On to Nanjing

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We are up at 5 am packed and ready to go by 6:30.The ship has packed a breaqkfast for us and a young looking guide arrives promptly at the appointed hour. She does not speak much english but takes us on a tour of the Three gorges Dam anyway. This pam project is the largest construction project in the world and they are still building another power generating station to house another 14 generators as well as a ship elevator to lift container ships up to the river elevations.The things is huge and while hazy/foggy you could feel the power of the water flowing out of the sluice gates. We are deposited at the bus station in Yi Chang for the 5 hours bus ride to Wuhan.We slept a bit on the half empty bus but when awake enjoyed the passing countryside with farms of cotton and grains as wel as fish farms and lotus crops.Road work all over the place as China is again clearly rebuilding itself everywhere.We arrive in Wuhan and find ourselves in the midst of a bust bus station.It is hot and chaotic and no guide in sight.Our travel has been a but bumpy the last day or so with communications and tickets a leap of faith but finally another fresh face and speak sign appears after a call to beijing. A taxi ride to the train station and tickets on soft sleeper to Nanjing.The train is not leaving for 3 hours so we wait in the lounge and go to have a feed of noodles and chicken wings,thanks to our Mandarin phrase book courtesy of Nadia, with our again almost non english speaking guide.between our book and her electronic translator though we make it to departrure time though many silences remind us how completely isolated we really are here.Sitting on trains and in restaurants realizing that not a single person here speaks our language is unnerving and thrilling and completely new for both of us.The trainis loaded and we share a cabin with an older woman and a young woman with her child.We are in an upper and lower berth but Ann gives her lower to the older woman and while they sit down to some noodles and fruit we wander into the dining car.Today is China's national day and everyone is travelling the car is full with smoking ,yelling and feasting passengers.The favourite meal is a beige meal of the day with meat and noodles .We have a beer but do not linger as there is a line up and seats are limited. We return to our cabin and settle into our bunks for a nights sleep rocked by the sound of the wheels and the gentle rocking of the train.

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