Day 14 - Shanghai and home

Our wonderful group of travel mates.

Last look at Shanghai from the harbour.


The underwater tunnels at the Shanghai Aquarium.

Laura is a wonderful photographer!

Our last day in Shanghai.

Today we had a free morning so everyone jumped into taxis and with our guide, Ma Rui, giving directions to the driver, we headed off to the Shanghai aquarium. We didn't know what to expect, but it was more than worth the entrance fee! They have every fish you can imagine, and over 155 meters of underwater tunnels that we travelled through on a moving sidewalk. Absolutely incredible! We walked down to the river for one last look, as it was a beautiful day, with cloudless blue skies.
We got back to the hotel to check out, then were off to the airport at 1:30 pm. With the time change, we fly out at 5:30 pm (Shanghai time) on Sunday, travel for 17 hours and arrive home at 10:30 pm Sunday (Ottawa time).
We have looked forward to this trip for so long and have had such a great time that it is difficult to have it come to an end. We have, however, renewed old friendships, made new friends and have wonderful memories to last until next time.
We are already making a new list of all the things we want to see.......

Day 13 - Shanghai

Site of Expo 2010
Climbing to the top of the Lupu bridge.

Almost there!

A long way down.

What the bridge looks like on a clear day:-)

Mongolian BBQ for lunch.

Views from the bridge.

Today was a lazy day, with one family heading back to Toronto a bit early to get back to work on Monday. We started off with another amazing breakfast, then were off to climb up the Lupu bridge.
The bridge was built about 5 years ago, but has become a tourist attraction as you can climb to the top and view the whole site of Expo 2010 which will be in Shanghai from May to October this year. It was not a climb for the faint of heart, but it was a great view despite the foggy weather. I included a picture of the bridge on a sunny day so you can see what it looks like.
After the climb, we went to eat Mongolian BBQ for lunch. This is a fun way to eat, as you go along a buffet, pick everything you like (including raw meat), add the sauce, then bring it to the cooks and watch them fry it up for you.
We stopped by a market again on the way home, then back at the hotel for a swim.

Day 12 - Shanghai

Relaxing in the garden.




The garden is beautiful, everywhere you look.

Crowds at the Yu Yuan market.

A fun sculpture at the local Tea House.

Michael braving a Shanghai taxi ride.

View from the harbour tour.

Ben with the Pearl TV tower in the background.

The colourful subway ride under the river.

It was great to go down for breakfast and see our travel group again. (We were in the mountains with just our family and one of the fathers from another family.) The kids were very happy to heap their plates with familiar food at the buffet breakfast.
The hotel room continues to surprise us. Between the bedroom and the bathroom is a glass wall that can be frosted or clear with the flick of a remote control. Potentially very embarrasing, so we have to remember to bring the remote with us if we want to ensure privacy!
Today, we were off to downtown Shanghai by way of an interesting subway car ride under the river. It was quite hokey, but the kids thought it was cool with flashing neon lights all the way through. After that, we went on a boat tour of the harbour and had a fantastic view of the city. In the 3 years since we were last here, there are many more architecturally remarkable skyscrapers. The Pearl TV tower (the tower with the round balls in the photos) used to be the second tallest building next to the CN Tower, but it is dwarfed by many others now.
Next was more shopping at the Yu Yuan market, and Michael headed off to the Canadian Consulate to get some documents for work. The four of us then tried to enjoy the beautiful Yu Yuan Garden. We got in, then the girls and I waited on a bench while Ben headed off to find a washroom. After 20 minutes, Ben wasn't back yet, and I was having a mild panic attack!!

The girls and I raced around the garden looking for him, Lianne and Laura trailing along trying to take pictures of the beautiful garden. After another half hour, we headed out to the meeting point, and eventually Ben came along without a care in the world :-) He had gotten turned around with all the paths in the garden, and when he ran into the Thompson family (our surrogate grandparents on this holiday) he decided he should stick with them.
With our shopping bags full, we headed back to the hotel to meet up with Michael again. The girls went for a swim, then we all headed up to a suite on the 37th floor for a pizza party. Two of the families had been upgraded to suites so we invaded and enjoyed the view.
That evening, we went to the Shanghai Acrobatic Show, and were all amazed by the dancers, gymnasts, and contortionists. The finale consisted of 5 motorcycles speeding around in a huge metal sphere, where we all holding our breath! The best part, though, was watching the kids' faces throughout the evening as they were all on the edge of their seats.
That evening, back at the hotel, it was a fight for who got to have a bath in the fancy tub with their own private TV :-)

Day 11 - Huangshan

Beginning of TunXi ancient street from the Song Dynasty
A beautiful cable car ride down from the mountain.

