Sunday proved to be a busy but fruitful day. Our guides Tony and Kelly were gracious in allowing us to sleep in a little. We began with an early morning breakfast in the main lobby (some items recognized, others not). Fried eggs, soy noodles, tomato slices, bean curd, rice stuffed in wontons (noodle wrappers), orange juice, soy milk, milk, and coffee. The selection was appreciated and everyone seemed to find something that met with their morning palate.
We departed the Yu Feng Garden Hotel at 9:30 (well fed) and made our way to the Pudong (west side?) and met at the TV Tower. The tower, the 3rd tallest(?) in the world - measuring in at somewhere's around 972 feet (don't quote me). While the view was stunning, some periodic cloud cover made some of the views a little hard to see and capture on film. But breathtaking none the less. Making our way out was more challenging as we squished our way through gobs of tourists and eager Chinese who were just as hurried to make their way off the tall tower after making their rounds. Next stop - the wax museum where we were able to get a sense of Chinese history of Shanghai. Our guide Kelly was kind in reminding us (on several occassions) that everything we saw in New Shanghai was a mere 17 years old (or less). 17 Years ago, Chinese who made there way to New China boarded with a one way pass (as no hotels or other comforts resided in New Shanghai and it was expected you would come back that day). I was delighted at all of the history, including stories of the Opium Wars, the Bund, shopping at Ninjang Road, periodic replicas and historical pieces of clothing, shoes (ouch - binding of the feet), etc. Unfortunately, too much to remember (but a lot to appreciate).
Next stop lunch (didn't we just eat breakfast). The bus swished us off to another fantastic Chinese lunch at 12:30PM. We were greated with the traditional Chinese variety of egg & tomato soup, steamed rice, green tea (with extra goodies), noodles, various bean curds, flavored beef and pork, cashew chicken, bok choy, various vegetable and tofu dishes, and the like. Watermelon slices for dessert. As always, too much delicious food and not enough tummy (even though it's growing). Tryed the Chinese beer (even though not a beer drinker) - it was refreshingly light, but it reminded me - I'm not a beer drinker.
Next stop. The Yu Garden (private garden - now run by the government). Previously built to please the parents of one of the emperors (who I'm embarassed to say I've since forgotten - will have to look up again later). I believe Yu means "to please one's parents" or something to that effect. By the way, the trip to the Yu Garden was interesting indeed. Very touristy, but also a lot of the locals were hanging around this area. Lots of interesting smells, and sadly, many poor folks hocking their wears at anyone who would listen.
The Yu Garden had some beautiful elm tress, various flowers, pagodas, a small central temple, several stone lions and various beasts to impress even the mightiest traveler. We all got a kick out of one of the rooftops. As we stood to take some pictures of some impressive iron statues (rare for its time - usually they are made out of stone) we ran into a fiesty bunch of kittens who had somehow found their way to the roof. What a rascally bunch they were. Swatting and playing, entirly ignorant to the crowd that had been attracted to them from below.
A little after three we were directed back to a central shopping area - not far from the Yu Garden. We were invited to shop for an hour and then to meet back at Starbuck's (a great location for the busy Americans). We ran from shop to shop - each vendor busily trying to attract the attention of the wealthy Americans. If our cloths didn't give us away, our behaviors certainly did. Sara and I managed to find a Pearl Exhibition that sported some beautiful pearl varieties in every fashion one could want. Necklaces, bracelets, earings, rings, brooches, accessories, etc. I settled on a black and white pear bracelet. The original price - 500 Yen. Talked it down to 200 Yen and made a deal. Off we were to our central meeting place (had just enough time to grab a quick Starbuck's coffee frappucino) and we were off to the bus.
Next stop. Then bund. A beautiful lookout point. I noticed several large signs across the river that sported American business names (and even Japanese) and was impressed with the industry across all fronts. What looked like a large barge came slowly trolling our way - instead, it was outfitted with the biggest flatscreen I had ever seen. It took up the entire ship. Wow! Advertising on the water? The TV Tower was also magnificent across the water. We all had some fun with photos - then were off again.
Next stop dinner. Oops. Maybe I didn't need the extra coffee drink. Didn't we just eat a few hours ago? Already stuffed, we managed (most of us) to fill up with more traditional Chinese cuisine. More rice, noodles, bok choy, corn flour soup, bean curd, and a nice surprise - ice cream. We never determined with absolute certainty whether it was soy based or rice based. We thought soy since its texture was so delicate and silky.
Next stop. An Acrobatic Show - Huangpu River Sensation. And what a show it was. David and I both agreed that the bending talents of these young folks was just that - reserved to a few. I'm still not sure where all the organs go when you're bent in half. A fantastic performance and very nice way to end a long, fun, day filled with lots of learning opporunties.
A few of us bought a signed DVD of the performance. The day had been busy, the long bus ride back to our hotel was silent. Our hosts relayed expectations for the ensuing day. We listened and hummed slight uh huhs when prompted. JC
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