Fengdu - Yangtze River - the ghost city and the red pagoda

If we had boarded in Chongqing we wold have sailed overnight to this place so no matter that we arrived here as we did.

 

Great nights sleep, Breakfast and an excursion to the Ghost City.

 

As with cruises, so I am told, we were allocated tables in the restaurant.  We were sitting by 6 South Africans and two English people.  All very nice and we got on well.

 

There were only 143 guests on the boat, about half full, and 140 staff!  Good service

 

After an introduction to the staff and to the ship and emergency procedures etc. we went ashore for our first excursion.   We were split into small groups of no more than 20 for these trips and in ours for the first one there were 19 people.

 

So, back across the wonky gangplank, missing the red carpet,  still not there, missing the band also, we climbed back up the 60 metre high 150 steps to take little golf carts for a short trip.

 

We had been warned to wear sensible shoes as there were a lot of steps.  Even after the 150 steps up to the road we still had 450 more up to the temple above the river!  Taking it easy and stopping with our guide quite often we all got up

 

Great views, really good fun and lots of pictures

 

Back on the boat for lunch and we sailed down the river to moor at Shibaozhai.  Here there was an optional shore trip to a fortress and a red pagoda.  This site would have been half submerged  by the rising water after the Three Gorges Dam was built. To protect it an 85 metre coffer dam was built around it! Quite a site. Our shore party by now had reduced to nine. The others stayed on the boat and it seemed spend the afternoon on their balconies or in bed!

 

They missed a lot!

 

We got back to the ship in time to be late for the Captains reception.  We went anyway and the Captain, Captain Lee, was just making a speech of welcome. ~people were quite dressed up and we were still in our walking stuff and rather hot.  No one seemed to bother thought.

 

Here was one of those times when we had to suspend expectations as we were offered Champagne!

 

"It" was served from magnums and was fizzy.  There was plenty of it and if you had been on a long steep walk you might have enjoyed it.  I am sorry to say that we did quite enjoy it given the circumstances, so thank you Mr Lee. A very nice "Do"