We boarded our Viking Cruise ship at Chongqing on the evening of the June 10.  The ship was larger and more luxurious than we had anticipated.  We had a spacious cabin with a little balcony so we could sit outside and watch the world go by.  Everything was kept nice and clean and the service and food was good.  We enjoyed a relaxing three day river cruise from Chongqing to Sandouping, the site of the immense Three Gorges Dam.

After breakfast on board the next morning we disembarked to visit Fengdu, or the “Ghost City”.

Michael’s summary:

“Fengdu was dubbed the “ghost city” for its appearance in two ancient stories about the underworld.  Significant for its preservation of Chinese afterlife culture, Fengdu’ otherworldly associations date back nearly two thousand years to two imperial court officials who journeyed to nearby Mt. Minshan to practice Taoist teachings, ultimately achieving immortality as legend has it.  Their combined surnames, Yin and Wang, translate to “King of Hell”, and this title birthed the city’s ensuing fascination with the supernatural.”

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To reach the main attraction of Fengdu, we climbed a lot of stairs in stifling heat and reflected on the visions of the afterlife portrayed in the statuary and carvings lining the path.

We returned to our ship for lunch and afternoon cruising.  In the evening Barbara attended an on-board fashion show depicting several different dynasties and areas of China.

On the morning of Wednesday, June 12, we passed through the scenic Qutang Gorge, at five miles, the shortest of the Three Gorges.  Mountains towered from both sides.

This afternoon we enjoyed a ride in a sampan on a tributary, the Shennong Stream, with a 5 man crew, 4 to row and 1 to steer.  The waters of the tributary were much clearer than the Yangtze.  A very enjoyable side trip with beautiful scenery.

We cruised through Wu (Sorcerer’s) Gorge, 25 miles long and with cliffs so sheer that the sun rarely penetrates.  Later in the afternoon we entered the beautiful 42-mile long Xiling Gorge.

We then arrived at the approach to the locks of the Three Gorges Dam, to await our turn through the locks.

We went through the five locks during the night.  We slept through it, although we were told the next morning that it had been quite noisy.  Barbara woke up around midnight and saw a huge cement wall very close to the boat, disappearing heavenward.  That is all we experienced from the locks.

On Thursday morning, the 13^th, we disembarked to tour Sandouping, the site of the Three Gorges Dam.  An observatory has been constructed overlooking the site. The Three Gorges Dam has been planned for almost a century and was completed just a few years ago.  The flooding of the Yangtze as a result of the dam has displaced millions of folks who previously lived and made a living along the river.  Replacement villages have been constructed high above the new waterline along the river.

Three Gorges Dam is 5 times larger than our Hoover Dam.

It is the largest dam of its kind, with walls more than 600 feet high and 6,500 feet long.  The lake created by the dam is the world’s largest reservoir.  It provides about 10% of China’s hydroelectric power.

We returned to the boat for lunch and to continue on to Yichang Airport for our flight to Shanghai.  We arrived in Shanghai at rush hour and the traffic was very heavy.  Upon arrival at our hotel, the Hilton, we found our room on the 30^th Floor had a terrific view of down-town Shanghai.  It was late, so we just grabbed a panini and a beer at the hotel and ate in our room.

We rode from Lhasa to the airport, a trip of about an hour and a half.  Our destination is Chongqing.  The boarding process was a bit hectic.  Security agents went through one of our party’s bags with a fine tooth comb, causing us some delay and concern.  We never knew what the perceived problem was.  Next, Barbara’s boarding pass was issued in the name of our guide, Michael, who then had 2 boarding passes.  When this was discovered, shortly before boarding, Michael managed a quick fix.  Barbara’s window substitute seat at the back of the plane at least allowed her to get some beautiful photos of the Himalayas.

It was raining when we arrived in Chongqing, the first rain we have encountered in China. I have been blissfully ignorant of China’s history and geography, and nowhere on our trip was this information gap more obvious than when we saw Chongqing.  I had thought of it as a little place somewhere in the outback of China.  How dumbfounded I was to learn that it is the largest city in China with over 30 million inhabitants, and growing. My impression was of an asphalt jungle with high rise condos at every turn.

In Michael’s words:

“Chongqing [is] one of China’s – and the world’s – largest cities.  Called the ‘Mountain City,’ Chongqing is surrounded by hills in a most scenic setting and has a history dating back more than 3,000 years.”    

In the 1930s, General Chiang Kai Shek made Chongqing his wartime capital in view of its protective hills, access to the Yangzi River, and its proximity to the American allied soldiers in Kunming.  The city was bombed repeatedly by the Japanese but many caves in the surrounding hills provided ample bomb shelters.

