Sailing at long last -still through this fog of pollution and mist - quite eerie. By the end of today we will have sailed some 170 klms and by the end of the 7 days - over 2230 klms.

China is surprising and disturbing - the amount of building, the new towns , bridge after bridge being built across the river - every few kilometers, the ship yards and factories. It makes Australia seem like we are not doing anything and very little infrastructure. I think our one saving grace is that we don't have the water to support a huge population.

We have been booked into a deluxe suite again -Janet is hopeless as she didn't know!!! We were early on board and explored and found this elite dining room which we were not game enough to go in. Also could not find our cabin number on the seating plan for meals and Janet saying maybe we hadn't booked the meal part of the trip!!

Only to find that we were booked in to the exclusive dining room which entitled us to free Wifi, Internet, drinks and snacks through the day, wine and beer with meals and some free laundry!! We are very happy. :0)

A lecture this aft about the dam built on the river across the Three Gorges -the biggest dam in the world - and how it has affected the way of life and how the river ( and us) drop as we go along. The Yangtze is 6380 klms long and is the third longest river in the world.

The dam was completed in 2009 and is 2335 m long and 185 m high. the dam has made the water rise by about 110 meters above the original water level swamping many towns - 1.3 million people have been relocated to make way for the dam.

So much history lost for progress!
Have to stop now as it is time for the Captains welcome and I can see all sorts of nice nibbles being bought out. Just as well we have to climb 1000 steps later today!!!

Captains welcome was interesting and met two ladies who had just squeaked in a visit to Tibet before they closed the borders. Scarey!!

We went ashore at Fengdu to visit the ghost village - where all the dead spirits go to be judged for either heaven of hell. Some beautiful old temples, shrines and palace of the Jade King atop the 800 stairs!!! (which I made without too much trouble). We actually climbed Ming Mountain and had the opportunity to have a fantastic view except for the fog!!

Hopefully tomorrow will be clearer.