My Yichang Chongqing Yangtze Cruise ( The First Day )
In December, 2005, together with Ms Reina Wang, my co-worker, joined a big group from Malaysia on a 5-day Century Sky charter cruise from Yichang to Chongqing. It is a 6-day charter cruise instead of its routine cruise which is scheduled for 4 nights and 5 days upstream from Yichang to Chongqing. Below is our vague cruise itinerary:
Century Sky Charter Cruise from Yichang to Chongqing the year 2005
Dec 26: 21:00 Board at Yichang
Dec 27: 07:00-09:00 Passing the Xiling Gorge (East Part)
09:00-11:00 Shore Excursion -Three Gorges Dam Project
14:00-20:00 Passing Three Gorges Dam 5-stage Shiplocks
18:00 Captain's Welcome Dinner
20:00 Evening entertainment
20:00-22:00 Passing Xiling Gorge (West Part)
Dec 28: 7:00 Breakfast
10:00-14:00 Shennong Stream Shore Excursion
14:00-17: Passing Wu Gorge
17:00: Dock at Wushan County
Dec 29: 9:00-12:00 Shore Excursion - Lesser three gorges
16:00-17:00 Passing Qutang Gorge
Dec 30: 13:00-15:30 Shore Excursion: Fengdu (Ghost City)
18:00 Farewell Dinner
Dec 31: 08:00 Arriving in Chongqing-Disembarkation
December 26, 2005
We take 2.10-hour flight from Beijing to Yichang. Yichang Three Gorges Airport is 26km southeast of the town, 60km southeast of the Taohuacun Shipside (where most of the luxury cruise ships dock.), with daily flights to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai and other cities.
Airport Inquiry: 0086 717 6532114,6551168
Airport Ticket Office: 0086 717-6532650, 6441101
Left-luggage Office: 0086 717-6532615
Lost & Found: 006 717-6532615
Airport Shuttle Service: There are 6 shuttle buses between Three Gorges Airport and Yichang town every day. The buses leave from Qingjiang Hotel in the city center 2 hours ahead of each flight. It takes about 50 minutes at the price of RMB20. Taxis are also available from the airport.
Michael Wu, my good friend in Yichang comes to the airport and gives us a comfortable transfer to the town driving his newly bought grey-coloured Buick car. After 30-minute drive, we come to an elegantly decorated restaurant in the city center for a huge dinner arranged by Michael Wu. Yichang food is quite similar to that of Sichuan and Chongqing featuring hot and pungent flavoring. Yichang is famous for its fish dishes, simply because Yichang is situated on the banks of the Yangtze River, fish dishes are abundant here. The most well-known dishes are Sanyou Chicken, Basha Fat Fish, Three Gorges Pearl Soup and Old Nine Bowls. In Yichang you also find lots of local flavors from other parts of China.
Tonight we stay overnight on board the cruise ship - M.S.Century Sky, the most luxury inner river cruise ship in the world. Most of the plush cruise ships have their own docks at the Taohuacun Shipside. The Taohuacun Shipside is about 20km from the Yichang city center, 60km from Yichang Three Gorges Airport and about 20km downstream of the Three Gorges Dam.
This is my second cruise trip on the Yangtze River. My maiden Yangtze cruise dates back to the year 1989 when I was on board "The M.S. Yangtze", the most luxury ship of that time on a downstream cruise from Chongqing to Yichang. Now this time we are going on an upstream cruise from Yichang to Chonqing.
After dinner, Michael Wu drives us to Taohuacun Shipside, where most of the Yangtze cruise ships have theie own docks and M.S. Century Sky too. When we are in the dock, it is still a long walk to the boat. First descend about 100 step steps to the bank of the river, then cross rickety platforms suspended over the water to our boat- Ms Century. First night we have nothing to do except to familiarize ourselves with the plush ship.
M.S.Century Sky is a 306-passenger vessel targeted to the western market. M.S.Century Sky offers the intimacy of a river boat with amenities of a cruise ship including western galley, elevators, spa, and fitness room, just like a luxury 5 star hotel on the river.
Most of the cruise ship sail in the daytime and dock for the night at a shipside.
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