Rolls Around the World 2007: 29 Shanghai to MV Dragon, China

Saturday, October 6, 2007

We were transferred to the airport in plenty of time for our China Eastern Airlines 1:50 PM flight to Yichang. The flight was on time and comfortable, once the stewardess moved me into a seat with lots of legroom. China Eastern has only economy class, but that could change - Singapore Airlines just became a big shareholder. The food may improve as well - two dry buns, a bit of cake and a small box of cookies was lunch. Mind you, that still outperforms most North American domestic flights! We travelled 1,200 km (746 miles) southwest in two hours, landing at Yichang in fog.

A driver and Jason,, our local guide took us to a shop to purchase water, beer, wine and snacks, claiming on board prices are expensive. We found the prices in the shop high, but dutifully make our purchases. Odds are this shop pays commission to guides - we were the only customers. We later discovered that prices near the boat were as cheap or cheaper than in the shop, and whether it was a deliberate inducement to buy or lack of knowledge, Jason assured us that we could consume our beer and wine at meals on board. Not true - anything brought on board can be consumed only in the cabin.

Marilynn needed some cosmetics, so Jason and the driver took us to stores in town where they could be purchased. The city of 1,300,000 is very pretty, with tree lined streets and lots of parks. It is clean, and the traffic more laid back than in northern cities. Although the city was established more than 1,000 years ago, the old town has been wiped out to make way for new construction.

After a mediocre dinner at a local restaurant we made the half-hour drive to the boat. Self appointed porters carried our baggage and purchases down the hill to the boat for 10 Yuan ($1.35) per person. That was fair enough, but when we boarded we were informed it would cost an additional 10 Yuan per bag for ships personnel to carry our goods to our third floor cabin - something I've not seen on any cruise ship, never mind a five star one. After paying a 200-Yuan ($27) deposit for keys we were shown to our cabin.

The ship is fairly old and very ornate, with Chinese decorated ceilings, period furniture and lots of carved woodwork. It was rebuilt in 2002. Our quarters consisted of two hard twin beds, a desk, TV with one English news channel and a balcony. The cabins have telephone and they say individually controlled air conditioning/heat, although the only way we could get ours below refrigeration was to turn it off. Cabins also include a refrigerator, an umbrella & tea maker. Other features on board were a small library, two bars, a "doctor's" office and massage facilities.

The M.V. Dragon looks the part, with a huge dragon head in front and a dragon tail at the stern. It is 18 meters wide, 92 meters long and 26 meters high. (60' X 302' X 85'), carries 178 passengers when full and has a crew of 29. There are 66 passengers on this cruise, mostly Chinese, German and French. Many of the Chinese are English speaking from the US or Singapore. There are few "first language" English speakers on board, but announcements are in Chinese and English.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Chinese music preceded the call to breakfast in four languages over the cabin speaker system. After breakfast there was a "welcome" lecture in the bar followed by departure to the Three Gorges Dam. My knees are getting a workout - our cabin is on the third floor, breakfast on the first floor, the lecture on the fourth floor then back to the first floor to disembark. There are no elevators.

There is an amazing diversity of cruise boats on the river. Most are four decks high, but they vary in length and style from very old to ultra modern. I didn't see any others with private balconies. We had a good opportunity to peer into some when we rafted alongside to disembark or in the locks.

It was 30 minutes by bus to the world's largest dam, reached by crossing a 1.1 km (3,608 ft) suspension bridge. The dam was started in 1997 and finished in 2003. Fog restricted visibility, so we could not see the full 2.3 km (1.43 mi) length. The height is 192 meters (630 ft) and the reservoir will be 563 km (350 mi) long when full in 2009, when the rest of the generators will be brought on line increasing production to 84.7 billion KWH per year. The cost was $US 29 billion and the lake displaced 1.3 million people.

