Yangzi River Day 34 22/10/2014

After attempting to eat a traditional Chinese breakfast (definitely not something we're getting accustomed too) we headed out to complete our task for the morning - finding out where on earth the boat was docked!  We went to the local China International Travel office and established what bus we needed to get but were really unsure of how we'd work out where to get off.  However visions of something on the scale of Southampton dock gave us some comfort that we'd be able to find it.  Thinking the task was complete we popped into a coffee shop where we fortuitously met Steven, an English language teacher, and after chatting to him about where we were heading it become evident that it wasn't going to be easy after all.  He phoned a friend who was a tour operator and then another who was a taxi driver, arranging for them to collect us later in the day.  What a helpful guy.  When we  got back to the shop later there was clearly a conversation about the size of our bags and in the end his friend gave us a lift in his own car.  We were really glad of Steven's help.  The 'dock' was miles out of town along a pot holed road and was basically a bit of tarmac down a very steep road, hidden from the main road above, that the boat could moor against.  So much for Diane's grand visions of it being like Southampton!  We boarded the boat early and were pleased to get a cabin upgrade (we mustn't be looking too scruffy yet!). We settled in for our trip through the Three Gorges to Chongqing.  From our balcony we watched with 'interest' as our fellow passengers arrived on mass greeted by a brass band as they boarded the boat.  Apart from two other couples everybody else was part of a tour group and were stereotypically large, overweight Brits and Australian's with a few American's thrown in for good measure.  Dinner wasn't included on the first night however we were offered the option at cost to eat at the same time as one of the tour groups which we took advantage of.  Another couple also ate near us, the guy in particular looked unhappy about something.  As we were eating the boat tour guide (a rather scary, peroxide blond Bulgarian) came over and commented that we were the sad, lonely people travelling on our own.  What have we let ourselves in for!!??