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INDIVIDUAL VOYAGE THROUGH CHINA DURING 7 WEEKS PEKING XIAN CHENGDU CHONGQING YANGTZE RIVER MOUNTS HUANGSHAN HANGZHOU SUZHOU SHANGHAI PEKING
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
GRAND CANAL
An authentic sailing
14 October 1990.
www.flickr.com/photos/jeanette
Three days on the lake restored us to fitness. So we engage a pedicab to go to the Grand Canal from where we’ll go to Suzhou (200km.). Comfortably sitting behind the driver I feel compassion seeing him to pedal so hardly and we decide to pay more than his price. Surprised, we can’t believe hearing: “Change the money” showing a bundle of yuan! To say truth, till now, we have changed our dollars on the street, in boutiques, just because they ask for everywhere we go on. So we get Renminbi or “People’s Money”. It’s very profitable for our daily expenses. The hotels and trains we have to pay in FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificates). We take them in the banks or exchange offices.
At midday we arrive at the Grand Canal, construction as imposing as the Great Wall. In the year 604 they started to build it and since 1300 it has its actual aspect connecting Peking to Hangzhou (1.800 km.) its Southern end. The environment is far to be idyllic. A total contrast with the luminosity of the lake we just left. The atmosphere associates the districts and their populace described by Ch. Dickens. I feel to be back in the time of Qianghong Emperor when horses walking on the strike drew the boats. Nothing seems to be changed except the engines replace the animals. Our cabin without comfort and hygiene make the scene absolutely authentic!
The leaving evolution of the ship is extremely complicated because the narrowness of the channel. Our ship tows four others. The convoy transports travelers of any conditions but the majority with enormous baskets full of vegetables is on their way to the markets. The traffic on the channel is captivating. I look fascinated at the continuous stir of the barges charged with cool, bricks, stones, bars of iron. They compete with immense rafts charged with bamboos.
Traffic functions surprising well even at the narrowest places. Our convoy is very length what limits its fleetness. Moreover, the barges slip swiftly; some outrun us. No stagnations, as if invisible semaphores lights to regulate the traffic. I can see on the barges passing near me, a family life – parents, children and a dog. On one end the man hold the helm, on the other end the woman commands. With a long bamboos stem she vigorously pushes against the obstacles to avoid a collision. Extraordinary is the dexterity of the pilots when they arrive at “crossroads” where the rhythm doesn’t slacken, quite the contrary, sometimes stimulated by outcries to avoid the worst. A whole system supplies the Grand Canal. Those numerous crossroads are the places where lateral channels are drown in ours.
It’s getting dark. A dense fog covers the surroundings. The traffic continues. Very exciting is this experience when the deep sound of our convoy’s siren resounds in the night. Then our captain launches, using a microphone, messages which reflect far on the channel I suppose to prevent the others of the importance of his convoy. Now we progress very slowly. Over there, in the obscurity, I hear other sirens announcing their presence too. I would like to stay in this phantomic environment but I must rest.
In the middle of the night a shake and noises of broken panes wake us. I hurry to see what happens; opening the door of our cabin, an enormous “construction” grazes our ship. Thank Goodness, nothing serious; only some broken panes on the lower part. I return to bed hoping to arrive safe and sound in order that we may go to the conquest of Suzhou.
She avoids a collision
14 October 1990.
www.flickr.com/photos/jeanette
Three days on the lake restored us to fitness. So we engage a pedicab to go to the Grand Canal from where we’ll go to Suzhou (200km.). Comfortably sitting behind the driver I feel compassion seeing him to pedal so hardly and we decide to pay more than his price. Surprised, we can’t believe hearing: “Change the money” showing a bundle of yuan! To say truth, till now, we have changed our dollars on the street, in boutiques, just because they ask for everywhere we go on. So we get Renminbi or “People’s Money”. It’s very profitable for our daily expenses. The hotels and trains we have to pay in FEC (Foreign Exchange Certificates). We take them in the banks or exchange offices.
At midday we arrive at the Grand Canal, construction as imposing as the Great Wall. In the year 604 they started to build it and since 1300 it has its actual aspect connecting Peking to Hangzhou (1.800 km.) its Southern end. The environment is far to be idyllic. A total contrast with the luminosity of the lake we just left. The atmosphere associates the districts and their populace described by Ch. Dickens. I feel to be back in the time of Qianghong Emperor when horses walking on the strike drew the boats. Nothing seems to be changed except the engines replace the animals. Our cabin without comfort and hygiene make the scene absolutely authentic!
The leaving evolution of the ship is extremely complicated because the narrowness of the channel. Our ship tows four others. The convoy transports travelers of any conditions but the majority with enormous baskets full of vegetables is on their way to the markets. The traffic on the channel is captivating. I look fascinated at the continuous stir of the barges charged with cool, bricks, stones, bars of iron. They compete with immense rafts charged with bamboos.
Traffic functions surprising well even at the narrowest places. Our convoy is very length what limits its fleetness. Moreover, the barges slip swiftly; some outrun us. No stagnations, as if invisible semaphores lights to regulate the traffic. I can see on the barges passing near me, a family life – parents, children and a dog. On one end the man hold the helm, on the other end the woman commands. With a long bamboos stem she vigorously pushes against the obstacles to avoid a collision. Extraordinary is the dexterity of the pilots when they arrive at “crossroads” where the rhythm doesn’t slacken, quite the contrary, sometimes stimulated by outcries to avoid the worst. A whole system supplies the Grand Canal. Those numerous crossroads are the places where lateral channels are drown in ours.
It’s getting dark. A dense fog covers the surroundings. The traffic continues. Very exciting is this experience when the deep sound of our convoy’s siren resounds in the night. Then our captain launches, using a microphone, messages which reflect far on the channel I suppose to prevent the others of the importance of his convoy. Now we progress very slowly. Over there, in the obscurity, I hear other sirens announcing their presence too. I would like to stay in this phantomic environment but I must rest.
In the middle of the night a shake and noises of broken panes wake us. I hurry to see what happens; opening the door of our cabin, an enormous “construction” grazes our ship. Thank Goodness, nothing serious; only some broken panes on the lower part. I return to bed hoping to arrive safe and sound in order that we may go to the conquest of Suzhou.
She avoids a collision
Posted by: jeanette / 2:01 AM 
