We left Toronto on a Saturday night in a group of seventeen friends all headed for a trip to China. Included in our group is my daughter Emerald and her boyfriend Tim whom we are glad to have with us as we experience China for the first time.
Comfortably boarded on an Air Canada flight with liquor flowing throughout the trip, I kicked off my shoes and relaxed. In my head I see visions of an old colonial China through the lens of the black and white movies that I ate up as a child. Bamboo coolie hats and people in wide legged pajamas. Coolies carrying a long pole over their shoulders with 2 baskets dangling on either side, and locals trying to navigate the roads amidst trucks and rickshaws. Pagodas and gardens, and nobles dressed in silk. Nothing would prepare me for the modern-day China that would soon be revealed through our 10 day tour.
Day 1
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| Arrival in Shanghai |
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| In the plane-smiles! |
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| Boarding the bus to Hotel |
Upon arrival in
Shanghai the next day we went through a very modern terminal and proceeded to a train to get to the luggage pick-up area. Seventeen tired and weary travelers suffering from a 14 hour non-stop flight from Toronto to a time change that had us exactly 12 hours ahead of Toronto time. In reality we had all artificially aged by 12 hours but remained unbelievably stoked with adrenaline and anxious to get to our hotel.
Our guide, a young Chinese man greeted us as we emerged from the security area one by one, directed us to our bus and together with the driver helped us load our luggage and get on board the bus without any trouble. Our first hotel for the trip was the
Shanghai Koyal International Hotel.
We were very impressed by the luxury of both the hotel and its rooms. Free WiFi was included but we had already been told that Facebook and google were not available in China, so we quietly managed our social media withdrawal.
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| Hotel Lobby |
We spent the evening exploring the hotel. Since dinner was not included for the night and being very tired we decided to eat in the hotel. The second floor had a buffet dinner which we walked through and found that it offered too much food for a late night dinner. We then went up one floor to the Chinese restaurant which proved to be too authentic for us with many aquariums housing a variety of fish and seafood from which to choose your fresh dinner.
Our Western ways overruled and we decided we did not want to see our dinner alive before we consumed it. A collective decision found us making our way back to the buffet. For fifteen Canadian dollars a person we had a huge buffet with beer included and then made our way to our rooms. By 3:00 am we were up and lost since we could not sleep and had trouble entertaining ourselves with no social media available and no English channels on the TV.
Day 2
The next morning after only 2 hours of sleep because we had not managed to adjust to the time change we started off with a nice buffet breakfast (included) including a large selection of both Chinese food and American selections. Those among us who were more adventurous tried the duck tongues, dim sum and an array of Chinese hot pots and pickles. I adhered to my favorite eggs over easy and succumbed to the many pastries and breads in the buffet.
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| Full tummies - satisfied travelers! |
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| The buffet |
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| The DaCosta sisters - love you all |
We met at 9 am in the lobby with our guide "Sky" whom we got to know so well that it was like saying goodbye to family when we parted 6 days later.
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| Shanghai Museum (front) |
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Culture and art
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| Furniture |
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| Jade |
The drive to the Museum revealed the brilliant architecture in Shanghai. A very clean and modern city that seduced the artistic side of me. Every building had its own unique personality and ambiance that I could not help clicking away at every chance.
After the Museum we drove to
The Bund. This is a waterfront area in central
Shanghai
that has buildings reminiscent of the past colonial era. Many periods
of architectural designs flank the waterfront street and as we walked
briefly along the Bund we got to appreciate the various styles and
buildings. It appeared that many local folks and tourists alike roam
the Bund enjoying their leisure time. Several wedding photographers
took advantage of the scenery to pose brides and grooms along the
Huangpu Riverfront.
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| Bund Center |
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| Shanghai World Financial Center (Right) |
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| Monument to the people's heroes |
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| Oriental Pearl TV Tower (Center) |
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| Customs House |
Lunch was included this day and we had our meal on the Bund. A trip to the washroom was well needed after the meal in which beer and hot green tea are included. As the ladies made their way to the toilets they were soon introduced to the Asian type toilets which require one to squat. A reminder that in China one has to always carry tissue paper for toilet needs since not all toilets have toilet paper. Also prepare to squat since not all areas have Western toilets either.
After lunch and some leisure time on the Bund, we drove by coach to
Suzhou. Suzhou lies west of Shanghai and is known for its canals, bridges and gardens. The driving time was estimated at 1 1/2 hours. Once in Souzhou we visited
"The Lingering Gardens" which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This tranquil garden was divided into four parts, and was impressive with its use of water, koi, bonsai gardens and rockeries.
The evening turned dark as we finished at the gardens. Mosquitoes also came out to feast on us as we quickly made our way far from the lingering gardens.
Our day was still not over as we made our way to dinner (also included). As we neared the dining area, Sky our guide, escorted us to an attached building to show us the Silk Embroidery Research Institute. He was soon met with complaints from the men in the group who were tired, grumpy and hungry and interpreted the thought of watching embroidery akin to punishment. Sky suggested they make their way to the dining area and wait for us there.
As I entered the tour, the small group that had ventured this far were amazed and delighted to see such talent and exhibits. It felt like we were in an art gallery except all the paintings were done in silk embroidery including a perfect replica of the
"Mona Lisa" and a portrait of Princess Diana that looked as real as life. Silk embroidery dates back 2000 years in Suzhou and watching the skilled fingers of the ladies as they crafted their masterpieces perfectly left us in awe. Wives were soon running out to call their errant husbands back into the Institute to witness this wonder.
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| silk embroidery emporium by night |
After we went through the exhibits, our spirits were lifted again and we were ready to sit down to dine Chinese style. Four other couples had joined our group in Shanghai for the tour, and we had two round tables assigned to us at all times. In the middle of each table was a Lazy Susan on which at least 10 - 12 dishes were placed. We each had a small plate and as the middle rotated we helped ourselves to small portions of each dish. Soup was usually included, and beer and tea were plentiful.
By the end of the meal we were all satisfied and ready to move on to our next adventure. Kevin and myself made good use of the chop sticks but cutlery was available for those who could not handle the Chinese mode of eating!
After a very long day we headed to our hotel. The best was yet to come as we drove towards the palatial castle-like hotel that reflected Pagodas and extensive gardens. We were impressed but too tired to look around especially since it was pitch black outside. The
Pan Pacific Suzhou Hotel will have to be explored tomorrow.
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| Pan Pacific Suzhou Hotel |
Goodnight until tomorrow!
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