Back to Shanghai, again on a new high speed train (rocketed into Shanghai at approximately 130 miles per hour).
It was very difficult to find an honest cab back to the hotel but did find a meter cab with a driver willing to use the meter instead of a grossly inflated flat price.
Returned to the Galaxy Hotel, with now typical difficulty checked in: issues about number of beds (already arranged), charges (ditto), breakfasts (two days, two free breakfasts for three people, not one). But eventually was checked in, eventually got to room. Relaxed just a little bit then hit the street.
Afternoon trek was to be from the Marriott on the opposite end of the Nanjing Road shopping area from where we had been brought by the tour, thence on to and to end at the Ohel Rachel synagogue (read about it here and here and here).
However, the cabbie didn't quite make it; perhaps he simply didn't really know where he was going but a couple of blocks from the Sofitel Hotel, where the tour had left us, he invited us out of the cab. The Sofitel was a couple of blocks in the opposite direction from where we were headed but we headed it to anyway as it was a landmark, a place with which I was somewhat familiar. So we went there and then proceeded along Nanjing Road as well as a few side streets (having learned our lesson in Zhenjiang: main streets were generally retail, side streets had the bargains and the interesting stuff).
First stop after very little walking: yet another McDonald's. Even at 3:00, it was awfully -- literally -- crowded. A worker though found a 4 person table with one chuncky guy seated there; she got him to move in and let us join him, so to speak.
Shayna and I actually shopped in a department store for cheap art supplies: pens, pads and mechanical erasers.
We then continued with what could only be described as a shlep. A German guy asked us to take his picture; Shayna did it.
After much walking, aided by my now legendary navigation abilities (helped by, like, knowing Shanghai, like the back of my hand, even better that I know Chengdu), we arrived at the synagogue.
To find that it was within a small gated residential community. And the guard wasn't going to let us in.
So we turned around and crossed the street to hail a cab.
A native who apparently belonged within the community obviously saw us come from the gate. He understood enough English to understand that we wanted in to see the synagogue and got us in. We walked around and took photos. The rear of the building in now almost completely covered with Ivy. It is now owned by the city: Shanghai is responsible for it but clearly is taking minimal responsibility for it.
Shayna then tried the doors and one was unlocked.
We entered, after a young woman walking around the area came over and entered with us; she seemed to have some vague responsibility.
The building is simple; little more than chapel, upstairs balconies, but essentially stripped; empty pulpit, for example. Presently, there is an exhibit. The young woman said that services are held occasionally.
After Donna chatted with her for a long time and we left to return to the Galaxy.
Where we made plans with my cousin Sandi for a late dinner at a trendy, western restaurant sort of near both of us, Manifesto.
However, first we had to allow the hotel plumber to do some work in the bathroom, defering desperately needed showers....
And when we left for the restaurant, who came out of the room across the narrow hall but nearly all of the tween from our part of the tour. And the two missing ones were also still at the hotel but elsewhere. It was like an immediate reunion! Just two days after tour's end!
One of the first tings we did, though, was to call my mother with birthday greetings: Donna sang happy birthday in Chinese, then Sandi, Shayna and I spoke to her. It was awesome to be able to call half way around the world so easily....
Food was good (so good Shayna ate an entire Caesar!), vodka was desperately needed, and met the owner, a young Polish man now making his fortune (or not) in this boom town.
A lovely late night after a great day in this awesome, amazing city....
Saturday, July 14, 2007
13 July
Zheniang
I almost even recognized the train station on arrival. (This after confirming the three subsequent nights at the Galaxy, which involved, apparently, a wake up call to Zoe, who did not sound very awake at all at 0700. (Her agency had made the arrangements including paying in advance.) Great train ride, once we learn the hard way that we had reserved seats (the passenger in whose seat we were occupying literally pointed it out to us). Train was new, clean, fast, with at least one non-flushing toilet. Food was a beverage cart, not a pot of te carried by army personnel or people dressed liked army personnel (aged memory fails on this point).
Met at the station by Lily, the guide/interpreter whose agency was retained on our behalf by George Wu and from there directly to the hired vehicle and the ride to...
The Zhenjiang Social Welfare Service Center of which Shayna was cared for in its orphanage division, as it were, at its prior facility, since torn down for urban renewal. (We did not go there and the babies were brought to us in Nanjing in 1997 because operations were being transfered to the facility which we toured today.)
Met with, exchanged gifts with one of the girls' caretakers, Ms. Zhang, still with the orphanage, its current director, and with the 97 director, now apparently the #2 for the entire center. We were greeted in a sort of directors meeting-type room with a welcome Wang Jiang-Lu banner. We were shown records, some we had, some not, as well as the relevant page from what seemed to be the big book of adoptees, which had all four girls identified as well as a fifth. Donna gave them the printouts of the numerous photos of denise and the one of Julia.
We had a brief tour of the orphanage, now with a lot more or a higher percentage of seriously special needs kids. I should say, it was special needs heavy among the babies and infants, far less so among the older kids. Obviously the reason were told no photos or recording, although same was allowed in the private rooms, where we met and was served lunch.
