After a short flight from Xian, we entered the Yangtze River at the Chongqing (pronounced Chong Ching) port, another massive city with over 17 million people and soaring skyscrapers. After a brief tour of their Farmers Market and a stroll on the waterfront, we were unceremoniously directed to roll our bags down the asphalt quay over a rickety bridge onto the welcoming Viking Emerald.
For less than a dollar, we could have opted for the ancient custom of using porters who carry bags on bamboo poles slung over their shoulders.
Our traveling philosophy for cruises is to always choose the least expensive room which can backfire when storage and space are comically limited. Not on this cruise–every room has a veranda, albeit a mighty small one, but still. It was so spacious we even had a small sofa wide enough for almost two people. The river boat was full with 240 guests which makes shore excursions less invasive.. My first glimpse of the river from the Sun Deck was a tad disappointing. The Yangtze, brown and wide with its banks lined with industrial and commercial businesses, was far from scenic. However, evening brought on a spectacular light show where a parade of innovative skyscrapers lit up the night sky in an elegant non-Las Vegasy sort of way as the riverboat rolled down the river.. 
The next morning brought a change of scenery to pastoral and rural. Saying goodby to the populous cities with ubiquitous high-rises, we welcomed the natural beauty of the changing river.
One of the perks of traveling along a river is the opportunity to stop at remote outreaches not easily accessible by land. Shibaozhai Temple is such a place. Perched on a cliff, this 12-story red pagoda temple is from the Qing (Ching) Dynasty built in 1819. To get there, you must cross the wooden “drunken” suspension bridge—well named for its swaying and bouncing, exasperated by one of the adult passengers who thought it was hilarious to stomp on it in the middle. Even if you’re not climbing the 12 stories of the pagoda, the grounds and views are worth the theme park bridge walk. Moving up the wooden stairs of the pagoda is calmingly slow and picturesque with achingly beautiful views through the small windows at each landing. A reward at the end is the lush courtyard with even better views. There is a marketplace, of course, but we were able to detour around on the way back through a lovely park and a river walk.
