We awaken to hearing orders being called out on a megaphone on the part of a man on the ship next to us as our ship pulls up next to another and gets secured to that ship. Amazing how gentle this process is and how deftly the docking is handled. No fancy equipment here either. Richard goes to tai chi. Breakfast is served early today in the dining room (after we place our suitcases outside our cabin doors to be transported to Yichang) so that we can board a tram up to the landing and then a bus to go to Mao Ping to see the Three Gorges Dam. Because the locks remain closed secondary to the flooding (- this is the longest stretch of time that the locks have ever been closed), our ship will not be going through the locks. Our guide "Jackie" tells us that many people in Mao Ping have been relocated twice, first when the Gezhouba Dam was built and then with the construction of this dam. Before 2003, there were 1000 steps from the docking area up to the landing but now, due to the raised level of the water, there are only 200 steps up. Mao Ping has a population of 40,000 and is the home of the dragon boat festival. Our guide describes that his family was relocated in 1990 from a home of 80 square meters to a home of 150 square meters. He reiterates what we have heard before, that farmland was moved from the foot of the mountains to higher up but that the quality of the soil is not as good higher up. Agricultural products from this area include green tea, oranges, grape seed oil, and canola oil. On the bus ride, we hear firecrackers and see short plumes of smoke rise up in several areas. Our guide describes that firecrackers are set off for the occasions of funerals, weddings, or openings of shops. To add to what has already been said above about the dam, we learn that 200,000 workers constructed the dam beginning in 1994 and it was finished ahead of schedule. In response to a question, he replies that "no damage" was sustained during the 2008 earthquake. At the dam site, we get off the bus to see the dam from the tourist viewing area on the spill side and then proceed to see it from the high side where the trash build-up is evident. There is one ship out there culling through the garbage to extract what is supposed to be removed to be taken elsewhere, but don't know what or where it might be taken. (We have seen along our travels on the Yangtze smoke rising from burning garbage...) We can also see the locks on this tour. I find myself noticing all the pretty umbrellas and start to take some photos of the great variety. Back on the bus, back to the landing, down the steps to a very rickety plank without a railing that is about 10 feet long (with the Yangtze flowing fast underneath) that crosses from the bottom of the steps over to the first of a series of ramps that take us back to the ship where lunch is being served. After lunch, everyone checks out of their cabins, gathering in the lobby of the first deck to exchange addresses, info, before departing the ship, via the ramps, with our carry-on luggage, and to the bus headed for Yichang.
We are met in Yichang by our guide "Helen" who first tells us a bit about this area. Yichang is home of oranges, metals are mined here, and there is lots of farmland. She explains that there is actually a lot to see here and suggests that we come back for longer sometime. Before taking us to the airport to catch a plane to Xian (- hated to tell Helen that I knew absolutely nothing about Yichang before coming here, viewing it only a point of transit for us on this trip...), Helen takes us to a museum that contains relics that were excavated from Zhongbaodao Island before it was submerged as a result of the Three Gorges Dam project. She describes that significant finds at that site brought to light that civilization dated back to the Neolithic periods rather than later. (Once home, this is confirmed in an article that I find from the Chinese Science Bulletin from March 2008 that ascertains that relics were found on this island from as far back as the Middle Neolithic Period, 7000 - 5000 BC. pg. 101: "Daxi Culture prevails in the Three Gorges region during the Middle Neolithic period, accompanied by rapid development of hunting tools".). This was followed by the Qujialing Culture between 4000 - 5000 years ago in the Late Neolithic period after which came the Xia Dynasty, known to be the first slavery dynasty, and then the Shang Dynasty. The Ba Culture (about 2000 - 220BC) preceded the Qin Dynasty. The relics in the museum are displayed chronologically through the Qing Dynasty period and include animal statuettes from the Qin/Han Dynasties, an unusual black and white vase from the time of the Qing Dynasty as well as a blue and white china pillow from the same time frame. Helen says that the island was used as a special burial site for nobility. At the conclusion of the tour, we are shown to a room where there are saleswomen present who show us items that they say are actual relics for sale. When I ask why they would be selling items that are of such historical importance, I am told that they are selling them to raise money for the museum expansion. No one in our group buys. They appear to be mostly jade pieces that are in perfect condition making us suspect that they are not relics that have been excavated at all. We all hope that they would not be selling off relics.
Off to the airport we go for our flight to Xian where it seems that the ticket agent there notes that Gail's passport number is different from what is listed as her passport number which needs to be corrected before she can check in for the flight. I had double checked all the passport numbers all along until Lotus Travel sent us the final itinerary less than 24 hours before we left. In our rush to do our last minute packing, I didn't notice that Lotus must have inadvertently changed Gail's passport number, making it incorrect. Thankfully, Helen takes on the task of calling Lotus and getting this detail corrected, not to come up again during the remainder of our trip, thankfully. We thank Helen, say our goodbyes, and head up to a little restaurant on the second floor of the airport that overlooks the first floor. We are intrigued by the menu which lists several items that don't sound very appetizing to us including "cold donkey meat" and "trotters". Anna and I order pistachio nuts, popcorn, and sodas for a change of pace for our meal. Part way through the meal, Anna sees Mary and Jack Hall on the first floor of the airport and she and Becky run down to meet them. They come up to join us along with two other women, also from our Yangtze cruise who soon arrive, at least one of whom is from Knoxville, Tennessee. I learn later that she is accompanying the other who is a music educator and will be presenting a lecture in Beijing in the coming days. Mary and Jack will be on the same flight to Xian with us but the women will be headed elsewhere. Once in Xian, we are met at the airport by our new guide Sean and the bus driver who take us to the hotel that is to be our abode for several nights.
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