We said our goodbyes. Mrs. Zhang then led us to a community center to which baby Shayna was taken after being found. (Or maybe not the same one but the one for the area.) While speaking to someone there, Ms. Zhang apparently determined that the then-director, who then (as required by law) took baby Shayna to the police station, still lived nearby; she was called, rushed over, then led the group, except for Shayna and me, to where she was found.
Rewind: One of the records viewed at the orphanage, which we apparently had not previously received, apparently gave the prior history, as it were: found (at a garage or not; more below), taken to the community center, then police, then the orphanage.
Shayna was very creeped out by the idea of seeing the spot where she was found so we stayed back with the driver while everyone else walked on, about a three minute walk from the community center. (Shayna felt unready to see the spot and had been worried for a few days about meeting her past. She wanted to wait til the next time she waas in Zhenjiang to see the spot.)
The area was I supposed working class, more or less, with, typically, must action and busyness on the street, lined with street -level businesses.
We got into the van for the a/c. The driver assumed we wanted to be driven after the women. I corrected him, he parked and we then had a Chinese-style fender bender. A van backed into us in the course of making a K turn (in reverse!) and the driver disregarded our driver's honk. Much scratching around the van's taillight two teeny marks on our minivan -- like two very little scratches. The drivers argued and reached a financial resolution i.e. our driver received a satisfactory payment. My car should have only such little scratches. Lily later told us that the drill is that the drivers would try and work out a resolution between themselves. If not possible, the police would be called who would then determine who was at fault, determine an appropriate sim and fine the guilty driver as well.
When Donna came back and told us that it was all cool and OK, Shayna changed her mind and we all went back to the scene. Adjacent to the tree is a new i.e. post-finding -- refreshment kiosk. Behind that, though, was a small courtyard, along the left side of which was a... garage, an auto service operation. While unimpressive now, ten years ago it must have been significant. Personally, though, I'm, well, intrigued by the idea of a baby being left at such a location....
Photos are here.
We then checked in the lovely but thin-walled International Hotel, made appropriate arrangements, freshened and then was taken to the Golden Temple(?), a temple in a park by the river. It is in a new park along the river, a sort of corniche, with high rises along or going up along its far side -- urban renewal.
Except the temple was closed.
So we headed out to an early dinner at the Mickey D's on the main shopping drag on which the hotel was located. Lily said, and proved, that my beloved DVDs were on the side streets off the main drag (which was essentially all retail). Two FF2s (at least one in English; second one an accident), a boxed set of relatively low-res Bond films (English with Chinese subtitles ), Ocean's 13 and Pan's Labyrinth -- for a hopping 100 yuan. (Got the second FF2 by discombobulating the woman in charge making her show us that the advertised disc was actually in the package and that it was in English.)
The main drag was certainly adequate, no hick town thing. Zhenjiang has grown up these past ten years. It's a popping little city now.
Then home to sleep -- while Shayna stayed up with FF2, which was still awesome, she advised.
I almost even recognized the train station on arrival. (This after confirming the three subsequent nights at the Galaxy, which involved, apparently, a wake up call to Zoe, who did not sound very awake at all at 0700. (Her agency had made the arrangements including paying in advance.) Great train ride, once we learn the hard way that we had reserved seats (the passenger in whose seat we were occupying literally pointed it out to us). Train was new, clean, fast, with at least one non-flushing toilet. Food was a beverage cart, not a pot of te carried by army personnel or people dressed liked army personnel (aged memory fails on this point).
Met at the station by Lily, the guide/interpreter whose agency was retained on our behalf by George Wu and from there directly to the hired vehicle and the ride to...
The Zhenjiang Social Welfare Service Center of which Shayna was cared for in its orphanage division, as it were, at its prior facility, since torn down for urban renewal. (We did not go there and the babies were brought to us in Nanjing in 1997 because operations were being transfered to the facility which we toured today.)
Met with, exchanged gifts with one of the girls' caretakers, Ms. Zhang, still with the orphanage, its current director, and with the 97 director, now apparently the #2 for the entire center. We were greeted in a sort of directors meeting-type room with a welcome Wang Jiang-Lu banner. We were shown records, some we had, some not, as well as the relevant page from what seemed to be the big book of adoptees, which had all four girls identified as well as a fifth. Donna gave them the printouts of the numerous photos of denise and the one of Julia.
We had a brief tour of the orphanage, now with a lot more or a higher percentage of seriously special needs kids. I should say, it was special needs heavy among the babies and infants, far less so among the older kids. Obviously the reason were told no photos or recording, although same was allowed in the private rooms, where we met and was served lunch.
We said our goodbyes. Mrs. Zhang then led us to a community center to which baby Shayna was taken after being found. (Or maybe not the same one but the one for the area.) While speaking to someone there, Ms. Zhang apparently determined that the then-director, who then (as required by law) took baby Shayna to the police station, still lived nearby; she was called, rushed over, then led the group, except for Shayna and me, to where she was found.
Rewind: One of the records viewed at the orphanage, which we apparently had not previously received, apparently gave the prior history, as it were: found (at a garage or not; more below), taken to the community center, then police, then the orphanage.
