Saturday 25 May 2013

Gorge number one


Afternoon Tuesday 21st May 2013
 
Early this afternoon we passed through the first of the Three Gorges and once more a suspension of the expected was needed.
 
I cannot tell you how wonderful this place is.  People who came here before the dam was built say it is not so good.  Well all I can say is that it looks pretty good to me.  Misty mountains, huge craggy outcrops, steep sides and staggering scenery. And that is before you consider where we are and how far from home.  I feel so fortunate to be here and to see such a place. 
 
The weather is hot and sunny and we spent the afternoon on the deck just looking and looking.  No photographs will do justice to it all.
 
Later we passed through the second of the gorges. Completely different but just as wonderful.  As we neared the end of tis gorge we saw rhesus monkeys on the bank.  Not a great fan of monkeys but to see them in the wild was such a treat.
 
The river is so busy. Cargo of coal, stones, and other things. Little fishing boats and many more vessels.  Coal barges are loaded from shuts set on the side of the mountains.  The lorries bring it on from the surrounding mountains and dump it literally into stores from where it falls straight down into the barges.
 
Clouds of coal dust rise from these sites so, as you go down the river you can see where they are coming up by these clouds.
 
One more gorge to go but you will have to wait for that one till later

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