Chongqing: City of 33 Million & Start of Yangtze 'Cruise'

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest." - Confucius

Today we flew to Chongqing (pronounced: “chong-ching”), a beautiful, but foggy mountain city. This is where we embark on a three-day trip down the Yangtze (world’s third longest river). I'll be out of communication, but will update when back on terra firma. **Katie & Jim Shanahan...thoughts and prayers are raining down on you from China. Wish I could celebrate with you at your wedding on Friday. Congrats...have a wonderful time!

Yangtze Follow-Up: Our ‘cruise’ was an interested one, as we were suppose to be on the Victoria Anna, but it had left a day early after filling up and we were sequestered to the oldest boat in the Victoria fleet (rumored to be on her final year…after close to 25 years of operation). I spent the first night sleeping in a cabin that smelled of noxious petroleum (from the ship's engine). Then on the first full day on the water, we visited the 'Ghost City' of Fengdu...a little disappointing, but we could chalk some of it up to our lack of sleep and rain that day. By the end of the trip, I had found a new cabin and the beauty of the three gorges made most of the bad ship smells tolerable.

Some of the marathon runners in Fengdu - Photo from Steve Gilboy