Today I started my private tour of the Yangtze River in China with China Odyssey Tours. Your guide was waiting for me when I arrived at the airport. She took me in my private car and driver. Took me to the Chongqing Holiday Inn, a four star hotel. Everyone here speaks English very well, which is a great relief. I was really worried about the language barrier. After a rest, I went to the famous Chongqing hot pot's. Hot Pot is a kind of fondue. It consists of a pot of division. Thea greater share of the pot with a spicy oil and the other part is filled filled with a broth. The food was so good, and it was wonderfully spicy. Violet later took me to the Chongqing Guild Hall. A Guildhall is a bit 'as a cross between a lodge hall, and a trade union office. This is a huge complex of courtyards, offices, temples and the phases of the work. E 'was held the place really cool. After visiting the Guildhall, has led me to a teahouse. It was comfortable on the roadthe Guildhall, and was built in traditional Chinese style. Inside, they showed me different types of tea. The girls wore the traditional clothing style, I showed that the Chinese tea ceremony. For dinner, I was transferred to another restaurant specializing in local cuisine Chongqing. We sat on a large balcony on the third floor, overlooking the Yangtze River. The weather was beautiful. After dinner, I returned to my hotel. Tomorrow visit some sites in Chongqing, until I gotfor my boat for my Yangtze River Cruise.
Day 2
I woke up early and went to the restaurant for the breakfast buffet. To meet Violet at 9:00 me and took me to CiQi Kou historic city streets. This is an area of the city of Chongqing, which still has its Ming and Qing Dynasty houses and shops. We walked through the old cobblestone streets. There have been many different stores, all from local sweets, snacks and clothing and silk scarves. OldShops were very nice. After we visited the ancient streets of the city, we went to Eling Park 'was a very beautiful park. The highest point of the park is actually the highest point of the city of Chongqing. The park is full of trees, flowers, beautiful stones. The tip top of the park is a pagoda built in 1980. After the park, we went to lunch. We stopped at a local restaurant and had a variety of wonderful food spicy. I love the food here! We then headed to ChongqingZoo This is a very large zoo. We then headed to another restaurant for dinner. Once again it was a great choice of food amazing. I never had the same dish twice. Everyone has been wonderful. I think I'm going to miss the food more in China, when I go home. Then we went to my ship. My Regal China cruise ship, the Princess Sheena. E 'enormous. It can be about 300 people. I was welcomed on board a live band, and then I was put in my cabin. Once was in my room, and aquick shower, I went to the bar music. The bar had a number of Westerners. I met some Americans and a pair of Wales. It 'was very nice.
Day 3
This morning I was awakened by the music will be headed to my room. This morning was the ship is a class of Taiji. It 'was really interesting. After I went to breakfast. It 'been a fairly widespread. E 'was the buffet. It 'was a combination of Western and Chinese cuisine. After breakfast there was a demonstration of traditional Chinese medicineThe doctor of the ship. Then a woman came to speak Chinese Herbal Facial Demonstration. I felt a bit 'and I thought that if he was thinking of getting a face, it would be really interesting. After I went to lunch. I was surprised by the variety and quality of it. In the afternoon we went to Fengdu "Ghost City". It 'was really interesting. Each temple on the mountain was dedicated to Ghost in Chinese culture. In the evening the ship a show called "Sheena hadNonsense. "These were songs and dances performed by members of the crew of the ship. After the show I went to the pub. After I returned to my room where I am now, and took a shower.
Day 4
I woke up early because we wanted the first of the three gorges more. We all met at the viewing platform, and our guide told us what we've seen. The gorges were very beautiful, rising on both sides of the boat. The rock formations andRock samples have been amazing. After breakfast we will be known as the second Gorge Wu Gorge. After, we went for our second excursion. We went to a place called Shennong Stream. Our boat docked and we moved to a smaller boat. When we reached a fork in the river, we docked and were transferred to small wooden boats called pea pod boats. They are a team of 5 Our guide spoke of local minorities, and the various nooks and trees that we saw. Was reallycompetent and great stories told. When we turned around to head back, the guide told us the love of the local people Tuziang to sing. To express their love for one another to express that they would sing together. After our return to the ship, said the ship together and went into the dam of the Three Gorges ship lock. And 'huge! While we in the locks, the crew had another party for us. E 'was great fun. After the boat through the locks, he docked near the Three Gorges Dam. Having docked, Icried my wife, I miss terribly.
Day 5
Today I woke up early and went down for breakfast. After breakfast, we landed to visit the Three Gorges Dam. We went to an area that faces the rear of the dam. I have lots of photos. It 'been a bit' fog around the dam, and has been here for some cool photos. Then we went to the area overlooking the dam before. It 'so big! From there I could have not only the dam, but the surrounding area. So we got our ship, andcrossed the Xiling Gorge. This gorge was the most beautiful, because the water level not yet been addressed because they were in front of the dam. We could see many small villages and farms along the shore. After passing through the Xiling Gorge, we drove the Gezhou Dam, the dam of other great river Yangtze. We then headed in Yichang City, where we docked. Tomorrow we will board a bus in Wuhan. Then I went to a different pattern made by some of the crew.It 'was an introduction to Chinese folk dances. The crew took us to various minorities, and the clothes they wear. That evening I went to dinner to eat. They pulled out all the stops for this last supper. E 'was great! After dinner, we had to show a letter of farewell. It 'was a performance by members of the crew and guests. Later, I headed for dinner. After dinner I returned to my cabin to sleep.
Day 6
This morning we had a nice breakfast. AfterBreakfast, we landed on our head coach to Wuhan. Your personal guide Harry was waiting outside the bus with my car. I was then led to the Holiday Inn Tian An Wuhan. Was a very beautiful place with a large hall. After a period of rest, we headed to the yellow crane tower, the landmark of the city. Our driver took us to the entrance. The Yellow Crane Tower is the hub of a huge park on Mount Snake. The park is very big and very nice! Parkhas several small pavilions and buildings located on the mountain. Every building looks like his pond or stream, and is beautiful with flowering trees and bamboo. I really enjoyed it. After the Yellow Crane Tower, I went to dinner with Harry. We had local food. After dinner I returned to my room to sleep.
Day 7
This morning I went to the breakfast buffet. E 'was really fantastic! After breakfast, I met Harry go in the lobbyMuseum of Hubei Province. The museum was inaugurated in November 2007 and was so new. The museum itself is very modern in design, but has elements of the Chinese book. Each floor of the main building has four to six permanent exhibition halls. The exhibits themselves were amazing, and the layout of them was one of the best I've ever seen around the world. The displays are lit very well, and each artifact was inscribed in Chinese, English and Korean. The most impressiveThe museum exhibits a number of tombs in Hubei province were found. After leaving the museum, we went to lunch at a local restaurant, and went to the airport for my flight to Beijing and then back to Chicago.
