Great Expectorations of a Yangtze Cruise (A Diary)

This is a diary accompanying the review of the same title which can be found at -

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2024596

It may be of some interest to anyone contemplating a cruise through the spectacular Three Gorges. Then again, it may not...

Yangtze Gold Cruises - Golden No. 8 (20 - 23 December 2013), Chongqing to Yichang.

Thursday 19/12/2013

It's good that I booked a 2-week holiday to China as it looks like that's how long it'll take to clear immigration at Jiangbei Airport. I'm the last one through after hopping from queue to queue proves to no avail. At least my burgundy case is still on the carousel which has probably long since stopped going round.

"To avoid pinching, please do not touch doors when opened" is repeated ungrammatically at each stop of the CRT (Chongqing Rail Transit) metro as we draw into a station. After three or four stops I notice the lock on my suitcase has been broken. TSA locks are supposed to help personnel open a case without damaging it but I thought that's to allow them to use a master key rather than a pair of bolt cutters. Fortunately nothing appears to be missing.

I’ve arrived in China with a clear idea of the things I want to do but with nothing planned or booked. After chatting with the delightful Angelina at the Green Forest Hostel I have all my holiday planned and a cruise through the Three Gorges booked. Even at this time of year there are sailings and after a few phone calls to various companies she books me on Yangtze Gold Cruises' Golden No. 8 (I wonder what her siblings might be called), a supposedly "super 5-star" boat, for a 3-night all-inclusive cruise down the Yangtze River from Chongqing to Yichang starting tomorrow night. Amazing!

Friday 20/12/2013

After a day spent exploring the city (and discovering culinary delights such as "A Traditional Special of Chongqing - Strange Taste Horsebeans") I return to the hostel for an early evening meal as dinner isn't served on the cruise boat on the first night. At six o’clock the taxi arrives to take me down to the pier at Chaotienmen. It’s a crisp, dry evening as I hurry past the hawkers and make my way straight onto the white, 446-capacity, 6-deck boat that was built as recently as 2012, acknowledging the greetings from the welcoming crew dressed smartly in their burnt-orange coats.

The taxi driver books me in with the reception desk whilst I take photos of the impressive, grand central lobby with its decorated Xmas tree, spiral staircase and crystal chandelier before checking out my cabin on the same deck as the reception desk. There's nobody else (yet) in mine. I’m hoping that, as it's the low season, maybe I'll get away with a cabin to myself although I’ve booked a share.

The tastefully decorated restaurant has a central food station surrounded by tables for ten with purple chair coverings and gold tablecloths. I chat with a couple of Chinese students who are waiting for a problem with their booking to be sorted out.

There's a route map at the entrance to the restaurant showing all the places we'll visit. I can’t wait. Upstairs there are small shops selling mainly souvenirs, and a calligraphy stall with exquisite cards laid out. Further exploration reveals a VIP dining room, a show lounge and a small library. Carpets, soft furnishings and wood convey a feeling of understated class.

"I hope you have a memorable and unforgettable trip" is the tautological wish over the PA system as we slip away down the Yangtze at half past eight. All announcements are in Chinese and English and I haven't seen another European face yet. Chongqing is colourfully lit up by night and Chaotienmen, or a boat cruising from Chaotienmen, is the best way to see the spectacle.

I reckon I must have got lucky with the cabin but when I go back to confirm, I’m sadly disappointed. I enquire at the reception desk about spare cabins and am told it will cost me another 1000 yuan if I want one to myself. That’s too much. Anyway, how bad can it be, having to share with a stranger, on a luxury boat for three nights? A single flatulent explosion from the bathroom that propels Golden No. 8 most of the way back to the pier answers my question. The girl at the reception desk is more understanding this time after I genuflect and prostrate myself before her and she offers me a smaller but perfectly adequate cabin a couple of decks up.

