Chongqing

Chongqing is the end of the line for the cruise ships - or the beginning if you choose one of the quicker cruises coming down-river.

It is "one of the three furnaces on the Yangtse River", being surrounded on three sides by mountains that prevent breezes. So its hot and humid. They will tell you that the girls have exceptionally beautiful skin, because of the humidity, and they are all very slim from endlessly climbing up and down hills. Likewise the men are supposed to be strong, healthy and naturally handsome ...

Going ashore involves crossing a long series of pontoons and gang-planks - at least until the river level rises. The air is misty, and there are warning signs about slippery roads and paths because of the fog and rain.

The roads are narrower than in other Chinese cities, because there are no bike lanes ... because there are no bikes (well, actually, we did see ONE) and no trikes and very few motorbikes. Besides being narrow, the roads were windy and hilly, and quite tricky to negotiate.

The taxis are all bright yellow, being manufactured right here in Chongqing. In fact, the vehicle industry is very strong here, and we passed a great many ships loaded with cars, vans and trucks on their way down the river.

Our tour guide told us that until 1980 this (27 metre tall) monument in the city centre was the tallest building around, because nothing was allowed to be taller then it.

Now it is dwarfed by skyscrapers. She also told us that because the tall apartment buildings are built on the hillsides, many of them get away with having no elevator even though they are about ten stories high (the law says anything over seven stories must have an elevator) by having a walkway joining the building to the roadway on the hillside at about the fifth floor which then counts as the first floor.

It was still the May holidays when we were there, so the city was extremely crowded.

We found a quiet shady spot to wait for our bus. These men were apparently carpenters sitting around waiting for work. While we were there a lady came by and quite a few of them picked up their saws and went with her.

These two likely looking lads were part of the local army of carriers who make up for the lack of trikes and motor-trikes that are used for transport in other flatter cities.

The loads they can transport on their bamboo sticks are quite incredible.

And when the load is just too heavy they can share it with a friend.

We saw many other things being transported on peoples' backs as well. This man had a TV to move.

There are several old prisons in the hills around Chongqing where the revolutionary martyrs spent their last days during the civil war. They are very dark, sad places with lists of names and old photos.

And of course the torture chamber still with the implements and the furniture that were used.