September 6, 2024
Sea Trials were done yesterday and today!
Map shows the Odyssey leaving the dock yesterday afternoon and doing Sea Trials. They got a late start on test due to tugboat issues. They had to dock Ship in the sea overnight and complete the test this morning. No significant deficits were reported. We are now just waiting for ALL AGENCY to do their final reports and sign off! Insurance company is keeping all residents off Ship, until this is complete.
Hope to get update tomorrow to see if I should fly back to Ireland Tuesday night, to be part of Inaugural Sail on Wednesday 9/11/24.
After our Panda watching we went to Erling Park for some good city views. Green space in Chongqing is rare, it is truly a concrete jungle with a few planters and trees smattered in along the sidewalks.
The 21 Pandas at the Chongqing Zoo is t he largest grouping of them of anywhere we have traveled in China. We were all excited to see them and were up and on the road by 7am. They are super popular and morning is the supposedly the best time to see them active. It was another hot and steamy day, but less brutal than yesterday.
Chongqing known as the mountain city of China, has some very unique architecture. Space is used very carefully and they maximize every square foot or meter. High rises dominate the skyline and mixed use space is the norm - hotel, office, residential and retail spaces are all combined. Some even have trains that go right through them because it works best with the topography, see Liziba station below.