Chongqing

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This is our first day in Chongqing and I just thought I would recap our cruise and our arrival in Chongqing. The cruise was absolutely fabulous. The scenary was breathtaking. We even had some sunshine at the end of our cruise. The Yangtze has always been special to us as at the end of the Yangtze was where we first met Payton. The cities that we passed were unbelievable. They were so big and modern. Many people were relocated when they flooded the Yangtze. We did a tour of the 3 Gorges Dam, a mini gorges trip(we went in a sampan on that trip), and then to the Fengdu city ghost tour. China is very tourist savy and the guides are excellent, well versed in English and very knowledgeable. We passed Fuling where Payton spent the first year of her life, and could not believe what a major metropolis it is. The farms, with their terraces and the well kept gardens provided spectactular scenery. The cherry trees are blossoming and the gardens so lush. So many varying shades of green.

When we arrived in Chongqing we were in shock. The city has changed sooooo much in 10 years. It was like arriving in Las Vegas. There were lights everywhere, even laser lights. A big change from the industrial city it was 10 years ago. After disembarking from the cruise we went to an old home, and they showed us where they did some theatrical performances. We then went to the zoo and were enthralled with the pandas. The gardens were beautiful, but as in many zoos the spaces for the animals was not the greatest. It was then off for a hotpot lunch, which the girls absolutely loved. I had the spicy and they had the non spicy. Payton loved the beef and Parker loved the tofu. We then headed to the People's Square and what a change. We opted out of the museum and then came back to the room. All in all a good day.

Kim

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Photos

The Mini Gorges
One of the many spectactular views in the mini gorges

On the Sampan
Brian playing the role of river guide