China, Day 5

 Day 5, April 1, 2003: 

Breakfast was at 7:30 - mostly American but with some lovely tomatoes and cucumbers.

There was rain that morning; a light steady warm rain. I decided I didn't want to tour the dam site and hear about hydroelectricity. I went down to the library and found a lovely table and chairs with a view of the towering dam and low misty clouds in the background. I was so happy. I finally had peace and quiet and comfort. I was writing away and then two British ladies from our tour came in and started chattering. They finally pulled out their books and started reading, but one kept going sniff-pause-sniff-pause-sniff-pause. I could stand that about fifteen minutes and went to my room. 

I had a little table if I sat on the bed and a lovely view of the side of the ship pulled in next to us.

There is only one docking facility, so the ships park one next to the other and if you're the ship with the dock, part of your area is roped off while the ship's passengers next to you climb up some little stairs between ships and cross over to the dock. Walter said that he's had to cross three ships to get to the right one at times. OSHA would have a fit in this country!

There they go, crossing our ship when they disembarked.

I got back to my writing and at 11:00 I had a nice cup of lemon herb tea which I made with a tea bag I brought from home and the hot water from a thermos pot in my room. I had a sweet little white porcelain cup with a navy blue ring and a knobbed lid to match. I also had tea bags in a round white porcelain dish with a lid and the ship's emblem in navy blue, but it was Chinese tea which is nice with Chinese meals but not with journal writing. Lunch was at 11:30, so I went to check on the rain and have a look around. Still raining.

I had lunch with David and the Cambodian couple. David and I decided to go to the library and stay inside. We'd run out and take a photo and then back to the nice dry comfy area.

Notice the tiny people on shore and the water level markers higher up.

What an incredible place! The colors were breathtaking - greens and browns, white running to black with all shades of gray in between, some yellows. The scenery was constantly changing. The clouds and mist only enhanced the mystical beauty. The rain fell steadily, and we were hoping there would be enough to raise the river so we could continue on to Chongquing by ship instead of transferring to hydrofoils and buses.

We stayed in the library from 1:30 to 6:00 without even a break to "sing a song." Everything was so beautiful, we were afraid we'd miss something. When the weather got too misty and rainy to see the scenery or take photos through the windows, we'd look at the library books - lots of coffee table type books with great pictures.

See the little donkeys on the slope.

By 6:00 p.m. it was growing dark and time to change for dinner. China is a huge country, but has only one time zone.

We had wonderful fried chicken drumettes for dinner with some Chinese ribs, rice, and lot of nice vegetables - green beans, bean sprouts, that Chinese green stuff, and pea pods. Also sosmething called jujubes. They look like grapes with stems like a cranberry and taste like a cross between a prune and a date. 

At this point, we had formed our little "group" - Conne and David from Ohio, the Cambodian couple and myself. Walter, or guide, joined us. He's Dutch but sort of red-headed. So nice and so capable.

I got to my cabin at 8:00; showered and did my laundry. I decided to read my book, which was beginning to seem never ending.

At this point, I stopped journaling, but I have lots more photos to show you.

To be continued. . . . .