Beez Neez now Chy Whella - To Chongqinbei & Ship

To Chongqinbei & Ship

Beez Neez now Chy Whella

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Fri 18 May 2018 22:47

Train to Chongqinbei, Taxi to Century Sun Cruise Ship

After our enjoyable couple of hours bimbling all the sights, sounds and aromas – both good and bad around the Ancient Town of Huanglongxi, it was time to head to the train station for our journey to Chongqinbei and a taxi to our cruise ship for a few nights cruising the Yangtze River and hopefully a bit of a chill out time. We passed the Long Distance Bus Station, found our way through security and the hordes to settle for the hour long wait by B15.

The scenery for the hour and a half journey followed the same pattern as the journey to Chengdu – town, countryside, farmland and colossal apartment blocks. Same noisy passengers, loud phones and screechy voices, on went the earphones – loudly.

Speed, a little quicker than our previous journey at 294 kms an hour.

Our smartly presented stewardess spoke not a word of English, nearing the huge city of Chongqinbei.

Wending our way through the massive railway station, finding a taxi and heading through a city of 33 million souls.

So many tall buildings. As we passed the Playhouse, War Horse was advertised.

Spot the cleaner dangling.

What a job.........

The bridge we needed to cross is a thousand metres in length and took twenty minutes, down below we could see the cruise ships in a long line.

The city is surrounded by mountains and the town itself is very hilly near to the river. Parking multi-storey lift-style.

A very old wooden building.

Finally below the bridge, we leave our taxi, hire a porter (men who travel in from farms nearby to earn extra). Our ship – Century Sun.

Our porter rigs our cases. Carrying thirty-six kilos. Off he goes.

Down the steps, well worth the two pounds we gave our porter, when you see the path.

Nearly there. Soon through the xray machine, Passport control, photograph taken and settled in the dining room. The cruise manager Stephen gave us the news of an upgrade “because you have big ‘ruggages’ (cases) and big people”.......Mmmm

Bear in the tiny lift for all of three seconds from floor two to three. Beds settles in our digs for the next three nights. Our shower room.

Bear sits in the lounge area. I stand by the sliding balcony doors and look toward the main door. Shower room ‘behind’ the dressing table.

Looking right. Television spins lounge-ways and bedroom-ways (we found HBO and CNN). At the moment another ship is beside us.

A little explore. Our room is at the top of the stairs on the third floor (we came in on the second), a clothes shop to our right (opposite is a bottle painting shop) and a corner before the stairs, beyond are bedrooms.

On the fifth floor is a bar and sitting area (not used) and a quiet room.

On the sixth is a sitting room at the front end and on the outside....

Looking down from the top and Bear at the front end.

.................. a sun deck at the back end. No supper tonight so we cobbed a squat on our little balcony and ate hard boiled eggs with a tin of tuna each – never let it be said we don’t know how to party.....due to set off at 21:30.