Day 2 - 06:34 - still asleep The ferry docked and we overnighted (is that even a word?) at a pace called Baidicheng, which wasn't too far from the entry of the famous Three Gorges. I was surprised to hear this because that meant we had covered the majority of the distance between Chongqing and Yichang in a days sailing. So why then, I wondered, would we need another day to get the remaining 200-250km to Yichang? The reason was because we were going to be spending the best part of half a day passing through The Three Gorges and exploring the so-called 'Three Little Gorges' in Wushan, smaller gorges that branch off the Yangtze just beyond the main Three Gorges. So on first light of day 2 we set off again and soon entered the Three Gorges proper, before exiting them at Wushan later that morning. This is a picture in the early morning light passing through one of the 3 gorges, Qutang Gorge. I don't know what I was expecting from The Three Gorges. As I mentioned in this entry the gorges were described to me as '200km of sharp bends, constricted between towering limestone cliffs.' So I guess I was expecting them to be more.... ..... more constricted I guess. Yes, they were narrower than the rest of the Yangtze but not overly so and certainly not in an 'Oh My God, look at this' sort of a way. Looking at the picture, a typical example of The Three Gorges scenery, you should see what I mean. Qutang Gorge of the Yangtze River, Chongqing Province, China. September 27th 2004
%20at%20a%20pace%20called%20Baidicheng%2C%20which%20wasn't%20too%20far%20from%20the%20entry%20of%20the%20famous%20Three%20Gorges.%20I%20was%20surprised%20to%20hear%20this%20because%20that%20meant%20we%20had%20covered%20the%20majority%20of%20the%20distance%20between%20Chongqing%20and%20Yichang%20in%20a%20days%20sailing.%20So%20why%20then%2C%20I%20wondered%2C%20would%20we%20need%20another%20day%20to%20get%20the%20remaining%20200-250km%20to%20Yichang%3F%20The%20reason%20was%20because%20we%20were%20going%20to%20be%20spending%20the%20best%20part%20of%20half%20a%20day%20passing%20through%20The%20Three%20Gorges%20and%20exploring%20the%20so-called%20'Three%20Little%20Gorges'%20in%20Wushan%2C%20smaller%20gorges%20that%20branch%20off%20the%20Yangtze%20just%20beyond%20the%20main%20Three%20Gorges.%20So%20on%20first%20light%20of%20day%202%20we%20set%20off%20again%20and%20soon%20entered%20the%20Three%20Gorges%20proper%2C%20before%20exiting%20them%20at%20Wushan%20later%20that%20morning.%20This%20is%20a%20picture%20in%20the%20early%20morning%20light%20passing%20through%20one%20of%20the%203%20gorges%2C%20Qutang%20Gorge.%20I%20don't%20know%20what%20I%20was%20expecting%20from%20The%20Three%20Gorges.%20As%20I%20mentioned%20in%20this%20entry%20the%20gorges%20were%20described%20to%20me%20as%20'200km%20of%20sharp%20bends%2C%20constricted%20between%20towering%20limestone%20cliffs.'%20So%20I%20guess%20I%20was%20expecting%20them%20to%20be%20more....%20.....%20more%20constricted%20I%20guess.%20Yes%2C%20they%20were%20narrower%20than%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20Yangtze%20but%20not%20overly%20so%20and%20certainly%20not%20in%20an%20'Oh%20My%20God%2C%20look%20at%20this'%20sort%20of%20a%20way.%20Looking%20at%20the%20picture%2C%20a%20typical%20example%20of%20The%20Three%20Gorges%20scenery%2C%20you%20should%20see%20what%20I%20mean.%20Qutang%20Gorge%20of%20the%20Yangtze%20River%2C%20Chongqing%20Province%2C%20China.%20September%2027th%202004){kind=link}