GORGEOUS GORGES DAY!

We woke up at 7am and got on a smaller boat to see the lesser three gorges. These were very majestic and impressive. The river just cuts through the mountain and the walls rise straight up from the river. On the way out we were allowed to stand on the front deck of the boat and everyone was pushing to take pictures. More people wanted pictures with the tall foreigners.

We stopped off at a little market town that sold a lot of junk. Their premise was that they were all being displaced by the floods, and now this market is their only means of making a living.

We also stopped and climbed a ways up to a temple and a waterfall that had a good view of the gorge. The upper part of the mountain hung out over us, and water drops were falling off the edge onto us.

Clark and I spoke to 2 girls on the boat and gave them a NY postcard. They gave me a little necklace in return.

favorite was the misty gorge, which was actually quite misty and a lot cooler temperature wise. We saw a lot of garbage boats picking up trash with tiny little nets. On the way back we had to stay seated and got very sleepy.

We got back on the big boat and almost right away entered the 2^nd gorge. It was much wider, but just as majestic and impressive as the lesser 3 gorges.

As we floated downriver, we noticed a lot of garbage floating by, including hundreds of sandal shoes. We also saw about 10 dead pigs floating by. Clark and Peter think they also may have seen a human body, but couldn’t tell because of the discoloration. They said it also could have been a mannequin.

As we went along we could sign markers that show how high the river will rise to: 175 meters. You could see which houses, towns, and crops would be covered by the water once the dam is completed.

At the end of the gorge, we took a 1 hour nap, and woke up to a song and dance performance on a barge. We didn’t pay for the temple or the show at this stop, instead choosing to wander around the town. It was difficult to get away from the area that they channeled the tourists into. We had to go under some stairs and then on a muddy path up the side of the mountain.

We finally came across a road and followed it a ways and watched a beautiful sunset. We walked by a cemetery and finally got to a spot where the road had collapsed, we think due to flooding. We found an easier way down through the cemetery and then onto a road.

Back down at the river I found a sandal and threw it in, thinking maybe it is good luck and that is why there are so many shoes.

We returned to the touristy section and sat at an outside table in the square. We had lots of fresh vegetables and good dumplings, along with a couple of spicy dishes. We returned to the boat and drank two beers each at the stern. Then we showered and went to bed around midnight.