Yangtze River: an eye-opening adventure in China - Cruise of the Month - travel services offered by Pacific Bestours

Cruise Travel, March-April, 2002 by Jeri Jacobs

After dinner onboard we were treated to a fashion show from the boat's gift shop. Models were the crew-members, and they put on a very enjoyable show.

The next day we arrived in Wushan and were bused through the town. Then we transferred to Victoria Cruises sampans (very comfortable boats outfitted with "tour bus" seats and a retractable roof) and sailed on the Daning River, a tributary of the-Yangtze, through the three lesser gorges known as Dragon Gate, Misty, and Emerald. We each had received a box lunch, and the boats pulled over to a "picnic" area of rocks where we ate. This was a long day and we would have been much more comfortable if we had eaten on the boats.

While the scenery was lovely, the water became very shallow in many areas, and the boatmen had to pole us through. Everywhere we sailed, during the whole riverboat cruise, we found that most of the towns along the river already had been evacuated and the people had been relocated because of the upcoming flooding. We saw many "ghost towns" that had once been productive farming towns and working cities. Stories of people having to leave their family homes were very sad and touching.

Returning to the boat, we sailed for Zigui and, after dinner, debarked and were treated to a local folkloric show, followed by the obligatory shopping at an adjacent store.

Early the next morning the Victoria 1 set sail from Zigui to the Xiling Gorge and the Gezhouba Dam. After breakfast we arrived in Sandouping, where we debarked and were bused to the Gezhouba Dam site. Here we saw a model of the structure and toured a museum containing the relevant moments of the dam's history and building stages. Then we climbed up to the lookout area to view the dam. What an enormous project! While it is still far from completed, one is able to see the engineering accomplishments to date.

Back aboard, we witnessed firsthand the way the river locks work. The Victoria 1 entered the lock; the back gates closed behind us; water drained from the lock until the water level inside the lock was the same as it was outside; then front gates opened and we cleared it. To add to the excitement of going through the lock, our cruise director sold lottery tickets, where we tried to guess the hour, minute, and second that the front gates would open. The closest guess won half of the pot; the crew fund received the rest.

That evening, our crew treated us to a show of their local customs and costumes. Some of the passengers sang songs from their native countries. Everyone had a wonderful time.

As far as ship life went, there was the usual captain's welcoming reception, lectures by our river guide Simon, afternoon tea, and movies (Chinese origin) in our cabins. Onboard were a kite expert and an artist who specialized in calligraphy and snuff bottles. Each morning, Dr. Fan led Tai Chi exercises before breakfast. Every day we received our bottled water. Services onboard included medical care, laundry, massages, and beauty shop. The salon had a lone beautician who performed all of the hair and nail services; while the salon was not up to Western standards, the young lady was eager to please, and I got a much-needed manicure. Purchasing items and services was done by chits--no cash--and major credit cards were accepted. While the riverboat was not luxurious, we had everything we needed for our comfort and safety.