Breakfast while the honeymooners toured some optional Palace thingy (White King Island). Then we passed through the first and most splendid gorge, Qutang. Very misty which, as at Milford Sound, obscured the mountain tops but contributed a sense of eerie mystique. The water has risen about 130m, which greatly reduces the dramatic impact, but we were expecting that and you can sort of discount the effect. We lunched then transferred to a smaller boat for a 3 hour trip up the Small Three Gorges up the Daning River tributary. This is the real highlight of the trip. Here the water was naturally only 2m deep. The gorges had been eroded as very narrow passages through towering cliffs on either side and there had been hundreds of coffins pushed into caves high up in concave faces to deter rain entry. Coffins had remained intact for up to 2200 years, enclosing precious metals, tools, coins and implements. They were a very advanced society.
The hanging coffin is in the long cave in the yellow part of the cliff face. Archeologists unsure how they got them there. Best guess is that they lowered them down by ropes from the back side of the cliff. Because of the dam, the river is now very high and lots have been stolen/ransacked.
Some very striking and awesome bridges crossing the gorges.
The orange bridge
Lots of villagers displaced from original homes resettled higher up but the buildings not showing signs of active occupation. Guide says the young men have gone to work in cities leaving unbalanced families with grandparents and children. Had a long chat about social and economic issues and prospects. Somewhat awkward because he seemed aware that they work so hard, earn so little, and have lazy westerners visiting with obvious signs of great wealth. Gobsmacked by the scale of benefits available through social security. Afraid of recession in West reducing demand for Chinese exports and causing layoffs. Interestingly, he said that the murk was simply seasonal mountain mist? Not sure about that – it seemed to be a natural continuation of the urban glegh that has blighted us constantly except for a few beautiful days in Beijing and a few more up in the Himalayas.
Back to Blue Whale and rugged up for Herbert’s presentation of the second gorge; Wu which is the most ‘elegant’- Twelve Princesses mountains and Goddess peak etc. J sat on the balcony watching the 3rd gorge go by, so many cargo vessels and a very dilapidated hydrofoil. C took a strong shot of rocket fuel to repel cold and consequently had a nana nap before dinner (Captain’s Banquet). We arrived to find salads spread out on the Lazy Susan, after which a steady stream of dishes arrived, way in excess of what we could reasonably eat, although the table behind seemed to be coping quite well with theirs. They are all astonishingly trim for a race that eats constantly. Announcement that fog has caused the dam locks to be closed and we will probably get bussed around to the dropoff point. Packing and consternation about credit card payments being made in time. We tied up 3 abreast for the night, close to the dam and consequently no internet access for ”security reasons”.
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