Barbara and I were in Brasilia from August 20-26.  The primary purpose of our trip to Brasilia was to spend time with our Brazilian friends whom we first met almost 30 years ago when they hosted Barbara and one of our daughters as part of a Friendship Force exchange.  In the interim we have hosted one of their sons, one of their daughters, and a grandson here in West Des Moines.  The return visit was all that we could wish for.

We were picked up at the airport by their grandson, Pedro, and then treated to a fine breakfast at their home on the morning of our arrival.  Pedro drove us to check in at our hotel for an afternoon of rest after the long day and night of travel from Des Moines, through Atlanta to Brasilia.

The next day, and several additional days, Pedro (or, on his day off, his Uncle Bruno) drove us about Brasilia to show us some of the attractions of the city.  First stop was the Presidential Palace with its expansive grounds.  During the week we enjoyed visiting many of the highlights of Brasilia, including the Cathedral (breathtaking beauty, inside and out),

the Square of the 3 Powers,

and my favorite, Itamaraty Palace, where Angela Merkel and her German entourage had been feted the day before.

Over the next few days we visited Congresso Nationale, the beautiful J.K. Bridge over Lake Paranoa, the Sanctuario dom Bosco and several other striking examples of Brasilia architecture, much of it designed by Oscar Niemeyer.  The view from the tv tower gave a good overview.  They treated us to a boat tour of the city from the lake which gave us a whole new perspective.

The family held several gatherings for us at their homes in order that we could more fully enjoy their company and their cuisine, including a true southern Brazil barbecue.  We walked in the parks and enjoyed learning of the design and development of Brasilia as a unique, planned capital.  It is an amazing place.

I had arranged in advance to hire a local bird guide, Jonatas Rocha, who spent one day birding with us in the Parque Nacional De Brasilia, just a short drive north of the city, and with just me for a second day in the close-by National Forest.  Pedro provided transportation and acted as interpreter for our first day, and the second day I went with Jonatas in his one-passenger pickup, and we were able to enjoy a productive day of birding although he spoke no English and I no Portuguese.  Jonatas is a very good guide and I would recommend him to anyone considering a day or so of birding in the Brasilia area.  He was referred by Birding Pal.

Jonatas had emailed me lists of the birds found in the Parque and in the Forest before we left the States so that I could prepare better for our outings.  I made a list of those that were not likely to also be found later on our Fieldguides Tour in the Cuiaba area.  In the two days of Brasilia birding, I managed to add 37 birds to my life list.  The highlights among my new life birds were the rare, elusive and very local Brasilia Tapaculo, Swallow-tailed Hummingbird, Squirrel Cuckoo,

Collared Crescentchest, Southern Antpipit, Curl-crested Jay, the local warblers (White-striped, White-bellied, Flavescent), Rufous-winged and Variable Antshrikes, Black-capped Antwren, Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper, Russet-mantled Foliage Gleaner, Pale-breasted Spinetail, a Greenish Schiffornis, several species of Eleanias and other Flycatchers, Pale-breasted and Eastern Slaty Thrushes, Black-goggled and Guira Tanagers,

Yellow-bellied Seedeaters, Wedge-tailed Grass Finch, Black-throated Saltator, Grassland Sparrow and Purple-throated Euphonias.

On the morning of August 26^th we flew from Brasilia to Cuiaba to join the Fieldguides Tour of the southernmost part of Amazonia and the Pantanal in search of birds and Jaguars.

Herman picked us up at 7:00 a.m on December 11^th and we enjoyed the ride through historic Cartaga, traffic-bound San Jose, and the coast mountains, arriving about noon at Villa Lapas, our final destination.  Although we arrived at noon, as scheduled, the Hotel enforced a misguided policy of not allowing us to check into our rooms until 3:00 p.m. (They were not anywhere near full).  We managed to clean up and change clothes in the public rest rooms on premises and walk the hanging bridge trails from 2:00 until about 5:00.

The next morning we started early again, driving the short distance to Carara National Park.  Almost immediately we could hear the raucous calls of Scarlet Macaws.  Within minutes we were observing multiple pairs of Scarlet Macaws as they squabbled raucously over nesting hole claims, and otherwise made their presence well known.

A troop of Spider Monkeys ambled along among the topmost branches of the jungle, pausing from time to time to taste the flowers.

We also spotted a Capuchin Monkey high in the leaves, but he stayed hidden from our camera lens.  This brought to three the species of monkeys that we saw, and, in the case of the Howler Monkeys, heard.

