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Day 14 of the China Trip with the Travelers

Article imageThis is the thirteenth in a series of articles and images from NDH correspondent, David Sand, on the road in China with John-Roger, John Morton and 106 traveling peacemakers.

August 27

Another idyllic day aboard the good ship MSIA. We start with some views of the Yangtze shores, and in all the populated areas you can see the lower older housing and the higher, newer post-dam apartments. But there’s still plenty of wilderness area in the steep gorges.

In the morning we go to Fengjie, the White Emperor City, taking smaller boats from our ship and walking to cable cars again. There are some nice view of Yangtze gorges and you can see markers on the hillsides which show the levels the Yangtze will reach after it’s dammed(the lower one marks the level in 2003, the higher one marks the final 2009 water level).

We visit a temple complex in the White Emporer City, and stroll around the grounds.

Back on the boat we pass through another gorgeous gorge, Qutan, and the kids fly some of the boat’s beautiful Chinese kites.

Later in the afternoon we board small motorboats for a 4-hour ride through the “Lesser Gorges”–narrow passageways along Yangtze tributaries with beautiful mountain scenery.

We disembark for a walk along the a small rocky beach to stretch for awhile, and then it’s back on our little boats for the return trip to the main ship. It’s peaceful day out in nature. I’ve found one thing about China that I never expected, and others on the trip have mentioned this too: The land here doesn’t feel old, as I expected it to.

Places like India and Egypt feel ancient, as though people have been living there for thousands and thousands of years, and there is a vibration of great antiquity in the air, in the land, pervading everything. I expected China to feel like that. But I’ve found that even Europe feels older. The land of China feels a little like the U.S. to me in certain ways (not in every way; there are still major differences). But it’s as though there is a newness here which is surprising in light of how tradition-bound the society is. Maybe it’s just that so many people have been living a subsistence agricultural existence here for so long that the thought forms that would be generated by an ancient culture haven’t accumulated. Whatever it is, I’m walking around thinking, as one person on the trip put it, “THIS is China?”

In the evening, by popular request, is a Q&A with John Morton and John-Roger. It starts out with music from a kids’ band featuring Sara Powell and Claire Morton on vocals and Drew Garthwaite on drums. Then some comedy with Paul Kaye as a Chinese guide interviewed by Graham Holley.

Then John & J-R do their inimitable Q&A show. It’s the last day full day of the cruise; tomorrow we disembark in the afternoon.

Click here to view Children of China Special Feature

Click here to view Day 14 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 13 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 12 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 11 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 10 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 9 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 8 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 7 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 6 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 5 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 4 of the China Trip

Click here to view Day 3 of the China Trip

Click here to view Days 1 & 2 of the China Trip

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