Taichi and The Three Gorges Dam

"Lock at Three Gorges Dam" Sandouping, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/340 sec, ISO200
“Lock at Three Gorges Dam” Sandouping, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s highlight excursion was a visit to The Three Gorges Dam, and while it was interesting and awe-inspiring, I have to admit that I had more fun on the ship.

First of all, my mom and I started attending the daily Taichi sessions first thing in the morning. Today’s started at 6:45 am and plenty of other people showed up! The classes are taught by the ship doctor’s assistant, Ella, and she does a great job of explaining the poses and sequences. It’s really relaxing and fun, and it’s a great way to start the day and get the energy flowing.

"Tai Chi Time" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“Tai Chi Time” China, 2018

So, after Tai-chi, I ate a light breakfast (which can be difficult on a cruise!) of juk (rice porridge) and spicy pickles, and of course coffee, then it was time for the excursion. I guess since it was considered the highlight, I will post another photo: 😝

"Three Gorges Dam" Sandouping, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec, ISO200
“Three Gorges Dam” Sandouping, 2018

On the way back to the ship, we shopped a bit by the food carts and we had a visit from a very friendly kitty cat. He was so cute!

"Kitty" Sandouping, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4.5, 1/600 sec, ISO200
“Kitty” Sandouping, 2018

Back onboard, we proceeded to enjoy ourselves with unlimited drinks due to the extra spirits package we purchased. It was well worth it! On a ship like this, we tend to gravitate to the 6th deck which has the bar, dance floor, and outside deck. And since we’re there so often, it’s natural to make friends with the bartenders and crew. They are all so friendly and fun.

"Fun Bartenders" Yangtze, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO1250
“Fun Bartenders” Yangtze, 2018
"Party Time" Yangtze, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO1600
“Party Time” Yangtze, 2018
"With the Chef" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X-T10, 35mm, f/2, 1/75 sec, ISO1250
“With the Chef” China, 2018

Here are some more photos from the day. Enjoy!

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またね~

 

Sampan Tour

"Sampan Tour" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO200
“Sampan Tour” China, 2018

こんばんは。Today our ship cruised into the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze River and the scenery changed from great to AMAZING! The banks of the river rose steeply on either side and as we cruised along, one of the ship’s guides explained how the river changed when the dam was built, how the local populations were relocated, and also a bit about the “hanging coffins” which are stone coffins that were found high in caves along the walls. It’s still a mystery as to how they got there, which amazes me.

"On the Yangtze" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/8, 1/1700 sec, ISO200
“On the Yangtze” China, 2018

But the highlight of the day was definitely the sampan boat tour, which took us into a narrow gorge, The Shenong (Goddess) Stream. Our tour guide was excellent, funny, and cute and we were kept entertained the whole time learing about the local traditions, the way people live, and for this particular tour, a bit about arranged marriage! It was so interesting to learn about local matchmakers and the customs surrounding arranged marriages. I have to say that I’ve been very happy with both our main guide and the local guides so far on the trip.

"Sampan Tour" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/4, 1/125 sec, ISO1000
“Sampan Tour” China, 2018

After the sampan tour, we had a few activities onboard the ship before arriving at the Three Gorges Dam, where we entered the locks. I stayed awake for the first lock, but then was so tired, that I decided to call it a night.

"Through the Locks" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/35 sec, ISO6400
“Through the Locks” China, 2018

Talk to you tomorrow!

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Shibaozhai Excursion

"Pagoda" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO200
“Pagoda” Shibaozhai, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

Today’s travels took us to the town of Shibaozhai to visit the fantastic temple and pagoda. As you can see from the photo above, this pagoda is very tall – there are 99 steps to the top. But getting to the actual pagoda was a little bit of a journey as well because we had to walk up a hill from the ship, then across a suspension bridge known as the “Drunken Bridge” because you feel a bit tipsy due to the up and down motion of the structure.

Most of the tour group accompanied the local tour guide to the top of the pagoda and were rewarded with an amazing view of the surrounding scenery including the Yangtze and ship. It was interesting to hear how the region was affected by the Three Gorges Dam Project, and in the case of the Shibaozhai pagoda, a giant dike was constructed to protect it from the rising waters.

On the way back to the ship, my brother and I decided to take a short detour through the town and check out the local happenings. I enjoyed taking some street photos, but soon it was time to return to the ship.

To finish off the day, a bunch of us hung out in the lounge and had some fun on the dance floor which is something I rarely do! In fact, the only time I dance is during family reunions so I guess this as appropriate timing. 😆

I hope you had a nice day!

またね~

"Excursion" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO200
“Excursion” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Shibaozhai Temple" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/900 sec, ISO200
“Shibaozhai Temple” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Local Tour Guide" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/340 sec, ISO200
“Local Tour Guide” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Brothers" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/125 sec, ISO320
“Brothers” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Shopkeeper" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/75 sec, ISO3200
“Shopkeeper” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Leisure" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/75 sec, ISO3200
“Leisure” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Stroll" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO800
“Stroll” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Gametime" Shibaozhai, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/7.1, 1/40 sec, ISO3200
“Gametime” Shibaozhai, 2018
"Fun Times" China, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2, 1/50 sec, ISO6400
“Fun Times” China, 2018

Chongqing and the Ship

"SimCity" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/600 sec, ISO200
“SimCity” Chongquin, 2018

こんばんは。How’s it going?

I started the day with a quick jog around Xi’an before returning to the hotel and getting ready for the next leg of our trip: the city of Chongquin and boarding the river cruise ship.

The flight above Chongquin was absolutely stunning – I have never seen a more impressive city from the air. It honestly looked like a creation from SimCity! There were winding rivers, modern bridges, skyscrapers galore, and other details such as highway clovers and sporting stadiums. It was surreal!

Anyways, after we landed, we took a short bus ride to the cruise ship where we would be spending the next several days, traveling down the Yangtze river.

"The Ship" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/320 sec, ISO200
“The Ship” Chongquin, 2018

The check-in process was quick and we were soon settled into our cabin and the drinks started flowing. 🥂

"Champagne Toast" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.8, 1/140 sec, ISO200
“Champagne Toast” Chongquin, 2018

As the sun went down, the city of Chongquin started to light up and a festive feeling came over the entire ship. It really felt like a new phase of vacation was beginning!

Dinner was delicious, but everyone was tired from a long travel day, so it will be an early rest for us. 😴 Please enjoy these pictures from the day:

"Party Boat" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/60 sec, ISO6400
“Party Boat” Chongquin, 2018
"Party Boat" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
“Party Boat” Chongquin, 2018
"Crazy Town" Chongquin, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/2.5, 1/120 sec, ISO200
“Crazy Town” Chongquin, 2018

またね~

Promenade Snapshots

"Procession" Xi'an, 2018
Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 23mm, f/3.2, 1/125 sec, ISO4000
“Procession” Xi’an, 2018

こんばんは。This evening after dinner, we strolled down the promenade from our hotel to the Great Wild Goose Pagoda. The wide walkway is very nice in the daytime, with statues and other cool things to look at, but at night it transforms into a huge party, with music performances, shopping, dancing, beauty shows, etc. It is pretty amazing! The colors and energy are intense.

One thing that I noticed that I like doing is taking photos of people enjoying themselves. I guess it is kind of a street photography style? I don’t know, but taking photos of people taking photos and selfies is so meta. Please take a look at some of the images:

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