After the walk at Carara we returned to the hotel grounds, which are quite extensive, for some unguided birding and some rest.  The air conditioning in the rooms was most welcome, as the humidity and heat hit us hard after experiencing the coolness of the interior mountains for the prior 4 days. After siesta, we took a riding tour of the local villages, the sea shore and the farms, all the while looking for birds. Not much new was seen, but there were a few interesting shorebirds and other water-oriented species along the shore, and other interesting species in the country-side.

Among the more interesting birds seen during our stay at Villa Lapas were several Bare-throated Tiger Herons, Magnificent Frigatebirds, two Caracara species, Laughing Falcon, Crested Guan, Orange-chinned Parakeets, a Blue-throated Goldentail, and Blue-crowned Motmots.

Also found here were Barred and Black-hooded Antshrikes, Blue-crowned and Long-tailed Manakins, Rufous-naped Wrens, Yellow-crowned Euphonias, a Long-billed Gnatwren, and others, for a total of about 75 species, none of them, however, new to me.

Costa Rica is a beautiful, friendly, country.  I can’t think of a better place for a beginning birder to initiate his or her out-of-country birding experiences.  This second visit to the country was as comfortable and enjoyable as my first, over 10 years ago.

We arrived at Savegre Mountain Lodge in mid-afternoon on December 9^th.  This is an attractive facility with excellent and extensive gardens surrounding.  Hummingbird feeders and a couple of other feeding stations attract a good variety of birds so that a mid-afternoon arrival is blessed with some interesting birding despite the lateness of the day.

After a bit of birding we freshened up in our “Junior Suite”, where I was able to start a fire in the fireplace to dispel the chill.  When we went to dinner we were met by our assigned guide for the next morning, Melvin Fernandez, who suggested we make a very early start in the morning in order maximize our chances of seeing our target bird, Resplendent Quetzals.  We readily agreed to meet him at 5:45 a.m.  He reviewed my list of never seen birds that can be found in the area (about 35), and indicated he would make an effort to find as many of those as possible, after the Quetzal outing.

Next morning, after a short drive from the Lodge, we climbed a steep but short trail to settle in on a ledge overlooking an extensive valley and a nearby fruiting tree which attracts the Quetzals to their breakfasts.  It did not take long for a female Quetzal to show up at the tree, where it remained for the entire time we were there.

A half an hour or so later, a male Quetzal also flew into the tree and Adam was able to get a number of pictures of this beautiful bird.  Several others were seen flying at a distance.

The male Quetzal is arguably the most beautiful bird in the western hemisphere.  When I was a child in country grade school, there was a stack of old National Geographic magazines in the “library”.  In one of them I found a picture of a Quetzal, which I cut out of the magazine and took home to paste in my scrap book.  It was the prettiest bird I had ever seen and I thought that if I could ever see one in the wild, I would have achieved Nirvana.  I did see a couple of them when I was at the Monte Verde Cloud Forest in Costa Rica over 10 years ago, but the weather was wet and foggy and the sighting was not very satisfying.  This time was different, with beautiful morning sunshine, crisp and dry air and close-up views of both sexes of this iconic bird.  We were very happy to achieve success with this, our number 1 target of the trip.

Melvin then led us on a long but manageable hike in the forest and along a small river.  At the end of the day, I had seen 19 new species, by far the most of any of our stops.  Melvin had memorized my list after a few minutes of looking at it the night before, and he succeeded in finding far more of them than I had ever anticipated.  He is a great guide.

Among the new birds were the lovely little Flame-throated Warblers, Black-cheeked Warblers, a Wrenthrush (Zeledonia), Sooty-capped Bush Tanagers, Yellow-thighed Finches and many more.  New Hummingbirds were Volcano and Scintillant Hummingbirds and Gray-tailed Mountain-gems.

Early the next morning we were met at the lobby by German (Herman) Vargas, our driver/guide who had delivered us to Savegre and who would accompany us for the remainder of the trip.  The last stop on our tour would be Villa Lapas Hotel near the Carara  National Park, along the mid-Pacific coast of Costa Rica.  There we hope to find Scarlet Macaws, our number 2 target bird of the trip.

Days 3 and 4 in Costa Rica were occupied by travelling to Rancho Naturalista in the Tuis-Turrialba region of the Talamanca Mountains.  The staff, headed by birder extra-ordinaire, Harry, welcomed us and we were quickly seeing many Hummingbirds attracted to the lodge by feeders and observable at very close range.

Hummingbirds seen included three new life birds for me, Green-breasted Mangoes, Snowcaps and Red-footed (the new name is Bronzy-tailed) Plumeleteers.  Others present, many in substantial numbers, included Green Hermits, Little Hermits, Violet Sabrewings, White-necked Jacobins, Green Thorntails, and Violet-crowned Woodnymphs.

