We let ourselves drift

Saturday, 20.10.2018

First day at sea, well on the river actually. The weather was rainy.

When strolling on the 'sun deck', we had to be careful about the risk of slipping. The planks were slippery and a little Juli could easily slip through the railing at the edge. So we stayed in the game room instead. There was also a 'pool', which was more like a large heated bathtub, a card game room, shops with trinkets, and most importantly, a karaoke room. Standard for a good Chinese establishment.

Due to the weather, we skipped the morning shore excursion and attended a presentation on crystal vases painted from the inside. Really interesting and beautiful.

In the afternoon, we went to the shí bǎo zhài Pagoda (石寶寨)

We docked at a city that was built because of the Three Gorges Dam. People were resettled here whose houses, villages, and towns are now below the water level. Our tour guide often emphasized how much better they have it here now, with air-conditioned new apartments. We walked along dozens of stalls that felt like they all sell the same things, up a street and down a pedestrian alley.

The pagoda is located on a (now) walled island. The wall and the bridge to the pagoda were built because of the Three Gorges Dam. In the entrance area of the area, there is a photo series showing how the village at the foot of the pagoda developed and later was flooded.

If you cross the somewhat unusual (hanging) bridge with its movable wooden planks, you will reach the circular path at the current foot of the mountain.

To get to the pagoda, you have to climb a steep path, so my loved ones let me do it alone. It wouldn't have been fun with a stroller.

The pagoda itself has nine more floors to climb.

On the various floors, you can see, among other things, the 'Aihe Bridge', a bridge where wishes come true if you can cross it in 10 steps or less and have been a good person before.

After crossing the bridge that loves to move

and successfully battling through the thicket of street vendors, we had the captain's dinner on board.

The captain marched in, surrounded by a few stewardesses, gave a speech, and then went to every table to toast - aah, just like on the 'Traumschiff'!