The countryside around Chongqing is lush and heavily cultivated.  The drive into the city from the airport is marked by terraced hillsides, tilled valleys and a series of farming villages.

The Yangtzi River is nearby and contributes to the economy in a major way.  Shipping, tourism and distribution of goods and products to the “hinterlands” of China are among the important contributors to Chongqing’s  economy.

Our principal excursion for the day of arrival was a trip to the local zoo to see the pandas.

At first we were disappointed to learn that we would be seeing them in a zoo, but then learned that that is about the only way they will survive.  The survival rate in the wild is very low, and they have a much shorter life span.  Seeing them was indeed special.  We were told they like wet weather, and we were pleasantly surprised to see 4 of them enjoying the rainy day.  They munched on bamboo most of the time we were there.  A few birds made their appearance in the rain, primarily White-crested Laughing Thrushes.

We checked into the Marriott and rested while several of our group explored the local flower market.

On Monday, June 10 we rode the bus for a couple of hours to Dazu to see the rock carvings.  We stopped at one of the farms along the way and were warmly greeted by the proprietor, who showed us the growing rice and the amazing variety of other vegetables cultivated on the farm.

Dazu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The numerous and impressive carvings and statues reflect Buddhist teachings, the tenets of Confucianism, and local folklore.  I thoroughly enjoyed this site and recommend it for anyone having an opportunity to visit anywhere near the area.  Again, I was humbled by my own ignorance of the existence of this historical jewel.

This evening we boarded our Viking Cruise Ship to begin our trip on the Yangtze River, the third longest river in the world, exceeded only by the Nile and the Amazon.

The Yangtze allows Chongqing to claim the title to the second largest port of embarkation and disembarkation in China, although it is located nearly 1,000 miles from the coast.   The amazing river, with its recently completed Three Gorges Dam Project, is the life-line that has built the City.

The Potala Palace

Michael, our guide, in one of his succinct summaries of the places we visited, described our object of today’s outing as follows:

     “Today’s full day tour begins at the 1,000 room Potala Palace, considered the city’s greatest landmark and a pilgrimage site for Tibetans from all over the world.  The Palace was built for Tibet’s fifth Dalai Lama in the 17^th century and has served as home to all subsequent Dalai Lamas.  Opulently decorated with gold, jewels and carvings, it is a wonderful and fascinating place to explore.”

DK Eyewitness Travel elaborates:

     “Thirteen stories high, with over a thousand rooms, it was once the residence of Tibet’s chief monk and leader, the Dalai Lama, and therefore the center for both the spiritual and temporal power.  These days, after the present Dalai Lama’s escape to India in 1959, it is a vast museum, serving as a reminder of Tibet’s rich and devoutly religious culture, although major political events and religious ceremonies are still held here .  The first palace was built by Songtsen Gampo in 631, and this was merged into the larger building that stands today.  There are two main sections – the White Palace, built in 1645 under orders from the 5^th Dalai Lama, and the Red Palace, completed in 1693.”

What neither of these sources mention is that the climb up the steep hill is a real challenge for some of us.

Over 450 steps up at about 13,000 feet altitude just about did me in.  Then, of course, one must descend.  With the help of my trusty walking stick, and strategic pauses, I made it in good shape.   The only avian distractions were multitudes of Himalayan Swiftlets that nest in the upper reaches of the Palace and a few Hill Pigeons, easily mistaken for Rock Pigeons unless the tail band is noted.

Many pilgrims accompanied us on the climb up and down.  Upon our return to the base we drove a short distance for lunch.  Yak.  It was excellent.

In the afternoon we went to Norbulingka, the splendid summer palace of the Dalai Lamas.

While the rest of the group explored the Palace, I found solace on the grounds, described thusly by DK Eyewitness Travel China:

        “Today a pleasantly scrubby park, the Norbulingka (Jewel Park) was once the summer palace of the Dalai Lamas.  Founded by the 7^th Dalai Lama in 1755 and expanded by his successors, the park contains several palaces, chapels, and buildings, and is a charming place for a leisurely afternoon visit.”

This gave me the best opportunity since the first day in China to go birding, and I took advantage of it.  Because Barbara was exploring the buildings for most of the visit rather than acting as my spotter and photographer, no pictures will grace the narrative.

Among the surprisingly numerous birds in the park were Great Tits (no chuckles, you non-birders, that is the name); surprising and quite beautiful Derbyan Parakeets, including pairs feeding their young; a lovely little Short-billed Minivet, Bar-headed Geese (captives, of course), numerous and vocal Oriental Turtle Doves, Brown-cheeked Laughing Thrushes, Eurasian Blackbirds, and the ever-present Eurasian Tree Sparrows.

