Yang Zi Jie On Yang Zi Jiang (Or, Neil's Trip Up The Yangtze)

Part 1: Floating Upstream

The thought of being alone in central China for eight days had me nervous before the excursion even started. I was convinced it would be lonely, though the romantic ideals associated with solo travel enticed me. A solitary man on an adventure into the wilds of China with nothing but a backpack, his own wits, and a Ziploc bag full of digestive biscuits. If I had a whip and a gun, it would have been the total package. I figured I'd also get a little bored without any company, so I brought my journal and books and lots of snacks that might come in handy if I found myself in a situation where I needed to barter for my life with mountain tribes people.

On the day of departure, I had a flight scheduled from Shanghai to Wuhan. At 10 PM. Earlier that morning, there was some confusion with CTrip, my preferred ticket booking agency: they said my original flight was delayed to 11:30PM, which was already bad enough, and then they called a second time to say that they flight was canceled altogether, so they would switch me to another airline. Suspicious but with no other option, I agreed to this unconventional set up. I knew something like this would happen. It's China!

That evening before I left my apartment, I had a nagging feeling that I should go to the airport early. Thank you, Mr. Gut. When I got there, the new airline told me that they had no record of my ticket and that switching airlines wasn't even possible. Great. I asked when the next flight to Wuhan was. With an expression that was clearly designed to challenge my resolve, she told me that the last flight of the night was departing in 30 minutes and I had a mere 10 minutes to go through security. So I quickly bought a new ticket, ran to the gate in a cold sweat and hopped on the flight. For all that drama, I arrived in Wuhan an hour earlier than expected.

Driving through the city at night, it was apparent that the people in that part of China don't know how to drive. Even worse than Shanghai drivers. Why? They don't use lanes. There were about 3 or 4 cars trying to drive side-by-side on a two lane street, like Mario Kart battle mode, but without all the fun turtle shells or Princess Toadstool. And lots of dogs running across the road. And people. One lady was just standing in the middle of the street. It would have been so satisfying to run her over, thus teaching her a lasting lesson in traffic safety. As my taxi slammed on the breaks, barely inches from her brittle, breakable legs, she just gazed through us as if we had interrupted her midnight stroll. I tell you, it just gets better and better in this country.

The next day, I woke up early and caught a taxi to the bus station. I had a sufficient amount of rest, having politely declined the well-priced whores that my taxi driver offered me the night before. In the daylight, Wuhan wasn't much to look at. There are some famous sites (it's also the home of Mulan!) but nothing I haven't seen before, just like every other mid-level city in China. The people were very friendly, I have to say: as soon as my taxi stopped at the bus station, there were about three or four homeless beggars that crowded against the car window just to greet me with outstretched hands. From whatever else I could gather in the short time I was present, they were not as harsh as Northerners, not as snide as the people along the coast. But aside from that, not much. Put it this way: the city was so much fun, I didn't even have time to take pictures.

I had to get to the port city of Yichang before 5pm, and the bus ride was supposedly 5-6 hours. So I bought my ticket, grabbed lunch, then hopped on the next bus out of town. On the way, I shit you not, we encountered not one, but TWO cars who were driving against traffic. On the highway! It was like all of a sudden, here's a car driving straight towards us, our bus frantically swerving to get out of the way in time. Who knows what these country rednecks were thinking.

Luckily, we got to Yichang safely (early again!) at 3pm, but I still had to get to the ship port. The area was deserted, in anticipation for Chinese New Year, no doubt. I had to wander around for a while, waiting for a taxi to save me from this seemingly abandoned burg. I thought the port was within walking distance, but as it turned out, it was about 30 minutes away. By car. Yikes. Fortunately I found a taxi without wasting too much time meandering around aimlessly. The driver wanted to charge a higher rate than what I had found in my research, but I didn't care. Can't be picky in times as desperate as these. Plus, his breath was so bad that I didn't want him to open his mouth to talk too much, otherwise I would have suffocated before we got to the ship.

