S H A N G H A I
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Tue, 7 Oct: This was another major travel day as we
made our way to Hong Kong for an overnight stay en route to Shanghai. We
arrived at the airport early so we could enjoy the hospitality of the Qantas
Lounge (one of the OneWorld alliance members). Then, we boarded our
Cathay Pacific flight in early afternoon for the 11 hour flight to Hong
Kong. We enjoyed great service, food and in-flight entertainment and the
time passed very quickly. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, we passed through
customs and immigrations formalities and then transferred to our airport hotel
for the evening.
Wed, 8 Oct: This afternoon we arrived in Shanghai,
our home for the next five days/nights. Again, we had a great flight (and
pre-flight lounge time) on DragonAir. We arrived in Shanghai at 12:30PM
and cleared customs & immigration. Then, we caught the Meglev High
Speed Train into the city. The train takes only 8 minutes to cover 19
miles. Can you believe?! We were traveling faster than our favorite
Nascar drivers move on the track! After finishing the train ride, we then
caught the Metro to reach our hotel, the New World Mayfair Hotel.
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The futuristic Meglev
High Speed Train |
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Ed riding the |
The New World Mayfair was an absolute oasis! We
arranged to stay on the Executive Floor and it was fabulous. We enjoyed a
beautiful room with access to a lounge serving breakfast, afternoon tea and
pastries and evening cocktails and canapés. The food was delicious and
there were many varieties and the supply of goodies was unending. We had
no need to eat outside the hotel. The New World also gave us unlimited
high-speed internet, local calls and great concierge service. So,
needless to say, we spent the balance of our day enjoying all the creature
comforts one could imagine.
Thu, 9 Oct: After taking care of various business
matters requiring our attention, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast in the
lounge. Afterwards, we went to the concierge, Stephen Chen, and arranged
for an all-day tour scenic tour of Hangzhou on Friday. Then, Mr. Chen
arranged for us to have a driver & guide for an afternoon of touring.
It was only when Mr. Chen arrived at our door at 12:00 noon that we discovered
he would be our guide. Talk about great service!
We began the tour at Langchao Temple, a Buddhist temple
which is still in use today. It was exceptional. Outside the Temple
is a seven story, eight-sided pagoda from the 10th century.
Then, the Temple itself consisted of a group of buildings, with each being
devoted to Buddha in a different way. Many of the statutes were
gold leaf over wood while others were painted wood. They were all
beautiful. After spending time there, we next went to a silk factory and
a jade factory. Finally, we went to a viewing point where we could see
across the Huangpu River and had great views of the Oriental Pearl Tower and
the amazing backdrop of skyscrapers. The Oriental Pearl Tower is 1,535
feet tall and is the highest in China. We also stopped at a tea house to
sample various Chinese teas. All in all, a great day learning about this
diverse and beautiful city.
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The main building of
Langchao Temple |
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The pagoda of Langchao
Temple |
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Ed and Lindy in the |
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The Eastern King of
Protection |
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The Western King of
Far Sight |
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Look at the many, many
arms |
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Looking at the
Oriental Pearl |
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Ed and Lindy enjoying
the |
Fri, 10 Oct: At 9:00AM we and nine other tourists
began the drive to the city of Hangzhou along with our guide, Asante. The
drive took approximately three hours and we didn’t clear with environs of
Shanghai for the first hour and one-half. Needless to say, within town
the roads were absolutely jammed and half the time our driver was making his
own lane out of the shoulders!
Hangzhou is famed for its natural lake and its setting in
the hills. Many of Shanghai’s wealthy escape the city and enjoy this
peaceful location. We began our day by first enjoying a delicious lunch
at a local hotel. Then, we walked in a park along the shores of West
Lake. Here we took a cruise of the lake. It was a misty, cloudy day
which is evident in the photographs. However, the cruise was relaxing and
very serene. After the cruise, we went to Lian Ying Temple, one of the
most famous Buddhist temples in China being built some 1600 years ago.
There are great rock carvings outside the temple and these were truly
outstanding! We ended our touring at the Dragon-Well Tea Plantation which
sells green teas produced on the hillsides around Hangzhou.
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A view of a gondolier
on West Lake |
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A traditional boat on
West Lake |
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The giant Lian Ying
Temple |
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A beautiful female
Buddha housed |
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Buddha carved from the |
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A beautiful
traditional garden |
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Tea trees |
We left the Hangzhou at about 4:30PM. We finally made
it back to our hotel at 7:55PM due to the traffic we encountered once we
reached Shanghai. Thankfully, it was just enough time to rush up to the
Executive Floor and enjoy wine and snacks before the close of happy hour.
One of the staff members, Fanny (Fei is her Chinese name) had saved a plate of
dim sum for us since she knew we were out touring. How sweet!!
Sat, 11 Oct: After a relaxing morning, we decided to
go to see two temples. We took the metro to Jingan Temple and it was
directly across the street. The Temple originally was constructed in
300AD; it currently is undergoing renovations. Again, it was filled with
beautiful statutes of Buddha. After exploring this temple for about an
hour, we next headed to the Jade Temple. After making a couple of
wrong-turns, we finally arrived at the Jade Temple an hour later. It too
was a beautiful complex of buildings. Approximately 100 monks live at the
Temple. We did see the gorgeous Jade Buddha which is housed in its own
temple. However, no photographs are allowed. In that same complex,
however, we were able to photograph a reclining Buddha which is carved of
stone. Seeing how ornate this statute is you can imagine one carved from
jade.
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The entry to Jingan
Temple |
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An interior courtyard
in Jingan Temple |
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A reclining Buddha
from the |
After enjoying the Jade Temple, we set out to find the
nearest metro station. Unfortunately, there wasn’t one nearby so we took
a bit of a scenic tour – actually a very long one. We finally found a
metro at about 4:00PM. We had walked so far, we only had to ride two
stops before we were once again at our hotel. Oh well, walking some 5-7
miles is good when you’ve been enjoying the Chinese cuisine like we have!
Sun, 12 Oct: After our exercise on Saturday, we decided
to take it a bit easier since this was our last day in Shanghai. So, we
headed to two opposite sites – Old Shanghai and People’s Square. Stepping
into Old Shanghai was like stepping into another world. The structures
likely haven’t changed in many generations and never have the customs of
morning markets and afternoon lunch sitting on stools in the alleyway. It
was fascinating! Afterwards, we visited People’s Square and People’s
Park, both constructed under the Communist regime. The park was beautiful
and was filled with many people enjoying a beautiful afternoon. The Square was
flanked with Party buildings and the avenue adorned with China’s flag.
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The Old and New
Shanghai |
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A typical street in
Old Shanghai |
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A vendor selling fresh
fish |
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Peoples Square |
We returned back to our hotel to enjoy our final evening
there before leaving early in the morning for a two-day stopover in Bangkok
prior to beginning our adventures in Bhutan, India and Nepal. Shanghai
was a wonderful experience and we truly enjoyed all of our time spent there!
Continue
to our next stop - Bhutan