The rest of the group finished their tour of the buildings and joined me for a quick report on what birds I had found.  They all wanted to return to the hotel, but I wanted to stay and continue birding, so they left and I stayed at the park until about 5:30, closing time.  Michael had shown me where to get a taxi and I went there, but for reasons unknown to me, none of the drivers would take me to the hotel.  I kept flagging them down and about 20 stopped to pick me up, but when they saw where I wanted to go, they shook their heads and drove away.  Finally sometime around 6:00 a young guy with two Tibetan passengers stopped for me and they all welcomed me. The reason for the rejections may have been that when we got near the hotel, the roads were all blocked off and we had to take a very long and winding back street approach to the hotel.  Barbara was a bit concerned, and I must admit I was too, after the first few taxi rejections.  A mystery unsolved.

Tomorrow we head off for the airport and the flight to Chongqing.   This chance to see Lhasa and Tibet was one of the best experiences of my travels anywhere.     

Barbara and I have long wanted to visit China to see the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, Lhasa and some of the other important historical and current points of interest.  When the Iowa State University Alumni Association sent us an invitation to join one of their sponsored China tours, intended for up to 24 participants, we signed on immediately.  This was not a birding tour, but as with all my travels, I maneuvered things a little so that I could look for at least some of the more common birds at the destination.  The primary maneuver this time was to arrive a couple of days early at the starting point of our tour, Beijing.  So, although the tour was not to commence until May 31, 2013, we left from Detroit on May 27^th and arrived in Beijing on May 28^th.

A few years ago I enjoyed a great experience of immersion birding for three weeks in India with a group sponsored by Wings and their European partner, Sunbird.  The leader of the group was Paul Holt, who did a great job.  Coincidentally, he lives in Beijing and when I contacted him to ask if he could give me a day of his time, he said yes.  Therefore, on the day after our arrival in Beijing, he and a driver met us at our hotel at 5:00 a.m. and we drove north from the city to the area of the Miyun Reservoir, one of the water sources for Beijing.  A full day of birding yielded about 45 species in total, of which about 20 were new for me.  Among the new lifers that Barbara was able to photograph were Vinous-throated Parrotbills, 

Oriental Reed Warblers

 and Yellow-billed (or Chinese) Grosbeaks. 

Other sightings on this one-day outing were Common (Ring-necked) Pheasants, Chinese Spot-billed Ducks, a pair of lingering Mandarin Ducks, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Gray-headed Woodpeckers, both Indian and Eurasian Cuckoos, Spotted Doves and Oriental Turtle Doves, great and surprising looks at a cooperative Eastern (Brown-cheeked) Water Rail, Ruddy Breasted Crakes (heard only), Common Moorhens, Amur Falcons, Little, Great and Cattle Egrets, Grey and Purple Herons, Chinese Pond Herons and Black-crowned Night Herons, Yellow Bitterns (heard only), a Brown Shrike, Eurasian, Red-billed Blue and Azure-winged Magpies,

Large-billed Crows, Black-naped Orioles, Black Drongos, Yellow-rumped Flycatchers, White-cheeked Starlings, Barn and Red-rumped Swallows, Zitting Cisticola, Lanceolated Warbler, Black-browed Reed Warblers (skulking, and heard only), Yellow-browed Warbler (heard only), Eurasian Tree Sparrows (by the thousand), a difficult to find pair of Forest Wagtails, well seen, Grey-capped Greenfinches, and late migrating Chestnut-eared Buntings.

We were returned to our Hotel Sofitel Wanda Beijing in time for a little rest and another successful dining out on our own experience at an inexpensive mall restaurant.

The next day, May 30, we slept in and found some good coffee at a nearby Starbucks.  We then took a taxi to Yuanming Yuan, often called the Old Summer Palace.

We were the only non-Asians there and it was a very pleasant outing along ponds, gardens and ruins.

We had no trouble finding a taxi back to the hotel (taxis in Beijing are plentiful and inexpensive).  We dined at a local KFC, hoping to recognize the menu items.  That evening, with some assistance from our very helpful concierge, we taxied to the Peking Opera for an evening of classic Chinese opera.  We enjoyed the experience very much, but the music takes some getting used to.  Tomorrow we meet our group.  Very surprisingly, there are only 2 other couples.  That the tour was run with so few participants is somewhat surprising.  It turned out very well, however, because of the good company and excellent guide.