You can already hear footsteps, voices, doors, it's still early and it's the end of the cruise. One sunrise later, we make our way to breakfast and then to the assembly point on deck 2, leaving at 8am. We say goodbye to Summer, she looked after us personally on the ship, many things were easier for us with her help.
It is raining. Today we are taken from the ship down to the road in a cable car and don't have to walk up the steps. Once on the right bus, we head to the Three Gorges Dam. The museum explains exactly how the dam was built. At 6,300 kilometres, the Yangtze is the third longest river in the world after the Nile and the Amazon.
The picture shows the place where the dam stands today, before it was built. The small island still separates the dam from the lift and the locks.
It is a huge project, almost half a million people are being resettled.
Now it has a boat lift next to the dam and a 5-lock system for large ships.
We can walk over to the park and from there we have a direct view of the dam. A huge thing. And what this ship lift can do is fascinating. A lot of oranges are grown in the area, fresh juice is on offer with lots of flavour and it's not a bit sour.
Then it's an hour's bus journey to the Three Gorges Tourist Office. Cool, our suitcases are already waiting for us. Our driver arrives a little later. We have a 4-hour journey ahead of us and the driver wants to recharge the car briefly on the way... no power at the fast chargers. There's no traffic and the service area looks like a ghost town.
We arrive in Zhangjiajie on schedule, no idea how to pronounce it. There was some confusion about the hotel, they wanted to put us up somewhere else than planned... Well, a quick chat with Jenny from the travel agency and we were able to move in as planned.
Now for something warm to fill my stomach. On the way back to the hotel, we get a little foretaste of tomorrow.