Our local guide's family were among those relocated. She says most people are happy, as they moved from small, old accommodation to new, larger apartments with indoor plumbing and parks nearby. Some people were very reluctant to lose their traditional homes, and some farmers lost their land. The dam has three main purposes - flood control, electrical generation and irrigation, but inland shipping will also benefit.

Back on board the boat started the three-hour climb through five giant locks to reach the reservoir. The vertical ascent in each lock is greater than I have seen before - the locks moved four cruise boats at a time. An elevator for boats of 3,000 ton or less is being constructed. The boat will sail into something like a lock, but the entire water-filled container will move up or down like an elevator in only 40 minutes.

The Yangtze River is the largest in China, and third longest in the world. It originates from the Tuotuo River in Tibet and travels 6,300 km (3,915 mi) to the Yellow Sea. The Three Gorges Area totals 194 km (120 mi) in length. More tonnage of freight is carried on the Yangtze than any other river.

The Three Gorges Dam is located in the 76 km (47 mi) Xiling Gorge. We sailed through the rest of the gorge during the afternoon, travelling between high mountains and sheer cliffs. The scenery was gorgeous. I was under the impression that the dam project would diminish the scenery of the three gorges, but instead of travelling against treacherous currents, shipping sails on a smooth lake. Mountaintops will be 100 meters (328 ft) closer to the water surface. The water level of the lake is currently 150 meters (492 ft) above sea level, and will rise to 175 meters (574 ft) by 2009.

We docked for the night near the entrance to the Wu Gorge, after which we attended the "Captain's Welcome Cocktail Party". Each guest received a champagne flute with 1 ½ oz of champagne - no refills. The captain made a speech then toured the room toasting each passenger. We bought a bottle of pretty awful Chinese wine to celebrate Marilynn's birthday, then took it down to dinner. The dining room staff sang "Happy Birthday" and presented a birthday cake to our table. The maid looking after our room made her some small gifts and left them on her bed. She was also delighted to hear from most of the kids and grandkids. We had demolished a bottle of very good Chinese Chardonnay before attending the "cocktail party".

Monday, October 8, 2007

Our speaker system blasted us out of bed at 6:50 AM. It has one setting - loud, and cannot be turned down or off. Last night the air-conditioning broke down, so instead of cold it was hot, making for little sleep.

We entered the 45 km (28 mi) Wu Gorge shortly afterward, once again sailing through towering cliffs It is famous for the 12 peaks that line the gorge. The cloudy, cool weather today provided a lot better visibility, as there was no fog.

At the City of Ushan (pop. 70,000)) we transferred to a comfortable glass roofed passenger boat for the trip up the Daning River to see the Lesser Three Gorges. The old city of Ushan is already under water and the new city above it occupied. Immediately after leaving Ushan we approached an arched bridge that is slated for demolition, as the river will raise another 25 meters (82 feet) and shipping will no longer be able to pass under it. A new bridge is under construction.

Marilynn and I found the gorges on this river even more spectacular than those on the Yangtze. In some areas the passage seemed to end, until rounding a sharp curve showed a way through the mountains. The river was only a meter or so deep before flooding, but now the arm of the lake fills the narrow valley between the towering sandstone and limestone cliffs. Nature has carved caves in many places, and stalagmites have formed under overhanging ledges.

Our excellent local guide pointed out various sights during the 3½-hour trip, including an area where farmers who lost their land to the lake are being employed in reforestation projects. The river is a clear green colour, in contrast to the mud coloured Yangtze. The guide said there is no pollution, and 5 garbage boats are contracted to fish flotsam and jetsam out of the river. She also pointed out the "hanging coffins". These 2,000-year-old coffins are located on sandstone ledges hundreds of feet about the river, often under overhanging cliffs. No one knows how they got there. There were also rhesus monkeys along the banks.

Once back on the Dragon we travelled through the Qutang Gorge, only 8 km (5 mi) long, but spectacular with the highest vertical cliffs and mountains yet. It was great to enjoy the fantastic scenery while sitting on our balcony with a cold beer in hand!