As the cab pulled up to the concrete dock, the ship was already abuzz with workers preparing for the cruise. Steam was billowing from below the deck, chefs were carrying crates of food into the kitchen, workers were banging and buffing the ship to (hopefully) ensure safety. I tumbled onto the dock, trying not to fall over as I climbed the stairs to board. After checking-in, I went to go see my cabin.

The Lone Explorer

The ship was gorgeous. On the outside, nothing special. But the conditions in my room were better than a hotel. Super clean bed linen, dark hardwood walls, a flatscreen TV with CNN, central heating, an all-white bathroom (so clean you could take a bath, a rarity in China!), and a private balcony to sit outside and watch the passing scenery. The dining area looked like a grand banquet hall. We even had a library, lounge and a huge bar on the top deck. I was really impressed. As long as I wasn't paired with a stranger who would share the room, it would be perfect. Looking out my window, the slopes of the valley were covered in green vegetation and yellow stone and dirt. The water had a greenish-blue tint (the Chinese color "qing") and mist covered everything. I lamented that this would have been amazing to be able to share with someone close to me.

My Cabin (L-R): My bed, TV and dresser; both beds; bathroom

In truth, it was the loneliest Chinese New Year I've ever had, my first away from home in 27 years. Ironically, it was also the most un-Chinese Chinese New Year I've ever experienced, and I was in China! To make matters worse, on this biggest feast day of the Chinese year, dinner wasn't even included that night and I had to pay out of pocket for some overpriced crap: a bowl of noodles. The gods were somehow playing a cruel joke on me. Some Australians at the table next to me were seated close to each other and enjoying a round of boisterous laughs. Sitting alone at my big table, I felt like a chump, a total failure of extroversion, envious that these complete foreigners were having the good time that I should have been sharing with my own family.

At the other table beside me sat three British people, the complete opposites of the Aussies. One fat bird and a young-ish looking couple who were newly engaged. All seated one chair apart from the other, looking ever so cold and uppity in typically repressed English fashion. The large single woman addressed the younger lass as "Rose," which caused me to nearly choke on my noodle. Fearing the worst, I closed my eyes and waited to hear the bloke's name. Alaister. Phew, it would have been over for me if he was named Jack.

Luckily, the ship was not completely devoid of the good stuff. I sucked down a satisfying Illy coffee at the bar, my first hit of the day. Then, without much else to do, returned to my cabin and fell asleep to Obama on CNN. That handsome bugger.

In the middle of the night, I was awoken to the sounds of warfare. The crew were lighting fireworks on dry land, which was right near my window. I imagine this is what Iraq is like, but without all the death and danger. I didn't really sleep at all, but at least no one had arrived to take the other bed. Happy New Year!

Day 3 was the first actual day of real travel on my trip. At breakfast (great spread...they even had real bacon!), I met the table group with whom I would share my meals with for the entire trip. I was lucky. Of the foreigners on the boat, there was a Singaporean tour group, a Hong Kong group, 3 stuffy Brits, 2 Frenchies, a fat white dude with a young Shanghainese lady, 4 Aussies and 3 Americans (including me). There were about 30 local Chinese, but they kept their distance, thank God. Of the entire foreigner group, I was seated with the Aussie family and the 2 Americans. The Aussies were from Sydney: a son and his fiancee who live in Guangzhou, and his parents in China for a visit. The Americans were from Kansas City, but living and teaching at university in Xi'an. They were a great group. The Aussies had a son named Neil who couldn't make it on the trip, so they said they'd adopt me. Not a bad arrangement, as it would turn out. They ended up being my company and travel companions for the duration of the cruise.

Table #2: The Americans and Aussies

Our first stop was the Three Gorges Dam. Now, before I ever had any idea of modern China or even knew what the Three Gorges were, I heard about this dam. I think it was high school. All the environmentalists in the US were going crazy about it because it was supposed to be entirely evil and wrong. The effects on the environment, the shift in nature's flow, the displacement of villagers, the destruction of history. Lots of stuff to consider. So seeing the actual thing was a bit of a let down. It didn't look like a huge, evil man-made horror. In fact, it was one of the most boring and ugly "monuments" I've ever seen. Just a plain 2km long dam. Covered in the normal polluted haze and the foggy humidity, it was a bland and tasteless sight. Like most "modern" things in China, it's just a big ugly hunk of cement and shortsighted designing. The Hoover Dam is far prettier.

