[Al Skierkiewicz]

Well, you know all those great places you see in the National Geographic? Those are the scenes we wanted to see before we leave this earth and this trip hit many of them. Traversed the Three Groges Dam and the Three Gorges plus a few side ones. Hard to imagine that what remains to see of the gorges still has more than 100 meters that isn't visible anymore. At times the gorge closed down to just a few hundred feet wide. Saw roads disappear into the water and bridges half covered by the river, tops of trees and the ever present signs proclaiming the river level above sea level. All signs of the rising of the water behind the dam. Base of the dam is at 41 Meters and the the signs are covered up to the 172 meter mark. You know the terra cota soldiers well there are thousands of them, no two alike, that are part of a 35 square mile tomb complex. What's more, they are signed by the artist and only 66 signatures have been recorded to date. Then there is the Li River valley with it's limestsone spires. And lot's of friendly, kind and polite people everywhere.