Carrying laundry up the mountain.

Climbing to the peak.

Enjoying the view.

Laura's photo of the sunrise (6:15 am)

Today started with a hike up to "Monkey over Sea of Clouds" peak to watch the sunrise. Laura and I were the only ones to make that hike! We got back in time for breakfast, then we were off for our 3 hour hike. Everywhere we went was beautiful but we were all glad to get back to the hotel for lunch and rest our feet.
It is incredible to think that everything on this mountain is carried up by hand - they are building a 5 star hotel up at the peak, and we saw many men carring bags of cement, tiles, etc. All the food is also brought up, and the laundry brought down for washing to minimize the effect on the environment.
The menu here is quite limited compared to what we've seen so far, but the kids managed on a lot of rice as they weren't up to eating beef organs and bamboo shoots! After lunch, we hired porters to take our luggage to the cable car, then we were off on another one hour hike. The cable car ride was down the south side of the mountain this time, and was just as spectacular. We were happy to see the bus at the end of this ride down, and were off to TunXi, an ancient town (1000 years old from the Song dynasty) for a tea ceremony, shopping and dinner in the market. Our flight to Shanghai was at 10 pm, and we arrived in our hotel rooms around 12:30 am.
We were pleased to see the hotel was quite luxurious - a big difference from last night, as the Bei Hai hotel at the peak was pretty minimal and the only heat was 30 year old electric blankets :-)

Day 10 - Huangshan Mountain

The Huangshan Mountains are also known as Yellow Mountains, and the trip was certainly worth the effort!
We left the hotel at 8:30 am, drove for 3 1/2 hours, then stopped for lunch and to meet our local guide. We planned to take the bus right up to the cable car ride, but were told the road was covered in fallen rock and we had to carry our luggage for about half an hour up the road which must have been quite comical, as we were rolling along with our suitcases. Walking by the fallen rock, we were glad we didnt drive up as 1/2 the road had given way!
The cable car ride was about 15 minutes of breathtaking views, and carried us to a spot about 1/2 an hour away from the hotel. The hike up to the hotel was steep so, THANKFULLY, the guide oganized porters to carry our luggage to the hotel.
We finally arived at the hotel at 3 pm. After settling in, we explored more of the paths - I've never climbed so many stairs! The sky was incredibly blue and it was about 14 degrees. The paths and steps are all paved or carved into the granite and you cannot go off them (they need to protect the gnarled pine trees in the area) but they take you through the mountains and at every turn was another incredible view.
We are off to the peak tomorrow, so need to rest up tonight!

Day 9 - Hefei

Fun in Hefei, (until Ben kicked Lianne in the ear by accident.)

Walking with our friend, Bryanna, and exploring Lord Bao park.



Noodles for lunch!

Morning exercises at the local elementary school.

Hefei is the town Lianne is from and was a great place to wake up to this morning! We have a corner room just like the room we had when we received Lianne 10 years ago. When we walked in, Michael and I could remember it like it was yesterday. 10 years ago there was a crib set up in the corner and we spent many hours in that room playing with Lianne. The revolving restaurant on the 29th floor is also a favourite place, with an incredible view of the city and where we ate breakfast every morning.

Today was a nice lazy day compared to the long days we have been having. This morning we met in the lobby of the hotel at 8:30 and headed off to a local school to spend the morning with a grade 5/6 split class. The kids took part in the morning exercises, we watched a lesson, then the children practiced their english with us and had lots of questions.

We went to a local 24 hour noodle house for lunch, then walked around Lord Bao park for the afternoon. The kids decided to enjoy the lake by going out on rolling inflatable tubes, which was quite an experience!!

We had a group dinner tonight (with too much food as always), then to the hotel pool for a swim. Off to bed early tonight, as we have a 3 hour drive to the mountains tomorrow morning.

