Shanghai

Yu yuan garden

The travel day from Chengdu began with a visit to the Panda Research Station. The loveable bears were feeding on bamboo leaves and shoots in the rain. There were many groups visiting at once so it was crowded. The red Pandas were surprisingly like raccoons, to which they are apparently related. Jennifer had her grade ones do research on pandas and knew this. The flight to Shanghai was two and a half hours and the drive in from Pudong International was another hour. After installing everyone in the hotel the group bussed out to a restaurant for dinner. At the conclusion of our meal I had to go around to each table and draw their attention to the staff that were all lined up waiting for us to leave. I guess we were relaxing into an after-dinner stupor and no one noticed the time. The staff wanted to go home.

It rains everyday in the summer in Shanghai and it is very hot by August. The temperature reaches 39 or 40 degrees Centigrade and the humidity is extreme. We visited Yu Yuan Garden in this extreme warmth and enjoyed the tranquil charm although pressed by our own large group numbers and numerous other groups, all seeking to share some piece of atmosphere in this special place. I am not sure whether it is private or publicly owned after our guide’s explanation. Peter, our guide, is very good and tells us bout life in Shanghai and China. He has a daughter in school and pays four hundred Yuen a month for private English lessons. English is taught from kindergarten but extra lessons are often desired as the language is deemed essential for business and progressing in the opening up to the world policy of present day China.

Prior to visiting the gardens we stopped as a silk factory and saw the silk making process. Eight strands of the hollow thread are twisted together by spinning wheel from eight cocoons that sit in warm water. The resulting thread is wound onto a spool for future processing. The lost leader in the factory is a silk duvet for the bed. We, along with most of our group, bought one.

The day concludes with a boat cruise and dinner on the Huang Po River. It is a carnival atmosphere. Temperature 36.5 degrees.

The final morning in Shanghai Jennifer and I walked from the hotel on Pudong Road to the tall buildings in the vicinity of the Pearl Tower. It was early when we went out, about 8:00 a.m. and the air, although warm and humid, was comfortable. On our return the air felt heavy and it was much warmer. By the time we reached the hotel my t-shirt was moist with perspiration. A cold mango slushy drink from the corner juice bar refreshed me. I didn’t worry about the ice being made from local water. Back home, I paid the price for a day or so.

The group assembled with luggage already taken care of and the busses departed for the Maglev station where the majority of us boarded for the seven minute, thirty four kilometer ride at 431 Km/hour. What a thrill!

Customs and security cleared and we are all ready for the long flight home. Arrival time will be 10:30 a.m. in Vancouver.