Other hummingbirds found at Rancho Naturalist were Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds, Green-crowned Brilliants, and Purple-crowned Fairies (12 species in all).  Aren’t the names amusing?  And often very descriptive.  The hummingbirds were definitely the highlight at Rancho Naturalista.

My first sighting of a Snowcap (a hummingbird) occurred as dusk was descending soon after our arrival, and three of us followed Harry into the even darker woods where we looked down into a deep ravine with a number of small pools.  As we watched from above, both a male and a female Snowcap came to bathe in the pools, dipping in and out like dragonflies.  Another excellent sighting at the pools was a very cooperative Tawny-throated Leaftosser, which kept us entertained with its bathing forays into the shallow pools.  Darkness finally forced us to return to the lodge for a delicious dinner, (especially the dessert) served family style to the 8 or 9 guests.

The feeders outside the lodge attacted many lovely birds including both species of Tourcans and this Collared Aracari. 

Early in the morning of our departure day, we walked to a large canvas that was stretched between some trees and lit with bright lights during the pre-dawn hours, attracting hordes of moths and other insects, which, in turn brought in a good number of forest birds looking for an easy meal.  These included a couple of new birds for me:  Plain-brown Woodcreepers, and Tawny-chested Flycatchers.

Rancho Naturalista produced a total of 73 bird species, of which 10 were new to me.  On the way to our next Lodge on the morning of Day 5 of our trip, we stopped at Mirador Quetzales.  This was a stop both for lunch and to hike the mountains in the area for a couple of hours, primarily for the purpose of seeing a Resplendent Quetzal, just in case we were to miss them at our next lodge, La Selva, where sightings are generally more predictable. The hike was taxing and did not produce a Quetzal although we did see a good number of other birds.

We arrived in mid-afternoon at Savegre and we were pleased and surprised at the beauty of the gardens and general setting.  Part 3 of my Costa Rica report will describe our excellent experience at this lovely facility.

Days 1 and 2:  Selva Verde Lodge, La Selva Biological Station, and the Sarapiqui River.

My son-in-law, Adam, and I went to Costa Rica on December 5^th to spend 8 days birding in 4 locations.  Our first stop was the Selva Verde Lodge near La Selva and the Sarapiqui River.  We were doubtful of taking our scheduled boat tour on the river because heavy rains the week before our arrival, (and while we were there) had caused the river to rise, and as we saw the brown, swirling waters speed past our lodge, we were somewhat fearful of it.  Our guide, Ivan, assured us that the boat we would be on was river-worthy and that it was covered so that we would not be drenched from above during the tour.  We trusted his judgment and we were very glad we did.  The river cruise was the highlight of our visit to La Selva.

In addition to the many birds seen during our morning cruise on the River, we were treated to great views of both Three-toed and Two-toed Sloths, hanging out high above the River.

Green and Orange Iguanas appeared clinging to the trees along the river.  The birds included a lovely Rufescent Tiger-heron, several Green Ibis, a Long-tailed Tyrant (my first), Mangrove Swallows, Buff-rumped Warblers, a Black-cowled Oriole, and many others.  Notably absent: crocodiles, perhaps out of view due to the high water.

Back at the Lodge, large numbers of birds and animals were attracted to the banana feeder just outside the dining area, where we could sit with our coffee or tea and observe their coming and going at close range.  Among the more spectacular of these were the Black (Chestnut) Mandibled Toucans.

Passerini’s, Blue-Gray and Palm Tanagers, Olive-backed Euphonias, Yellow-crowned Euphonias, and numerous other birds competed for the bananas at the feeder, but were usually out-performed by the Coati and the numerous Variegated Squirrels who knew where to come for an easy meal.

A visit to the La Selva Biological Station (in the rain) produced the new bird of the trip for me, a Snowy Cotinga, unfortunately at a distance and in mist. Peccaries showed up as we completed our rain-drenched tour.

Heliconias Island was on our agenda, and we arrived early afternoon, to intermittent rain and a generally disappointing experience, probably the least interesting destination of the entire trip.  Following our truncated and soggy walk around the deteriorating premises, our driver/guide took a side-trip “off the beaten track” in the agricultural country-side on a successful foray to find a rare and endangered Great Green Macaw.

On the pathway between our rooms and the dining area we encountered several Green Poison-arrow Frogs.

In summary, this was a very good destination with good facilities, good guides and good food.  We listed a total of 90 birds during our 2-day visit (probably a low count due to the constant rain), of which 4 were life birds for me: (the Snowy Cotinga, Great Green Macaw, Long-tailed Tyrant and a Long-tailed Hermit).  The mammals and frogs provided added interest. The lesson we learned is that rainy weather should not dampen the spirits of a couple of intrepid birders.