A sign in the cabin en-suite reads, "For fresh towles [sic] place unclean ones in basket." They've spent so much on building the boat you'd think they could have invested in a decent proof-reader. It's a shame that there are no activities at all tonight, not even a sailaway party. Ah well, I’m sailing down the Yangtze on a beautiful boat and that’s all that matters.

Saturday 21/12/2013

Breakfast is served between seven and eight o'clock at assigned tables as indicated on the table plan by the entrance. A large and varied buffet of hot and cold dishes is laid out, catering to both Eastern and Western tastes. Being a vegetarian doesn’t present a problem and I try a little cooked cabbage with French toast which works very well. There are many more hot dishes that I could have if I was hungry but some semi-sweet buns, bread and tea, and a fruit cocktail made up from the strawberry, pineapple and orange juices suffice. Two exchange students from Stuttgart are the only other westerners on my table and, as far as we can see, we're the only Westerners on the boat. Fortunately they speak excellent English and tell me they’re studying process engineering (whatever that is) at Beijing's Tsinghua University. One of the other guests on our table is travelling with his parents and speaks a little English otherwise the international language of smiling and nodding is much used. The tables have a central rotating dias which is very useful for picking up stuff such as sugar or milk without having to lean over anyone. After breakfast I say Hello to the Chinese students from last night who have happily sorted out the booking problem.

At eight o'clock we three Westerners are asked to wait by the reception desk where our English-speaking guide for the morning's shore excursion to the ghost city of Fengdu will be pointed out. It's a misty day as we make our way ashore to board waiting buggies that take us to the grand entrance at the base of Ming Mountain guarded by a wizard from Hogwarts, or perhaps he's the King of Hell.

There are many steps to climb to the mountain top and if we make it all the way up we'll live till the age of 99, our guide tells us. I'll certainly feel that age by the time I've finished.

Onwards and upwards we walk past shrines and temples containing fantastic figures, up to the stone Bridge of Troubled Water that dates from the Ming dynasty and reputedly links this world to the underworld. When we step off the bridge we should turn right for health and left for wealth. The more steps we take on the bridge, the more we will have of what we desire. Everybody opts for health but I point out to my German friends that if wealth is chosen you could pay for your healthcare.

We continue up, passing myriad stone carvings, from the Jade Emperor Hall to the very Gate of Hell where fire offerings are made by many, before heading back down via a different route (it would be bad luck to take the same route) chatting with other English-speaking passengers. Hot towels and delicious ginger tea await us as we board our boat.

"Are you a vegetarian?" asks the meet-and-greet girl at the entrance to the restaurant where lunch is served between 11:45 and 12:45.

She gently takes me by the arm to show me what I can have from the buffet, but it's too crowded so she says she'll ask the chef to make me something. It isn't necessary but it would be rude to refuse. A few minutes later I have vegetable sushi, sweet potato, mushroom soup, boiled rice, warm tomatoes, chopped omelette and delicious greens. I'm somewhat overwhelmed. The buffet has Coke, Sprite and black tea to drink. There are also tempting cakes but I resist. I’ve brought a travel kettle with me, and some coffee, milk and biscuits which I’ll have at about four o’clock because afternoon tea isn’t served on the boat. My German friends tell me they arrived in Chongqing from Xi'an by train - on a hard-seat. After the cruise they’re off to Guilin then to Shanghai to see in the new year. I will visit Chengdu before Guilin and will be back in Chongqing for New Year’s Eve.

The day is by turns misty and sunny as I relax on the cabin balcony where just drifting down the river is extremely relaxing, especially with soft music playing over the PA system. There's a pay movie being shown in the cinema on deck 3 this afternoon but I'm not interested, and unfortunately I forget about the lecture on Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

At half past three it's the Captain's Welcome Party in the lounge on deck 5 where my German friends learn an important lesson - don't sit in the front row of a performance, although there are worse things than being dragged on to the dance floor for a waltz by a pretty Chinese girl. I watch in amusement from a safe distance having previously endured a similar fate in Tahiti (notwithstanding the breathtaking beauty of those Polynesian girls).

