2007 - Asia - Day 6 - Shennong River

This morning after breakfast, we got on a smaller ferry to take us up some tributaries and have the trackers pull our boats. It was raining today, so we all got in our slickers with our umbrellas. The ferry ride to the dock for the smaller boats was about an hour. We saw a hanging coffin along the way about 2000 years old. Once we got to the docks for the little boats, they were not going to let us go further up river because all the rain had made the river too dangerous for the trackers. Jim (our tour director), said he did some negotiating and they decided to let us go upriver in the smaller boats, and then see how the river was to judge whether or not to use the trackers. It was downpour at this time so some of our group decided just to stay on the ferry. But most of us loaded up on these little row boats, about 10 per boat. They began to row us upriver through these narrow canyon walls. There was lightning and thunder and down pouring rain! But because of the rain, we saw many waterfalls. It was an incredible experience! I loved it. It was so beautiful. Unfortunately, we were not able to use the trackers to pull us further upstream. We only went upstream for about 20 mins, and then had to turn around and come back. Back on the ferry we had lunch. Some of us brave enough to endure the rain (Michael Rust and I) stayed on deck and got some great pictures. That afternoon back on the ship, Michael Wilcox gave us another lecture on Buddhism. It was very interesting, as all his lectures are! We also sailed through a couple more gorges and Michael Rust and I again endured the rain on deck to get more pictures. China is so beautiful! We saw many waterfalls from the rain. We had a delicious dinner---all the food has been great on the ship. Michael Wilcox then gave us another lecture on Confucianism, and then bed.