Cruising the "Three Gorges" on the Yangtze River can include a side trip into a fairyland small gorge. After tansferring from the cruise ship to a river excursion boat, it is necessary to downsize again to the motorized sampan. The gorge is quite deep, the water having risen about 100 feet as a result the completion of the first stage of the big dam project. Immediately one is struck by the change in the color of the water. It is luminescent and changes from deep blue-green, near the shore, to emerald and turquoise, in the center. It is often foggy and raining in this area so the sampans are equipped with blue plastic covers to keep the reed covers from leaking. This area will be under 100 more feet of water in a year or two as the dam is completed.