Shanghai

After disembarking we made our way to the nearby city of Yichang, where with time to kill our guide did what guides do best and brought us to silk workshop/ factory to spend some dough! Not to be missed apparently! And of course me being a compulsive/impulsive shopper I ended up dropping a rake of cash on a hand made silk tapestry of Van Gogh's 'Sunflowers'! Typical!

We arrived into Shanghai that evening was spectacular. There is nothing like arriving into a big city like that when it's getting dark and all the buildings are lit up. Ivan our local guide met us and sped us into our next abode. A beautiful hotel with a great location. The ride into the city was great with all of us craning our necks out the window to catch the views of the city as the skyscrapers whizzed past. It's one of those cities that has roads going over roads and another over that again. Sooo big and busy!

The following morning we headed off by car to Suzhou. It's a nearby "village" Ivan informed us (over one million people live there). Its a commuter town for Shanghai. A lot of manufacturing has been moved out there to retain Shanghai as the financial services center of the country. As a result the better air quality in Shanghai is very noticeable. Suzhou didn't have a whole lot to offer than a canal ride. It's a city that used to use these canals for trading and transport now they're more of a tourist attraction. The "Lingering Garden" was closed (I'm not making these names up - I swear!) so we headed to the next best one - "Master of Nets Garden.

Later that day James, Dave and I walked to the waterfront (the Bund) to see the skyline across the river. It was spectacular! The architecture of the different skyscrapers is so different to any other city in the world I've visited. The TV tower, an intergalactic space agey monster of a building is the most colourful and the most interesting. The grand Hyatt hotel (still unopened) towers over everything in the city and is incredible.

The following day we politely informed Ivan that we didn't really fancy visiting the Embroidery Institute outlined on the itinerary. I think perhaps he was as relieved as we were! So we headed over to Chinatown (yes in Shanghai- the original Shanghai) where we had a wander. It contains the highest grossing Starbucks in China - get your head around that?!

A Jade Buddha temple was on the itinerary also. Of course it was - surely a day can't go by in China where we don't see a buddha temple! This buddha is extra special - it's made of jade (green sacred stone). All Chinese people where jade whether it's a bracelet or ear-rings or necklace, they are very superstitious about it's importance, particularly if it's your Chinese New Year. During that year it's considered you will have bad luck and so must wear jade to protect you and bring you good luck!

We tried some tea whilst at the temple, and bought some that will solve all our problems!

Ivan deposited us at a market that afternoon where we haggled our way to a few bargains. After making our way across the river to the old Hyatt we went to the top for a free view of the city by night. The hotel has a atrium from about half way up the building so when on the top floor (88th) it's possible to look down through a glass roof to approximately the 50th floor where we could make out a grand piano and bar. Very cool but dizzying!

We wined and dined that side of the Bund before heading back across to have a drink or two before hitting the hay. More rapid tourism coming our way, we need all the sleep we can get!

Next stop Hangzhou!