Shennong Stream

Today we started our day with a trip up Shennong Stream, a tributary of the Yangtze. We transfered to a smaller boat and started up through a very steep picturesque gorge. As we entered the gorge there were acrobats performing on a high wire overhead. Then we were told to look to the cliffs and find a coffin cave. They are not sure how these coffins were placed in the caves but they are about 2000 years old. Many of them are gone now and many more will be covered by the flooding of the gorge. We saw many empty caves and a few with coffins still intact. (John lots of climbing rock!) As we continued up stream we saw a huge cave called swallow cave where, what else, the swallows nest. We saw monkeys playing along the shore. We docked and transfered a sampan to continue up the stream further. The water is extremely clear and the locals directly drink from it. The sampans were guided by local girls and rowed/towed by local men. These men are farmers and work as towers to make money. The towers range in age from 14 - 80. About ten years ago they stopped the practice of towing naked. The women were all disappointed! They rowed us about a 1/2 mile upstream and then when the water got very shallow they got out and pulled us upsteam using rope made of bamboo. Four men pulled from shore while the first and second captain steered the boat from in the water at the front and back. They towed us up through a rapid about 200 yards then we turned and rode the rapids down on the other side of the stream. On the way back they sang some traditional song for us. It was very interesting and fun. As the water rises they have had to move farther up the stream to "find" rapids, which at this point are obviously man made. It seems like a tremendous amount of work but it is the only way for these people to make money.

We returned to the ship and continued to and through the Wu Gorge. This part of the trip took about two hours. It is beatiful scenery but everywhere you look you see abandoned/raised buildings near the water level and brand new buildings above the 176 m mark. By 2009 everything below 176 meters will be underwater!

The BEST part of the whole trip was this afternoon when the kite boy did a presentation and demonstration of Chinese kites. He showed us some of the things to look for in a good kite and how to adjust them to fly correctly. Then we went up on the topdeck and flew a few. It was very windy so there were some that we could not fly, including the one I bought at the silk factory. I did find out that the kite I bought is not a very good one and that I paid too much. Hopefully I will be ably to fly it today if the winds die down.

We sailed through the last of the gorges, the Qutang Gorge before dinner. We passed Dax Village, site of some 74 tombs containing 5000 - 6000 year old archeological finds. Terri unfortunately missed it as first she had a massage, then had her nails done. She also made an appointment for a foot massage for mom. At first mom resisted but she went and the gentleman was able to get the swelling down in her first. She begrudgingly admitted it felt really good.

The evening ended with a Victoria Katarina Cabaret. It was very nice as the staff performed some local dances and there were a few acts from the passengers. At the end they asked folks to join in a circle dance. Terri choose to sit in the front so we participated. Just want everyone to know that I danced during the trip. After the circle dance the evening ended with none other than the macarana!

One final note - congratulations to our nephew Robert that graduated yesterday from high school. At least we think it was yesterday!!