Spring Festival Break: Pt 12. Chongqing And Our Yangtze Cruise

After three days in Chendgu, it was time to move on. The girls were working to a deadline and had now decided to try and fit both Xi'an and Beijing in before they flew home, so we wanted to press on. But we wanted to press on via a scenic route.

And what could be more scenic than the famous Three Gorges of the Yangtze River.

Firstly we caught a bus from Chengdu to Chongqing. Our days had been beginning earlier and earlier throughout our stay in Chengdu and at a 5.30am start, this topped it. I thought we were supposed to be on holiday! The journey was
uneventful and a few hours later we arrived at Chongqing city.

I was really keen to see this city. It is massive, and polluted as all hell (the bushes beside the roads as we drove in were all coated thickly with dust and dirt), but extremely interesting too. We only had half a day to explore though, so it was tough to see anything at all. After an unsuccessful trip to see the ancient (but rammed) village of Ciqikou nearby, we came back and I headed off alone to do some exploring. The city is built on top of a hill and there were alleyways and flights of steps criss-crossing the city as well as cablecars across the docks to the opposite shores of the two rivers that converge here. There was a nice mix of old and new, and I just love that juxtaposition so was in my element as I wandered through old markets and from the remains of the old city wall down towards the docks.




But evening was drawing on and all to soon it was time to board our boat. The first part of our trip was to be overnight, and although we had to be on board by 8pm, we didn't leave til 11pm. So we sat on the deck at the back of the ship, with a beer and our bags of dried fruit and seeds (I've said it again and again - China does 'healthy' far too well) and watched the ships come and go as it became night and the city began to glow. Sat on board I felt really relaxed and at peace, yet at the same time excited and full of anticipation.

Having said all that though, I had anticipated a little more in the way of accommodation. We
had paid about 750 yuan each for three nights in
a 4-bed 2nd class room with meals, entry to three sights and the bus to Chongqing included. We could have paid much more, and that was apparent from the smell, the leaky roof, and the fact that manoeuvring 4 people round in that room when one person wanted to change position was as tricky as trying to solve a rubrix cube.

Still, it was better than 3rd class and for just over 50 quid all told, we couldn't really complain. Some did though, and with good reason. A later boat had been cancelled so some had been accommodated on this sailing, but just shoved in wherever there was space. People with previous bookings for 1st class were now in 3rd, some were sleeping on the floor in two random rooms and there was just an atmosphere of real confusion that thankfully we weren't a part of.

The next day we woke up as the ship was docking. It was 7am as we were pushed off the ship and escorted in the pouring rain to our first 'sight' - the Ghost City of Fengdu. I wish I could say the place lived up to the image that name
conjures up in your mind, but it really was utter bollocks. It was barely light and we found ourselves wandering round a deserted 'souvenir village' up to a modern 'Palace of the Ghost King' which looked partly abandoned from the piles of rubbish lying around and the shut up buildings. The one thing that was open turned out to be some kind of...well, I don't know what it was really, but it was damn funny. Just take a look at the pictures. Something to do with the afterlife, torture, sin and whatever. It would have been morbid, had it not been so hilariously pathetic. Just check
out the layers of dust on these things.


Once we escaped from this wax-dummy nightmare we got lost in an old abandoned part of the complex. It was raining, it smelt of wee, it was just not worth it. I don't know if we were just in the wrong place, but, wow. Mistake.

Back on board we sailed onwards into the mist. We could barely see anything, but that lent a quite cool kinda atmosphere to it all. At least at that point we hadn't reached the really scenic part so could afford a cloud-shrouded view.

The rest of the day was uneventful. We spent most of the time making new friends - with three young British teachers from Nanjing, a few guys from Ireland, a couple from Bolivia and a Chinese guy called Charlie who had studied business in Cardiff. Actually both he and his sister had studied in the UK and their English was amazing. The family invited a group of us for dinner in the evening and we had a really cool time.

That evening we spent the night moored at a
town called Qipan, next to the second of our three 'sights' - Zhangfei Temple. This temple, dedicated to a famous general who was murdered by his soldiers, was moved from further down the valley, where it was below the projected level of the Three Gorges Dam reservoir. I'm not a fan of reconstructions generally. This one seemed ok, with some original materials, but didn't really feel right. It didn't help that the whole place was lit up in red and white neon like some shopping mall. I thought the nearby bridge was much more of a sight, but then, thats me...

I think I just had temple overload at this time.
There's only so many temples you can visit without having a clue as to why they're there before they all become much of a muchness. Anyway, we browsed the antique stalls outside then went back onboard and to bed, ready for the Three Gorges proper the next day.

The journey so far...
Days: 20 Distance: 4400km (but who's counting..)