We started the day disembarking early for a 4hr transfer and tour of the 3 Gorges Dam, into thick fog (couldn’t see the shore whilst docked!)
It mostly cleared into haze, apparently it rains up to 80% of days here (hence the Yangtze, the dam and local tea growing)
The dam project to me was most impressive by the ancillary features, the roads and bridges built, and the 1.3million people displaced and rehoused
We joined many queues (the Chinese way of keeping the populace occupied but particularly in the haze found the dam itself although an engineering marvel, visually a bit underwhelming. Perhaps the perspective didn’t do it justice
The drive down from the dam (Xiling Gorge) was almost as good as the gorges above the dam, perhaps by being unexpected. (Sit on RHS coming downstream for views)
Yichang struck as potentially a rather nice place with 5km promenade and gardens along the river, but we didn’t stop, having rebooked the train to Chongqing to 3.30
As we waited to board, a stream of men got off the train, all with unlit cigarettes in their mouths, desperately waiting to light up as they stepped off!
For the train we’d opted for “first class” for fun to see what it’s like. Not much difference price wise (£56 for 2, vs £36 for 2, second class) for 4hr journey. Difference: 2+2 abreast (vs 2+3 in second) and slightly more cushioned seats. Slightly more legroom. Nothing else I could tell!
There is also business and premium which are better again… (so first isn’t really first)
All seats are booked and allocated. No guarantee to get seats together though empty carriage so inspector let us move
Upgrade was cheap after currency exchange and a bit nicer but not a big deal in reality
Interesting terrain we are going through, I don’t quite understand geologically
I think locally it’s sandstone/limestone maybe granite in parts
There are large ranges of hills on the horizon but around the train track its mile after mile of small hills maybe 1-200metres tall (v variable and sort of conical, though some are almost geometric/ pyradimal. Little space between (imagine piles of salt)
Not any landscape I studied at school…
Looked it up. Might be glacial. Possible Karst also found in Slovenia