At 4 o'clock there's an optional excursion to the Shi Bao Zhai Pagoda but despite its description as "A brilliant pearl on the Yangtze River" I’m content to look out at it from the boat.

How depressing. I'd hoped to be safe from spitting whilst on board but at least one passenger is so irredeemably uncouth that he clears his throat and just spits on the carpet! Even worse, I don’t say anything or even indicate my disgust.

I take photos of the setting sun casting an orange reflection in the river before going down to dinner which is served between 18:30 and 19:30. I'm gently accosted again as I walk into the restaurant (where I seem to be one of the last in even though it’s only 19:35) to be told that a vegetarian meal has been specially prepared. Tomato and cabbage soup, boiled rice and a dish of scrambled egg with cabbage and cucumber is brought out for me. It's very tasty but I can't manage it all. I ask my German friends what they like best about China. The girls, they say, and with whom I imagine they engage in a form of process engineering not on the curriculum. And the strangest thing they've encountered? Being given a shoulder and neck massage whilst having a wee in a public toilet. As we eat and chat, copies of tomorrow's itinerary in English are brought to our table.

The Yangtze Gold Cabaret Show is at half past eight. It's an excellent hour's entertainment - primarily a crew talent show although my German friends are amongst the audience participants for some games and dances (will they never learn?) - then everyone goes to bed! We can't believe it. It's Saturday night, man!

Sunday 22/12/2013

After breakfast most of the passengers go off on the optional excursion to the White Emperor City - a temple complex that has become an island since the Three Gorges dam was built - but I have a slight tummy twinge and anyway, prefer to indulge in a lazy Sunday morning on-board. I ask the guy on reception to write out "battery charger" for me in Chinese - they don't have so I'll have to buy one.

I watch the calligrapher-artist creating a new work before heading up to the library. The Chinese do like to keep their coats on indoors even though I'm wearing a t-shirt because it's far too warm for anything else (apart from trousers). I pick up a copy of Selected Works of Jiang Zemin, Vol. II and start to read the first essay - The Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory. It's not as dry as might be imagined as the crux of the theory - to build 'socialism with Chinese characteristics' - is a brilliantly simple way to have carte blanche to pick and choose any convenient aspect of any social, economic and political theory. Now I understand how rampant capitalism can flourish in a supposedly communist state.

The optional excursionists have returned and at 11 o'clock an announcement tells us we're about to enter Qutang Gorge, the first of the Three Gorges. It's cold and misty, but not enough to spoil the experience. It's hard to imagine how even more spectacular it must have looked before the dam was built.

A tasty buffet lunch (plus a vegetarian dish cooked for me) is served at 11:45 and an hour later the three Europeans assemble by the reception desk to be introduced to our English-speaking guide for our excursion through the Lesser Three Gorges on the Daning River. We transfer to a smaller boat that takes us under the red arched bridge and along the Yangtze tributary. 'Lesser' is a misnomer as the gorges are just as spectacular as, and perhaps even more colourful than, their big brothers.

It takes about an hour to sail through the dramatically scenic Long Men, Da Wu and Di Cui gorges and as we head back our English-speaking guide tells us a little about the famous dam down river. It initially supplied 20% of the country’s electricity and has raised the water level from 85 metres to 175 metres above sea level in Winter (145 in Summer), and was created for three reasons:

1) To control the 100-year flood (although it appears they occur much more frequently)

2) To provide power

3) To provide better navigation

His own family was affected, being moved to Wushan. The compensation amounted to a similar-sized property with better facilities. He doesn't give any indication of any lingering bitterness - quite the opposite - stating that 1.3 million people were displaced to protect 50 million at risk.

We return to the boat and warming ginger tea and at about half past four we arrive at Wu Gorge, the second of the Three Gorges. I enjoy afternoon tea out on the cabin balcony before going out on deck to take dozens of photographs.