Before arriving in Asturias on August 27, 2013, I sent John Muddeman a list of about 15 birds that (a) were included on the list of Birds of Somiedo furnished to us for the trip, and (b) that I had never seen before, and would therefore be life birds.   My list was so short because I had seen many of the Spanish (and European) birds during my two prior trips with John.  One of my targets, the Capercaillie, is probably extinct in the Somiedo area, so it was included only because it was listed for the area.  Others are summer residents, and may have migrated south before my arrival.  These included Scops Owl, Nightjar, Water Pipit and Spotted Flycatcher.  Fortunately, we found a good number of Water Pipits and at least one Spotted Flycatcher.  John saw a couple of Nightjars from his van early one morning, but I was in the other van and missed them.

Several others that I listed are rare and difficult to find in Somiedo.  These included Middle Spotted Woodpeckers, Treecreepers and Ring Ouzels, and we in fact did not find any of these.  Several others are generally only found at higher elevations than we achieved, and so we missed those too:  Snowfinches, Alpine Accentors and Alpine Choughs.  Redwings are winter residents and had not yet arrived.  Of the remaining three species on my list Woodcocks are quite scarce and difficult to find under any circumstances, (and we did not); Tawny Owls were briefly spotted and heard very well just outside my hotel window; and Marsh Tits showed up a few feet from me as I rested beside the trail on our last day in the mountains.  That was a nice treat.

Unfortunately, none of these four new bird species offered good photographic opportunities, (Barbara was not with me when the Marsh Tits appeared), so we have no pictures.  Several other species, however did give Barbara a good target and here they are:

Red-backed Shrike;

Robin (the famous “Robin Red-breast” of English nursery rhyme fame);

Griffin Vultures soaring overhead.

On the other hand, I was introduced to the world of butterfly identification, and they were much more cooperative for photographic purposes.  

There were many dragonflies and lizards.  We saw goats being herded along a bog that we visited.

One of the special attractions of the trip was a visit to the remote, and now abandoned, Brana de Munial, which Barbara hiked to while I lingered back on the trail.  These are among the remaining traditional barns and dwellings in the Somiedo area with a circular or oval floor plan and thatched broom roofs.

Our picturesque village of Somiedo

One of many scenic views

A Hummingbird Moth

Great Astrakhan horses, with bobbing heads (shaking off flies) and ringing bells

We were very fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather each day of our trip.  Once again we found Spain to have such a variety of landscapes.  Each time we visit a part of the country we come home with the hope that we will return to yet another part of this fascinating country.

In February, 2013 we received an invitation from John Muddeman of Madrid to join him and his co-leader in a search for the “Littlest Grizzlies” in the mountains of Somiedo, Asturias, Spain.  Having had two prior birding excursions in Spain with John we were sure this also would be fun, so we signed up right away.

The tour began on 27 August and ended on 3 September.  The group met at the Oviedo Airport on the afternoon of 27 August, and we boarded our 2 vans for the hour or so drive to our destination in the village of Somiedo.  We were the only Americans in the group, which consisted of three other couples and six women, all but one of whom, an Irish nurse, were from the UK.  It took us a while to become accustomed to the “accents”, which were not all the same, but with a bit of effort, we got the hang of it and enjoyed our time with everyone.

Asturias is on the north coast of Spain, facing the Bay of Biscay.

Galicia borders to the west and Cantabria to the east.  The large province of Castilla y Leon lies to the south.  The village of Somiedo is within the large Parque Natural de Somiedo, which straddles the mountains bordering Leon, to the south.    The mountains gain altitude from north to south, to a height of about 2,200 meters.  Small villages dot the valleys, with many cinnamon colored Asturian cattle ranging freely, cowbells tinkling incessantly, creating a lovely ambiance for our mountain hikes.  Small farms constitute the bulk of the valleys.

The Park is a sanctuary for Spain’s remaining brown bears and wolves.  This tour was tightly coordinated with the Fundacion Oso Prado, the Brown Bear Foundation.  The Foundation is a wildlife NGO created in 1992 for the purpose of conserving the brown bear as a wild inhabitant of northern Spain.  We were greatly impressed by the knowledge, skills, friendliness and dedication of the young men and women who work for this NGO.  They were most helpful to us during our week in Somiedo.  As a result of their work, the brown bears of Somiedo are gradually increasing, and prospects for their survival appear good.

