We are now on the Katarina Victoria, a 210 passenger riverboat having embarked inYichang just below the great Three Gorges Dam. Our staterooms are compact but have a balcony. The wall between the cabins however are paper thin with bunks on each outer wall. This AM Joan, one of our women remarked that she was sleeping closer to Jim next door than she was to John her S.O. who was across the cabin. We were howling as she recounted how she could hear Jim snoring and she was dying to whisper through the wall to turn over. Jim, travelling solo for his part said he went into his closet and swore there was someone in there until he realized it was John and Joan next door. Honestly nearly every day we laugh until there are tears in our eyes. Such a fun group.
This mornig we visited the dam built over the last 17 years and just about complete. Massive in size with 5 locks to raise and lower river traffic 350 feet. The govt does not charge for this. The 26 generators supply 3%f China's power. The upshot of the damm, of course, is that it raises the river upstream displacing ancient villages and towns- in all about 1.3 million people have been moved to higher ground. For many this is wonderful. They have indoor plumbing for the first time. For the seniors, however it is the end of a way of life to which they cannot reconcile. The mountains along the banks are undulating and mysterious looking in the fog we have today.
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