It starts the same as Day 1.  I get up early enough for 6:30 coffee downstairs, and then Judy and I eat breakfast at 7:00.  There is an excursion this morning to another temple.  We’re pretty full of temples, so we opt out for the cabin balcony and relaxation.  The boat pulls out around 11:00 and we get to view the first of the Three Gorges, Qutang Gorge, from the sundeck.  It’s everything you think it will be, huge and dramatic.

After lunch, we have an excursion up a different river on smaller boats.  We sail through three smaller gorges, but the views are still beautiful and dramatic.  We get the chance to see some wild monkeys on the shoreline.  Our guide talks about the reconstruction that had to be done.  Whole cities were relocated up the mountains, above the predicted water line.  That explains why the buildings all look the same.  The government came in, built all the buildings, and relocated the townspeople and farmers.  I can only imagine the turmoil created by all the relocations.

Judy was a celebrity with two girls, wanting to practice their English. Their moms took video of Judy talking to them

Some wild rhesus monkeys on shore

A view of one of the rebuilt relocated cities, looking over the decks of some moored cruise ships.

Back on the cruise ship, we travel through the Wu Gorge.  It’s the 2^nd of the three gorges. Tonight is the Captain’s Farewell Dinner.  All our previous meals have been buffet style, but tonight’s meal will be served as a traditional Chinese table meal.  All the dishes are brought out and placed on a rotating disk in the middle of the table.  The whole table partakes, spinning the roundtable when you want something.  We’re served a huge variety of foods.  We’re able to try most of them.  They bring a large fish and set it on the table.  Our group begins to work on it, pulling the flesh from the bone.  One of the Chinese guests removes the skin.  I thought they were just cleaning the fish so the flesh was easier to get to.  Next thing, we noticed the guest was eating the skin with her chopsticks.

After dinner, we’re told we’ll be traveling through the locks of the Three Gorges Dam around 1:30 am.   I get up and watch as our boat pulls into the first of the 5 locks that lower the boats.  We finally complete the process around 5:00 am.  It’s really interesting the process that takes place as we pass through.