Brown bears were the primary focus of our trip.  We saw them on many occasions, but to do so required that we be on the road by 6:00 a.m. every morning and back out in the evenings until 9:00 p.m. or so, because the bears come out of the forests to feed on the mountain sides during these dawn and twilight hours.  Unfortunately for the photographers among us, the bears were seen only at a considerable distance.  So, here is a Brown Bear (Ursus Arctos-pyrenaicus); it was the best we could do.

Interestingly, there was always a crowd of people lined up to try to spot the bears as they came out for their breakfast or dinner.

The tour was not limited to bear viewing.  Indeed, we spent more time identifying butterflies, birds and plants than we spent looking for bears.  Some members of our group were experts on butterflies, some on botany, and a few of us kept our eyes out for birds.  More on that will be presented in the next blog.

Shanghai, with a population of 19 million, is located on China’s eastern coast, about midway between Beijing and Hong Kong on the banks of the Huangpu River, close to where the great Yangtze River empties out to the Yellow Sea.

DK Eyewitness Travel China summarizes its history as follows:

       “It is an autonomous municipality, and an explosion of economic and industrial development has made it one of the fastest growing cities in the world.”

It was not always so.  Again referring to Eyewitness Travel:

        “By Chinese standards, the development of Shanghai . . . is a recent development.  In the 13^th century it became a minor county seat and so it remained until the mid-19^th century when British commercial ambitions led to wars with China.  [the First Opium War, 1840-42 and Second Opium War, 1856].  The ensuing Treaty of Nanking allowed the British to trade freely from certain ports, including Shanghai.  The city soon became an outpost of glamor, high living, and ultimately decadence.  It was divided into ‘concessions’, where foreign nationals lived in miniature versions of first Britain, then France, the U.S. and Japan.  The Bund or quay along the Huangpu is still lined with concession-era buildings, evidence of a time when Shanghai was the third largest financial center in the world.”

I wanted to lay this “second-hand” background in some detail, in part because, for me, the most fascinating experience of my whole trip to China was the time spent in the French Concession, with its beautiful little streets and high-end shops in the old buildings, and in particular, our visit to the old house which is the site of the First National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party.

Again, resorting to DK Eyewitness:

“This house in the French Concession was the venue for a historic meeting, where representatives of China’s communist cells met to form a national party on July 23, 1921.  Officially, there were 12 participants, including Mao Zedong, but it is believed that many others also attended.  The police discovered the meeting and the delegates were forced to escape to a boat on Lake Nan, in Zhejiang.  The house has a reconstruction of the meeting with the original chairs and teacups used by the delegates.  The exhibition hall tells the history of the Chinese Communist Party.”

No photography is allowed inside the house.  The most memorable items on display were the simple black and white photographs of the young Chinese participants in the meeting, all men, I think, and the brief summaries of their backgrounds.  It seems it was no coincidence that the location of their historic meeting was in the French Concession; many of them (notably excluding Mao) received their university educations in Paris, where they probably acquired their enthusiasm for the theories of Marx and Lenin.  I could easily have spent more time at this sparse display, but the group had many more places to go and things to see in Shanghai.  To my mind, this is a very high priority place for any visitor to Shanghai to acquire a deeper understanding of China today.

We then went to the Yu Yuan Gardens, in the heart of Shanghai’s diminishing Old City.

Created as a private garden Yu Yuan was opened to the public in 1961 and today is one of Shanghai’s most popular attractions.  Indeed, it is a restful and lovely place, well worth a visit.

In the afternoon the group went to the Shanghai Museum of Ancient Chinese Art.

Barbara and the rest of the group spent a couple of hours in the Museum, and all of them proclaimed it as excellent.  I was not doing so well with my walking/standing at the time, so I opted to lounge around the surrounding gardens with my binoculars, looking for any city birds that may have found them attractive.  The most spectacular birds, however, were the pure white pigeons that enjoyed the largesse of the human passersby.

This evening we attended a production of a traditional Chinese Acrobatic group.  It was very entertaining.

On Saturday, June 15, the weather was still somewhat wet and foggy, but we nevertheless strolled out along the famous Bund.  The Bund, a wide avenue, was the center of the European Concession era and influence.  It is flanked on one side by the broad Huangpu River and on the other by historic European style edifices.   Today, massive construction projects form a growing backdrop for this attraction.  The architecture is stunning, as often is the case in many of the Chinese cities that we visited.

After a visit to a very nice silk shop where we were treated to an excellent presentation of the history of silk and the silk worms that produce it, we succumbed and made a purchase of a silk bed cover and a few small silk items.  Lunch was on our own.  Burger King won out.  The afternoon was on our own so we rested and then enjoyed our final dinner in China, at, of all places, a French restaurant.

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.