I’m five minutes late for the Captain's Farewell Banquet at half past six and my entrance is greeted with loud and appreciative applause, having walked in at precisely the moment the MC, looking very pretty in her white officer's dress uniform, was introducing the captain and crew. (I wondered why they were all lined up outside the restaurant.) Ah, those inscrutable Chinese… Neither she nor any of the passengers bat an eyelid and fortunately there are no other idiots around to ruin Take 2.

It’s my first Chinese banquet, and what a feast! The food just keeps on coming - platter after platter after platter…..after platter. The chef has even made a vegetarian pizza for me which I offer round and end up managing only a single slice for myself. The chef has also made me up omelette with sliced tomatoes and noodles in a clear vegetable soup and it’s very tasty. The waitress then brings me a plate of sushi which I decline although I instantly regret it - even though I couldn't manage it I could and should have shared it with the others. There’s no dress code for dinner but most are in sober wear anyway.

At half past eight it's Karaoke Time in the bar of Deck 5 - apparently. Surprisingly there's only the three of us in the bar. We chat with a drinks waitress and ask about the ring she’s wearing. She explains that rings are worn on the left hand for women and the right hand for men. She wears a ring on her first finger which means she's looking for a boyfriend. A ring on the second finger means - I have a boyfriend; on the third means - I'm married; and a ring on the little finger means - I'm not looking for a boyfriend. So where's the karaoke? In the adjacent KTV room, obviously. Disappointingly there are only three guests there although there's an expansive fruit and snack spread laid out on the table, along with bottles of whisky. They can't speak English but still bid us enter.

At eleven o’clock we approach the first of the locks and down and down the boat goes as the water drains away, the pressure of the water behind the gates keeping them shut . Despite the cold it seems as if everyone is out on deck, well wrapped up. It'll take hours to get through all the locks and it's an early start tomorrow so a couple of hours of this amazing experience suffices before I head back to the cabin.

Monday 23/12/2013

After a full English (or a vegetarian version) I give a tip to both the table waitresses and leave a similar amount on the bed for the cabin steward whoever he or she is, before being introduced to the English-speaking guide, for our trip to the Three Gorges Dam.

A short ride brings us to the complex in the middle section of the Xiling Gorge comprising dam, hydropower stations, and locks. The entrance is by one of the locks where four ships are either being raised or lowered (I can’t tell which). A succession of open-air escalators brings us up to the Tanziling Ridge scenic area comprising gardens, water features, sculptures, viewpoints and the visitor centre.

Wendy tells me that whereas the Panama Canal has three locks, there are five at the Three Gorges dam due to the greater difference in water levels. Also, tellingly, due to increased demand, the dam may have supplied 20% of the country's electricity initially, but now, due to China's rapid growth, it's only 1.7%. She also gives a fourth reason for building the dam - water supply.

The 185 viewing point, the last stop on our visit, overlooks the dam. Unfortunately it's too misty to see more than part of the way across the river but the two-hour visit has still been fascinating.

Hot tea again awaits us before we cast off for a final scenic sail through the rest of the misty Xiling Gorge. An hour later, sadly, it’s time to leave because this outstanding journey is over. Like my German Friends I take the bus organised by the boat to Yichang train station where I bid them Goodbye and a Happy New Year. They’ve been good company and I doubt I’ll see them again - but I’m wrong. Four days later, whilst trekking in the remarkable and immense LongJi rice terraces with a group of Norwegians on a day-trip from Guilin, who do I spy coming towards us along the Devil’s backbone…?

Other diaries:

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1900867

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1858505

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1770405

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1792071

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1669814

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1584868

Thanks for both reviews. We are going on a land tour/river cruise this coming Oct.

Tom:)

Thank you so much for this review, JakTar! It was very informative!

What a great review! I love it!

I know the OP posted this review April 2014, I just wanted to say "Thank You!" to the OP for the write up. We are considering a tour and cruise on the Golden 8 this November and this review definitely helps us to decide. We have done Victoria cruises on the Yangtze and enjoyed them both.