Wow! We did not slow down at all today, doing our best to make-up for lost time yesterday. The morning started with breakfast in the hotel. We had an earnest conversation about whether or not the hotel was serving leftovers from dinner for breakfast. We have noticed that the Chinese serve the same foods regardless of the meal and that this morning’s fare sure resembled last night’s menu at the hotel restaurant. I suppose that helps curb waste and could be considered “green,” but there is something about fried pork over noodles at breakfast that just doesn’t work as well for me.
After breakfast we climbed aboard our bus for a long day. Our local guide joined us. Her English name is Jasmine. John is still with us, though John and Jasmine don’t go together as well as John and Yoko did in Beijing. Jasmine spent the initial ride teaching us about Shanghai. It is the most populated city in China, with 23 million residents, though it occupies 1/3rd the land size of Beijing. It has over 14,000 skyscrapers (more than Chicago and New York combined.) Traffic is almost at a standstill with the number of cars they have on the road. To combat the problem (aggravated by a lack of land), they have built 9 subway systems, interstates that are completely bridges over land and water alike, and 11 tunnels under the river. Watching our various bus drivers combat traffic has alternated between being funny and being scary in the extreme.
Our first stop today was the Jade Buddha Temple. I cannot wait to make it home to be able to post pictures as it was breathtaking. We watched as Buddhists lit incense in the burners in the courtyard and began praying/chanting in each of the four cardinal directions while holding the incense aloft. It was odd to be touring/taking pictures while worshippers were kneeling to pray. They did not notice our presence and seemed to be able to pray/worship without being distracted. Jasmine shared that they need the money raised by the tourists to support the various Temples and Monasteries and willingly made the trade-off of tourists walking by parishioners in the act of worship. We did observe the monks going through a ceremony. Afterwards we found out that the ceremony was carried out daily to bless the trinkets/souvenirs sold in the Temple. The Buddhists believe that souvenirs bought in the Temple brought good luck and harmony. Many Chinese people were in the Temple and seemed to be buying many souvenirs to take back home with them.
As we rode to our next stop, Jasmine shared that the cities visited on our trip were perfect because they really gave you an overview of Chinese history. She said, “If you want to know Chinese history 2,000 years ago, go to Xi’an, our Ancient Capital, home to many dynasties. If you want to know Chinese history 500 years ago, go to Beijing, our current capital, home to the last two dynasties. If you want to know Chinese history over the last 100 years, go to Shanghai where you will experience modern China, a very modern city and their finance and fashion capital.”
After a trip through traffic, we arrived at the Yu Yuan Gardens, a gorgeous garden. The garden was built by a retired politician who made Shanghai his retirement home. The reception areas featured furniture from the Qing Dynasty, known for being very ornate and detailed. It featured multiple ponds and walkways. Along the top of the brick fence ran a dragon that encircled the garden. At the time the garden was built, only the emperor was allowed to use the symbols of the dragon. The builder got around this by having a three-toed dragon. Everyone knew that dragons had five toes, so his must be a fake dragon, sparing him from the emperor’s wrath for using his symbol. At one time, a hill in the garden was the highest point in all of Shanghai. Today that hill is dwarfed by every one of the 14,000+ skyscrapers and most of the buildings not tall enough to classified a skyscraper.
Leaving the Garden, we entered a popular shopping district, much to the delight of several of companions. Many did their part to aid the local economy. The Chinese seem to love haggling so prices are rarely posted and never firm. It becomes a game to purchase anything. You always walk away wondering if you paid more than you had to.
We next visited a Thai restaurant. Eating food from Thailand in China was an interesting experience. The food was certainly Thai, but was served Chinese-style with a large Lazy Susan in the middle of the table and plate after plate placed on it to be served family-style.
Our next stop took us to the Knock-off District, easily the largest shopping mall I have ever been in. It was filled with stores, each selling name-brand merchandise at suspiciously low prices. We were told as we exited the bus, “Remember, nothing here is real, regardless of the tag.” While walking through, I looked at a pair of Ugg boots, a favorite of my step-daughter. The tag on the back of the boot was sewn on upside down. I am pretty confident that those were not Ugg boots at all! Though I did not by anything, it was fun trying to spot the mistakes in the manufacturing.
Our final stop for the night was a Chinese Acrobat show. It absolutely defied description as acrobats tossed each other in to the air, bent their bodies into shapes that I would have thought impossible to get into, and generally made me grimace in pain for them. We found out that Shanghai has several acrobatic schools and that children begin to study there as early as five years old.
We have one more full day in Shanghai before our flights take us back home. I am looking forward to another fun-filled and fact-filled as I continue to discover much about this remarkable land and her people. After another vey full day, arriving back at the hotel after 9:30PM, I can’t help but wonder how frequent travelers do it. I am starting to feel tired and certainly a bit homesick for my family and my country. What an amazing opportunity I have been given and one I deeply appreciate, but in the end, as Dorothy said, “There’s no place like home!”
No comments:
Post a Comment