CindyLooHoo

OK - so I am a bit behind..... The next excursion we were offered was a trip to Fhengdu -- the Ghost City. Once off the boat, the first thing you see are groupings of colourful stores. The first thing you hear is the incessant hawking. Oh well, gotta make a living. Most of the people have been moved across the river to a newly constructed city. What is left are the temples and you get to them via a series of stairs. The is a gondola system (a la ski lift) but I chose to walk. Irene (Toughie) offered to help me out, but it was actually quite easy going.... read more

We were warned about not drinking too much this morning as the toilets on the ferry are "squatties". We take a ride down the Shennong Stream where we transfer to peapod boats. The Shennong Stream is a tributary of the Yangtze River off of the Three Gorges area. We were told - and I read - that today is when we see the famous hanging coffins. I was glad I was on the right side of the boat and had just taken out my camera as I caught sight of a wooden box resting lengthwise inside a hole in the cliff. That was it. There were to be no other coffins. My picture is dark as I didn't have time to turn off the flash -- but at least I saw it (many didn't). The monkeys ... read more

REMINDER - this is from Day 3 --- I am going a bit backwards as I did some quick updates in the middle regarding the CHANGE in plans and all.... We had supper at a restaurant that specialized in spicey food -- however we were told that they would not make it too spicey for us. You could hear the groans from all the people who like spicey food. On our way out of the restaurant was a woman selling yellow fruit from the back of a truck. She was giving samples away, a good selling technique, but no one was buying. I felt badly for her so I bought one. She charged Y3 which was probably highly inflated from local prices, but came to about 40 cents for me and I was happy to pay. ... read more

When we flew out of Shanghai we landed in Yichang. From the airport we drove through the countryside. There is canola everywhere you look. This area is also famous for tea and oranges. I feel like I am in the middle of a Leonard Cohen song..... The canola is easy to spot and you can see patches between houses, on hillsides, beside businesses, etc. If there is a small bit of arable land someone will have planted canola (and maybe an orange tree in its midst). It would be like walking through your neighbourhood and seeing potatoes growing beside the house and corn in the front yard. We stopped at a "convenience store" for the folks who needed liquor for the cruise. I think that turned out to be everyone but me. It was a governement ... read more

Still no plans settled for getting home. In the making. Started yesterday with Tai chi on the sundeck. Entered the Xiling Gorge. It is just like you see in paintings and photos. We went through the Three Gorges Project shiplock and on the other side went to the actual dam. Canola everywhere -- when they can find a patch of land there is something grown. I had a Chigong massage -- from the guy who led the tai chi class. Speaking of which, it has started already so I am going to run. Catch you later. C... read more

Ah, yes, the baby pants with the slit up the back. I forgot what a sight this can be to North Americans. At least this child has a diaper hanging out instead of a bare butt. The father (or grandfather) is ushering the child inside and the mother (or grandmother) is washing rice at the aforementioned tap on the side of the building. I had thought she was using a pink plastic basin, but it turns out there was a metal pan inside. It was a huge quantity of rice -- either a big family or a restaurant business. I'm not going to say don't do it, but walking in the rain on these uneven sidewalks is not easy. It's a constant battle of umbrellas -- up or down, left or right. It would make an ... read more

I'm on my way to get a massage. It's raining and there are lots of people in slickers -- my favourite being the one with "raincoat" written across the back: the other option would be...........? I came across a uniformed gentleman standing at attention under a very large umbrella (it was affixed to a heavy metal stand sort of like those outdoor heaters at sidewalk cafes). I thought, "He looks quite smart; I wonder what that's all about?" I stared around to see if anyone else paid him any attention -- then I saw the sign on the side of the wall nearby: "Consulate of Iran". I hate to admit it, but I held my breath as I passed as quickly as I could. Then I came to the next corner and see another one and ... read more

I spoke with the folks at my insurance agency (for trip interruption) and they are recommending that I continue to Chengdu but then head home (if the border to Tibet is still closed in 4 days time). That means I get to do the Yantze River cruise. Panda bear reserve here I come (and hanging coffins, and Ghost City, and Three Gorges, ........)... read more