Day 80 Shanghai

Saturday, smooth and sunny. Overcast after 1500. Washed 2 loads of clothes early today. I'm ready for China! After rhe pilot arrives, we start the 6 hour journey up the Yangzi River. The water carries sediment and has a characteristic brown color. Both the Yangzi and the Mekong of Viet Nam originate in the Himalayas. The traffic is heavy and multidirectional. Horn is a major mode of communication. It is easy to think in terms of car horn. Ship horn is an order of magnitude different. Tied up at 1645. Cleared Immigration, and transportation is confirmed for tomorrow.

Thank you David and Samuel for making this special excursion possible. I'll be booking air travel to the west tomorrow. I will be off the air for email and postings for the next 10 days, but will post retroactivly starting on January 14th. The other 3 passengers will return to the ship tomorrow night, and continue on to the ports of Dalian and Xingang. I have other things in mind, and will skip the cold and snow of northern China.