he tried to rub out the wrinkles on the photo because the last time he saw himself was before he arrived in the village at 17, in a mirror elsewhere.

Hillside Farms in the Gorge	Marketbound
Raingear	Luggage

Of course no tour story would be complete without a sales pitch. These people supposedly harvest a local red leaf and brew a delicious and beautiful tea filled with beneficial minerals and antioxidants. I didn't feel too bad for getting the 15Y tea (outside the boat hawkers asked 2Y) since the money "goes towards helping these people". Well, whatever.

At the entrance of Lesser Lesser Three Gorges (yes they just keep coming up with them) we turned about and headed back. Before the water rising of 2003, one would get towed up the LLTG by Qian Fu - boat trackers - and ride down 15km of shallow crystal clear water on an air tube. That was likely no longer possible. Pity. The water has swallowed much of the exhilaration of the three gorge crossing, along with towns and farm lands, hanging coffins and other relics, and the most impressive Gu Zhan Dao (ancient path carved/built on the gorge walls). What little of the railing was visible now will in a year be drowned out completely.

In days of yore, fleets of boat trackers, naked but for the ropes they were harnessed to, would tread along wood planks laid atop posts stuck into the gorge wall, their bodies near parallel to the ground, pulling boats upstream through the gorges. The canyons were narrower and the current far swifter, the Zhan Dao probably rickety and slippery. Their hardship is beyond imaging. On the main three gorges, the Gu Zhan Dao was carved out of the mountain's face. Tiny sections could still be see above the waters. Eons it has stood, now wiped out in a flash.

	Railings of ancient wall path
Ancient stone path	A real hanging coffin relic

I had a bowl of noodles on the boat, sweet talked the cook into adding some purple "local vegetable" in for a taste. The vegies were tender, but without distinct flavors like those shanghainese vegies. They made for good slurping nonetheless.

River fish for lunch

Nice kitchen

Back on the main Chang Jiang, after Wu Shan we entered immediately into Wu Xia, the longest of the gorges. More clouds have been piled on, and the winds at the front of the boat were almost unbearable. But apparently the rainy view of Wu Xia was the most sought after spectacle. Picture taking was almost futile. I was content just chilling and taking in the view.

I've had a running nose since CQ and the river weather has been chilly (sweater + scarf) and windy. Now I feel that familiar ache in the joints. I had better not get sick!! That shall just be very unacceptable.

Took a nap and woke up very tired. Syl called and told me of Xi An. It was so surprising to have cellphone coverage in the middle of Chang Jiang where there were probably two farm houses within any distance.


We passed the last gorge Xi Ling after dark, and it was supposed to be the shortest one, so I saw shit. There wasn't even any announcements. A load of people got off before the dam to tour the dam. Many stayed behind for the 3-5hours crossing of the lockgates. It was still raining outside so I was glad to remain indoors. I had no interest in no damn dam anyway. The shocker was their announcement on intercom of how great the dam is and how it carries the hope and support of "everyone in the nation". I didn't think the communists still employed such crude form of propaganda.

The ship approached the dam painfully slowly; and the gate section filled slower than paint drying. Everyone was offering each other their explanation of how the lockgates works. Finally the water started to lower, and after about what looked like 20-30 meters of drop the gate opened to the next lock. God I couldn't believe people stood on the rainy deck for 2 hours to watch something that boring.



Chestnuts 3Y. Noodle 10Y. 1 Roasted yam 50c. Green tea 5Y. Special three gorge tea 15Y. Duck egg 1Y.