Up early again ! Quick breakfast and onto the bus to the train station leaving behind another good, although massive, hostel. We took the high speed train – 200km/h – for around £12 each. The waiting area felt more classy (BTW, every train station in China so far has looked like Heathrow – just more chaotic and dirty). Although the train is modern you are reminded that you are still in China the moment people get onboard. Very loud and messy – was expecting to see a box of chickens being slung onto the roof.

Two hours and some spectacular moutain scenary later and we were met in Chonqing by John from ‘John’s Cozy Nest’ (www.lunyplanet.com). John took us to a fancy looking apartment/office tower in the city centre via the most insane elevated roads, bridges and intersections. No bicycles around (due to the hills) and the traffic is brilliantly routed around buildings and waterways. The place is also a forest of construction cranes – things are changing rapidly here.

From his neat and modern apartment on the 23rd floor in an earthquake prone country he persuaded us to rather take a two night trip on the Yangze and leave immediately – apparently the hydrofoil is like sitting in a plane for 12 hours and there is nothing to see in Chongqing. The price seemed reasonable so we agreed and he also made all the arrangements for us to get to Shanghai.

With a rough map we headed out into the back streets in search of an ATM. What a place! Alleys, walkways, endless staircases all form part of the maze. Everything is built on mountainsides – dingy and dirty – a world away from John’s apartment. We needed lunch and with no KFC or alike we picked an arbitrary street resturant. Confronted with a Chinese menu and no pictures V just ended up pointing at an option and asking for rice with it. Possibly we chose fried grasshoppers and they just felt sorry for us because we got an excellent pork and onion dish with our rice. PHEW !

John escorted us along with an Auzzie lady to the buses and the first leg of our journey to Wanshou. A four hour bus ride over more insane bridges and past unrelenting construction in beautiful mountainous countryside and we arrived at our boat (more of a rusting, smelly, barely river-worthy dormitory). Our 4 bunk cabin is only marginally larger and of lesser standard than the worst Russian trains but does have aircon and a TV. What is it with having TV when the plumbing is beyond shocking! Also our own shower albiet above a sqaut loo (yip, grim.. Imagine showering in cold water standing on top of the toilet you share with 3 others). It didn’t take long for the rank sewage smells from the loo to start wafting into the rest of the cabin – I could use nose plugs to complement my ear plugs.

Our cabin mates are a young Australian lady who thankfully speaks a fair bit of Chinese (there are a total of 5 ‘westeners’ aboard) and an older Chinese guy whose family is in the next room. Should be an intersting few days !

[Pictures: 200km/h in China, The view from the 23rd floor looking down at a rooftop garden 10 floors below, the menu V chose from (what a win, my brilliant V)]

– Posted from my iPhone via Wifi