Location: Yangtze River, China
Summary: A quiet day on board turns into cocktails, chaos, and a Mah‑jong ambush.
I was up early today, and after a shower, I headed to the Yangtze Club for a cup of tea. Dr Hu and a few passengers were already there, gracefully working through their morning Tai Chi routine. At about 07:30, I went for breakfast and met the other VIP passengers before we all drifted off in different directions for the day.
After several days of walking on various excursions, I decided to stay on board. I did miss the trip to the relocated village that was flooded when the dam was built, but the promise of a quiet day on the ship was too tempting. Besides, I needed to conserve my energy for this afternoon’s high‑stakes Mah‑jong battle.
Morning on Board
After breakfast, I returned to my room to start packing for tomorrow’s departure. A few items of washing were still out, but they could be packed later. Once the suitcase was mostly sorted, I took my laptop to the Yangtze Club and found Ewen already there. We sat together, logged into the internet, and caught up on what had been happening in the world while we’d been floating along the Yangtze River.
I signed up for the Mah‑jong lesson and chatted with Ewen and Selina over a Black Russian before lunch. Lunch was served around 12:30, and I sensibly paired my meal with a cocktail to keep my beer company.
Afternoon on Board
After another excellent lunch, I prepared for my Mah‑jong lesson. As everyone knows, the only way to play Mah‑jong is with a clear head, which is why Tracy immediately dragged me to the Yangtze Club bar for a few Bloody Marys. They were on sale, and it would have been rude not to. Only later did I realise that Tracy had no intention of playing Mah‑jong; her mission was to cloud my brain before I faced Mel, April, and Pat.
Tracy left to watch a film, and I joined the others for the lesson. It quickly became apparent that Tracy’s plan had worked and that Mel was, in fact, a Mah‑jong Bandit. She won both games with ease. April and I barely got a look in while Mel and Pat, with the enthusiastic help of our tutor, played as if we weren’t even there.
Next time, I’m taking my own tiles. The ones we used had Chinese numbering, and half the time I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. I enjoyed the game, but learning would have been far easier with tiles I could actually read, and without Tracy’s pre‑game sabotage. (Not that it would have stopped Mel. I won’t be playing poker with her any time soon.)
After the lesson, I joined Selina at the bar for a cocktail before dinner.
Captain’s Farewell Banquet
The intriguingly named Captain’s Farewell Banquet turned out to be the lunch we had ordered earlier, followed by a surprise cream cake and a complimentary glass of champagne. The Captain himself was far too busy to attend, so Amanda, the ship’s river guide, stood in for him. She thanked us all for cruising with them and said she hoped to see us again.
After dinner, we gathered in the Yangtze Club bar to watch the Victoria Culture Show. Many of the Chinese guests then dressed up in elaborate costumes to pose as the Emperor and Empress of China. I had no desire to play dress‑up, so we stuck to chatting about the trip over a few more beers and cocktails.
Tracy had asked me to get her a drink, which I did, but when she didn’t return, I drank her Bloody Mary as well. Naturally, she reappeared moments later with Mel, April, and Pat, who had been on deck finishing their spare wine. Eventually, it was just Tracy and me keeping Selina company at the bar.
At 22:00, the bar closed, and we went downstairs to settle our bill for the trip. When we returned to collect our things, the staff asked if we wanted one last cocktail. Well, it was the final night. We could always pay for that one in the morning.
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