Day 5, Week 2 in Wuhan, China

Scenery of the Gorges in the early hours of the morning

Scenery of the Gorges in the early hours of the morning

Ferry Terminal

A Supermarket in Yichang

A Shopping Centre in the Computer District

What We Did

Surprisingly, today, I was able to get up without the need of any alarms or anything of that sort. I am usually a heavy sleeper. We got up, freshened up and got ready for breakfast. We also had to pack our bags as we were to leave the vessel at 7.30am. After breakfast, we did a sweep of the surrounding area before leaving the vessel. It would certainly be hard to retrieve our stuff once the cruise leaves.

We walked up to the ferry terminal and we headed to board our buses and went to the nearby Shopping Centre to get some of Yichang’s famous foods its rice biscuits. There were many different varieties such as Original, Traditional, Sweet and Spicy, Sesame Oil and many more. We were told it was cheaper to purchase them there, as it was cheaper there. I wanted to buy more, but I needed to be mindful of how much I have, as well. I can also buy them in Wuhan itself, but they would probably be more expensive instead.

We then boarded the bus, and took a 6 hour journey back to Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST) Campus. Onboard, we decided to take a nap, while we were driven from Yichang to Wuhan. We were extremely exhausted of all the day to day activities, but we really enjoyed ourselves throughout the entire 3D2N trip to the Three Gorges Dam, Yangtze River as well as the Shennong River.

Upon arrival to Campus, we headed back to our rooms and had a short rest before heading out to the Computer District, which was quite a distance from our campus. We decided to call a friend’s contact to arrange for transport to and fro from the location. The driver came within 20 minutes and we were off. It felt slightly scary though, as he was driving in a rather unsafe manner. He kept weaving in and out of traffic as and when he could. Not only that, he even went against the traffic by driving in the opposite lane. It was nerve wrecking sitting in his vehicle, but he managed to bring us to our destination in 40 minutes.

We went to visit the shop that would do repair services for Fujifilm cameras, but we realized that it was close on weekends and we had to turn back. We decided to head further down, by taking a bus to check out on other electronics goods. Apparently, all the shops around the area closes at 6pm.We only reached the area at around 5.45pm. We decided to come back some other day, in the early afternoon.

We decided to have our dinner at KFC at around 7pm, while waiting for the van to come by. Although, we bought the biggest set available, I felt that I wasn’t full. After that, we headed to look around the shopping area. We entered a Converse Store which was selling apparels and bags. We apparently saw a good deal of the bags on display and decided to buy them as gifts as well. I also needed a bag for the trip to Wudang Mountain, next week too.

Then, we boarded the van and headed back to campus. We happened to be stuck in a traffic jam while we heading home. This driver was a different driver but he ended doing exactly the same thing as the first driver. He kept weaving in and out of traffic as and when he could. Not only that, he even went against the traffic by driving in the opposite lane. It was nerve wrecking sitting in his vehicle, but he managed to bring us to our destination in 40 minutes. In Singapore, we would have been charged heavily. He even offered us cigarettes, assuming that we were around his age. At first, I was startled, but we politely declined his offer.

We headed to the bakery to buy bread for the next day. Sebastian also bought his mutton Satay which he missed during the 3D2N trip to the Three Gorges Dam. Once we returned back, we went for a short rest before our briefing. During the briefing, we were told of the next day’s events. After the briefing, we headed back to complete our journals. We ended up staying up until 2am in the morning to finish all three journals. I was so exhausted that I even forgot that I had not washed the clothes which I had left to soak for a long period of time. I finally dozed off at around 2.10am.

What We Think

Driving in China can really be hectic, especially during peak hours. There are no clear markings on the roads to indicate the lanes. Vehicles simply weaved in and out of traffic. We had to hold on to our dear life as we travelled from one destination to another. In the same driver, drove the way he does in China in Singapore, he would probably have his motoring license revoked instantly!