The Three Gorges Dam: Underwhelming, Eh?

The Model Is More Impressive

The statistics, nevertheless, are impressive. Enough to make a civil engineer cream themselves, but to an ordinary guy like me, it was just a dam. The idea was actually concocted in 1919 by Sun Yatsen and received subsequent support from Mao. In 1992, the project was officially started. Ground was broken in '94 and, almost ten years later in 2003, the first phase was completed with the creation of a massive reservoir. The dam itself was finished in 2006 at a 25 billion USD price tag. And it was below budget. This year, the complete filling of the reservoir was a clear sign of just how much the dam has affected the landscape. The water all along the river has risen an additional 100m (about 330 feet), making the current level of most areas about 175m deep. To get an idea of how deep that is, the Great Pyramid and the dome at St. Peters are only 140 m high.

It is proudly the largest hydro-electric power station in the world, pumping clean energy all over the country. The government touts it as a godsend for safety and protection against flooding, which the river is notoriously guilty of doing. The statistic is that, over 100 years, about 1 million people have been killed by flooding. So, according to the comrades, this dam is protecting about 15 million residents who make home downstream below the dam. What they fail to mention is that, should the dam ever break, the town of Yichang will be completely destroyed by the rushing river in less than 1 hour, killing all inhabitants, including my friendly taxi driver with the halitosis. The total aftermath of a potential dam break would result in about 10 million people drowning in a flood, if no action is taken to rescue them.

JUMP! Three Gorges Dam

The current toll on human life is no less severe. Since the water has risen about 100 meters, all of the villages and settlements had to either be relocated higher up the mountains or its residents simply forced to move to other cities. Villages that had been around for centuries - relics, temples, family tombs - everything either moved or drowned in the rising water. The total statistic is 1.3 million people had to move. That's equal to the ENTIRE state population of Maine, New Hampshire or Hawaii, OR the entire city population of San Antonio, San Diego or Dallas. Take your pick. But wait, there's more fun in store: with projected water erosion that will put the current villages uphill at risk, many will have to relocate yet again, pushing the total up to a whopping 4 million displaced souls.

Along the route, we'd be reminded of these drastic changes, so I won't continue boring you here. Of the pros and cons regarding this project, it seems like the bad overwhelmingly outweighs the good. Time will tell.

No Suicides Please

Back on the boat, we continued our journey. The first big obstacle would be crossing the dam. From where we were to where we wanted to be, there was a difference of 115 meters. UP. So we had to rely on the gigantic lock system - bigger than the Panama Canal locks - that the dam uses to slowly transport cruise ships and cargo vessels up along the height of the dam. 20 meters per lock, five locks total, 3 hours of life spent climbing the Yangtze. In 2014, a ship elevator will reduce the trip to only 40 minutes, but the ships must weigh less than 3,000 tons. So unfortunately, you'd only be able to transport about 600 adult elephants or 15 blue whales in that lift. Sorry.

Three Gorges Dam Ship Lock

Entering The Lock

Long Way Down

Don't Bump Your Head

80m Tall

Tight Quarters

The lock trek went by quicker than expected. It was quite a marvel that we passed through in the scheduled three hours. With four massive ships precariously squeezed into each segment, the water-stained lock walls bore down on us in a claustrophobic huddle. As each lock filled and the ships rose to match the water level of the next lock, the groaning and bellowing of the ships were disturbingly eerie and disconcerting, like some long-dormant beast emerging from its murky lair. Or, for those without overactive imaginations, the simple result of creaking metal and changing water pressure. Those of us on the outdoor deck quietly waited, opting for silence in the presence of such deep trembling.

JUMP! Three Gorges Dam Ship Lock

Top of the Lock

One by one at a steady pace, until at last the end was in sight. As the sun set over the distant mountains, we emerged from the fifth and final lock, finally headed upstream on the Yangtze River to the famed Three Gorges.

Leaving The 5th Lock

Onto The Three Gorges


Next episode: Into the gorges...