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 [View Full Entry]

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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. [View Full Entry]

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The mist and sun are up and the river is smooth. Master Chin led those gathered in a basic tai chi sequence. I finished with some yoga poses facing downstream in the bow of the boat. Breakfast was sumptuous -- as are all the meals (it is a 5-star cruise). Afterwards, we went to the upper deck to look at the Xiling Gorge followed by our entry into the lock system. {This is a bit of a repeat here if you've been keeping up with the blog.} It started to rain and most of us retreated to do whatever one does [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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I spent so long on the phone with the insurance compnay this morning (never mind the hours last night) that I missed breakfast. I have an hour before the bus leaves for the airport so I am going to hunt down a bakery. I think I deserve some baked goods. I am going to follow my nose. I cannot believe how packed some of the buses are -- but then no worse than the Bee Line in Vancouver -- especially before the school day. I'm dodging traffic with the best of them. Crossing the street on the red light. Whoever is [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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 [View Full Entry]

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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, ........) [View Full Entry]

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