We declined the optional tour of the White Emperor City after lunch, where there is apparently a 1,000-year-old temple. Instead we read, and I tried to get a siesta but that proved impossible as impeccably timed announcement over the loud speaker system woke me up every time I managed to doze off. It is a good thing we are on board only 4 nights, or I'd be performing surgery on the speaker with my wire cutters!

Marilynn has had a blockage in her ear that has been bothering her for some days, so we went to see the ship's "doctor". He had no light to examine the inside of the ear, but tilted her head to the light and proclaimed that there was nothing in the ear. He gave her a package of antibiotics and sent her off! They didn't help!

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Our boat sailed all night, providing a comfortable rocking motion that induced sleep. We woke as we tied up to a barge at 2,000-year-old Fengdu, known as the city of ghosts. A new city on the opposite bank of the river replaced ancient Fengdu, now under water. The local guide said people were relocated with the same neighbours as they had previously, and in the same sized apartment, unless they paid extra for a larger one.

We left the boat immediately after breakfast to climb 225 steps to an electric cart for a ride to the bottom of a chair lift up to the hill of the haunted temples. Two of our group braved the 600-stair walk to the top of the hill. Although the temples were founded 2,000 years ago, the oldest existing building dates back 600 years. Many buildings were damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and replicas built more recently. To explore the area required hiking up steps, and steps, and more steps even after the chair lift.

At the very top is the 600-year-old Temple of Heaven. If there is a death in the family it is normal to come here to purchase a "passport to heaven". An ornate calligraphy document, duly stamped with chops, is prepared and then burned in a sacred fire so the smoke will waft heavenward, opening doors for the departed. In case a person is not convinced to buy a passport, a section of the temple had sculptures depicting hell. Some of the imaginatively painful tortures would give Dante's Inferno a real run for its money!

Marilynn and most of the others walked back down the mountain, but I took the chairlift as my knees and ankle protested painfully about all the climbing. The boat sailed as soon as we were back aboard, providing a quiet afternoon to relax as we headed upstream for Chongquing. In the cities and towns we passed, buildings within 25 vertical meters (82 ft) of the water were being torn down, new ones being built higher up, and higher bridges over the river constructed. Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the rising waters by building fleets of steel ships on the riverbanks. They will not need launching; the river/lake will float them automatically. As the afternoon progressed smog increased, restricting visibility and giving the air a smoky taste.

Tonight was the captain's farewell dinner, complete with wine glasses with 1 ½ oz of grape juice in each! After drinking the grape juice waiters came around selling bottles of actual wine.

Friday, October 12, 2007

We woke up this morning docked in Chongqing at the confluence of the Yangtze & Jialingjiang Rivers - the lake does not reached this far, and the current was running strongly. I was surprised to learn that Chongqing's population is 31 million people, larger than either Beijing or Shanghai. The guide says the city covers 83,000 sq. kilometres. Ford and Suzuki cars, motor cycles and chemicals are major products. Habitation at this site dates back 20,000 years, but the name Chongqing is from 1190. It was the wartime capital of China from 1940 until 1949. The Flying Tigers, a 200 strong volunteer group from the US, flew fighter planes from here against the Japanese from 1942 until the end of WWII.

Again the cost was 10 Yuan (1.35) per bag to get luggage to the main deck, and another 10 Yuan per bag from boat to the car picking us up. A message had been delivered to each cabin suggesting a tip of $7 per person per day, and stating that tips were the main source of income for the crew. Additional tips were requested for the hotel and bar managers.

To summarize the cruise experience, the food was plentiful and varied, and a small glass of coke, sprite or water plus tea, was included with each meal. A small bottle of water was provided for each passenger each day. The cabins were quite comfortable and well equipped but the boat would not be suitable for handicapped. The crew provided entertainment each night. Excursions were good, the scenery well worth seeing and the crew were friendly and helpful. Overall I'd recommended the trip.