Day 8 - Chengdu

Today was our last day in Chengdu. We had a lazy morning as we didn't have to get on the bus until 9:30 am!
We headed off to the Shu Silk Embroidery Factory where we saw how they made silk from the cocoons of Silk Worms, then wove it on giant looms to make the brocade fabric that Chengdu is famous for. The children tried to stretch the silk worm threads and realized how incredibly strong the fibre is!! We purchased a beautiful piece of embroidery that we'll frame when we get home.

After that we went to Jin Li Ancient Street. This is an open air market surrounded by beautiful pathways and goldfish ponds. Many decorations from Chinese New Year still decorate the trees. People tie red cards in the trees with their family name written on them for good luck. Cherry blossoms are starting to bloom and music fills the air. The girls did very well in their shopping and we managed to get some pretty good deals.

We left the market at 4 in order to catch our next flight to Hefei at 6:30. Unfortunately, the flight was delayed until 8:30, so we arrived in Hefei quite late and got to bed around midnight. The service from Air China though is quite a bit better than Air Canada. With the delay, they brought out dinner for everyone. We all enjoyed the meal, which was a beef dish, rice, corn and tripe. Michael enjoyed the tripe until he realized that tripe was NOT a type of fish, but stomach lining!!

Day 7 - Chengdu

Pandas today!!
After a 3 hour bus ride to the Sichuan Bi Feng Xia Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, everyone was anxious to see the pandas! We were thrilled to see the huge areas and structures that the pandas live in. As soon as we entered the park, we could see pandas playing in the trees. We had lunch in the middle of it all, then went off to tour. Ben, Laura and Lianne were able to go into a pen with two of the one year old pandas and play with them while they ate - an incredible experience. It was a great day!

Day 6 – Chengdu

The Buddha is huge! We are copying all the other tourists here with these crafty shots :-)

On the boat to get a better view.

Last night we arrived quite late, so quickly settled into the hotel and finally slept right through until our 7 am wake up call even though each hotel seems to be providing harder and harder beds. I swear these beds are only the box springs :-)
The buffet breakfasts have proven to be as popular as ever. We never know what we may be eating later in the day, so the kids have been filling up at breakfast and even make themselves a sandwich for later, just in case!
Today, we piled on the bus at 9 am for a 3 hour bus ride to the Leshan Buddha, the largest Buddha in the world. The Buddha is carved into the side of the mountain and you can climb all around to see him. We certainly got our workout today! We also took a boat ride to get a better view from the water, which was great as some of our group were not up for the hike to see him from the top.
The ride back was long, but the kids are all getting along great, and sit at the back of the bus sharing stories and games.
We are off on another long bus ride tomorrow to visit the pandas so I’m packing snacks tonight and making sure all our technology is fully charged! Laura and Lianne have taken over 1000 photos so far, and I’m sure tomorrow will be another big day.

Day 5 – Guilin

Peddlars on thier bamboo rafts approach the boats as we go by.

The mountains in Guilin are the same beautiful mountains on their 20 yuan bill.

Checked out of the hotel at 8 am in order to get on the bus and drive to the Li River. At 9, we were all aboard and off on a 5 hour cruise to Yangshou. The trip was complete with breathtaking views, and a buffet lunch on board. As we passed by some villages, peddlers on bamboo boats would come up to our boat selling their goods. We saw several water buffalo, villagers washing clothes in the river and people working in the fields.

Many of the mountains were pointed out to us, as they depicted various shapes. Yearning Wife, Apple Mountain (an easy one), Nine Horses, etc. were a few that we all enjoyed trying to discern as we traveled along.

The cruise lasted until about 2:30 and we stopped in Yangshou where we enjoyed shopping in the market until 4. Ben and Michael haggled and bought a sweatshirt and leather belt for a great price. Laura and Lianne had their names written on a grain of rice and put into a necklace. Lianne also showed interest in a special coin at one market stall, and asked for the price (150 yuan). Once that was done, the vendor wouldn't leave us alone. We said ‘no thanks’ in our poor Mandarin, but she followed us all over the market until we gave her 30 yuan for the coin! That’s one way to reduce the price although by the end, Lianne wasn’t sure she even liked the coin all that much :-)

We got on golf carts at the market to take us to our bus, then to the airport for our flight to Chengdu. The driver was insistent that no children sit on the outside, and we quickly found out why. They drove through the town, honking and weaving in and out of traffic at speeds we didn't know a golf cart could travel! We were glad the ride was only 5 minutes!