our cruise is coming to an end...

Today is our last day on the Victoria Princess (insert sad face here). We went through the 5 stage ship lock at the Three Gorges Dam the day before yesterday. It took nearly 4 hours to get through them all. We had previously had a 2 hour tour looking around the dam site, we drove on a bus to the top of the dam and had some great overlooks of the locks. So..by bus we went over and past the dam in about 10 minutes, but by boat, through the locks it took all evening.

 

We are getting much better at bartering. The class didn't teach us much technique, but we learned the phrase for "that's too expensive". We're finding the best technique is to just walk out. If they really want to sell it to us for our price they chase us outside the store with the calculator (to continue bartering) and the item we were looking at all wrapped up and bagged.

 

We learned to play Mahjong the other night. I think they taught us the most simple version (we didn't get to use the North, South, East, West, Flowers, Dragons tiles). The version we learned was similar to Rummy 500. We get to play again this afternoon after we learn how to make dumplings. They crew have a very difficult job of serving our meals, cleaning our rooms, and entertaining us. They have put on several fashion and talent shows (based on the chinese culture) throughout the trip.

 

Sailing through the Three Gorges was magnificent. It was rather foggy, but that made the area mystical. We got on a smaller boat (glass top) and explored a lesser gorge so we were able to be a little more up close and personal with the steep jagged mountains that line the now flooded gorge. The water level is almost at the max the dam can hold. It can hold water up to 175 meters above sea level and we are traveling on water at 165 meters above sea level. So, we're essentially seeing the completed effect of the Three Gorges Dam. The guides joke that they will have submarine tours in the future to see the old Three Gorges area before it was flooded.

 

When we disembark for shore excursions our local guides all tell us about the new home the government gave them since their town was flooded. They talk about how much bigger and better their new home and their new town is.

 

Well, I'm going to sign off before I lose the connection.  Happy Easter!

 

(tomorrow we visit some Pandas in Chongqing and fly to Xi'an where we'll see the Terracotta Soldiers...more updates when we can!)