Passed through the first of the three gorges today, Qutang, steep mountains with the Yangtze cutting through them. In the afternoon we went up a tributary called Shennong Stream, we docked up and hopped on the local boats which had four rowers with one guy steering on the back and another with a bamboo stick at the front. They rowed about a mile up river and when the water got shallow they pulled it with bamboo ropes while the one with the bamboo stick kept it of...

headed on a day excursion to the Ghost city in Fengdu. Lovely Buddhist temple set in the hills, the Chinese believe all spirits go to this place when they die and there are tests to find out which are good and bad.

Booked a cruise on the Yangtze river, two and a half days and three nights. Will get to see all the towns between Chongqing and Yangzi and also the Three Gorges dam, which should be pretty impressive. We had originally booked a train which would have passed through Chengdu, but with the earthquake most trains were cancelled anyway it was going to be twelve hour journey so we didn't mind that much.

Today we went to the Qin Shi Tomb, even though it's a mound it's beautifully decorated with gardens, trees and walkways. What's underneath can only be imagined, never excavated it's thought vast riches lie around the tomb, legend has it that the people who designed it were buried alive within it carrying all the secrets with them. With supposed mercury rivers flowing around it amongst other ingenious defensives its unlikely it will be opened any time soon. (scien...

Today we went to the Qin Shi Tomb, even though it's a mound it's beautifully decorated with gardens, trees and walkways. What's underneath can only be imagined, never excavated it's thought vast riches lie around the tomb, legend has it that the people who designed it were buried alive within it carrying all the secrets with them. With supposed mercury rivers flowing around it amongst other ingenious defensives its unlikely it will be opened any time soon. (scien...