Shayna was very creeped out by the idea of seeing the spot where she was found so we stayed back with the driver while everyone else walked on, about a three minute walk from the community center. (Shayna felt unready to see the spot and had been worried for a few days about meeting her past. She wanted to wait til the next time she waas in Zhenjiang to see the spot.)
The area was I supposed working class, more or less, with, typically, must action and busyness on the street, lined with street -level businesses.
We got into the van for the a/c. The driver assumed we wanted to be driven after the women. I corrected him, he parked and we then had a Chinese-style fender bender. A van backed into us in the course of making a K turn (in reverse!) and the driver disregarded our driver's honk. Much scratching around the van's taillight two teeny marks on our minivan -- like two very little scratches. The drivers argued and reached a financial resolution i.e. our driver received a satisfactory payment. My car should have only such little scratches. Lily later told us that the drill is that the drivers would try and work out a resolution between themselves. If not possible, the police would be called who would then determine who was at fault, determine an appropriate sim and fine the guilty driver as well.
When Donna came back and told us that it was all cool and OK, Shayna changed her mind and we all went back to the scene. Adjacent to the tree is a new i.e. post-finding -- refreshment kiosk. Behind that, though, was a small courtyard, along the left side of which was a... garage, an auto service operation. While unimpressive now, ten years ago it must have been significant. Personally, though, I'm, well, intrigued by the idea of a baby being left at such a location....
Photos are here.
We then checked in the lovely but thin-walled International Hotel, made appropriate arrangements, freshened and then was taken to the Golden Temple(?), a temple in a park by the river. It is in a new park along the river, a sort of corniche, with high rises along or going up along its far side -- urban renewal.
Except the temple was closed.
So we headed out to an early dinner at the Mickey D's on the main shopping drag on which the hotel was located. Lily said, and proved, that my beloved DVDs were on the side streets off the main drag (which was essentially all retail). Two FF2s (at least one in English; second one an accident), a boxed set of relatively low-res Bond films (English with Chinese subtitles ), Ocean's 13 and Pan's Labyrinth -- for a hopping 100 yuan. (Got the second FF2 by discombobulating the woman in charge making her show us that the advertised disc was actually in the package and that it was in English.)
The main drag was certainly adequate, no hick town thing. Zhenjiang has grown up these past ten years. It's a popping little city now.
Then home to sleep -- while Shayna stayed up with FF2, which was still awesome, she advised.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
12 July
The end of the Heritage tour.
First stop, a visit to the Children's Palace, an exceptional school including arts and computer skills (little kids writing code!), which, I was told, is open to all requesters -- I was told that there were more slots among the city's 20 such schools than there were people requesting to send their children there. We saw theatre, computer hacking, and dance.
Next was a luncheon banquet at hosted by the Shanghai Overseas agency, brief speeches, and exchange of gifts.
After that, was shopping on Nanjing Road, Shanghai's famous closed-to-traffic retail shopping street. Yes, again, we were taken to retail land, not what one would want, bargains. (although the side streets/alleys offered bargains with a whiff of threat of bodily harm).
Last was dinner with a local family, in our case, the Dings. Three generations living in a small three bed/one and a half bath flat in a post-revolution high-rise. (The daughter, Ivy, a seven year old "one child" (per policy, we were told) sleeps with her grandparents, Daddy Ding's parents.) Ivy was adorable, with a modest command of english and a talented painter and pianist. Daddy Ding works for an American "global realty company", Prologis. Mommy Ding works for HSBC. The Dings own a car in Shanghai (which, Daddy Ding did not mention but our guide, Zoe, previously did: a plate costs about 40,000 yuan -- a not insignificant sum).
Although the Dings were presumably an approved family, so to speak, it was nonetheless a rare experience of street level China, an added bonus, as it were.
And then, the return to the hotel and farewells; we disperse 13 July (except for a couple of families who left the 12th). We ourselves want to be out 0700 for the 0853 to Zhenjiang and a brush with Shayna's origins....
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
11 July
First stop: Pearl (TV) Tower - another hazy day. On the other hand, while working on the 10 July post, we found a couple of sites, some with great photos of the city so that mitigates things a little. From, there we went to the adjacent Shanghai history museum. Interesting history, with a gap from the 1930s to date, just an allusion to Shanghai being exploited, as it were, for the past one hundred years; connect the dots yourself....
Next stop, lunch in the "old city". Or old city turned into shops, many of the rip-off tourist shops but with some legitimate stores as well as name brands -- make that global brands: Esprit, McDonald's, Starbucks. (A few photos are here.) Shayna and I shopped a little: she bought a "chop" with her name on it, I bought a T with the characters for "felicity" on it; bought the T partly because I wanted some black to wear, mostly to have something clean and dry to wear for the rest of the day. We hondled but undoubtedly could have done better....
However, mostly, Shayna and I hung in one of the Starbucks while Donna shopped for the orphanage and to get gifts for people. The child passed out -- baked by the heat again -- while I dozed for a couple of minutes -- no more, I swear -- but so deep that when Donna came in and grabbed the camera, it didn't wake me. The World's Funniest Tween
thought it all funny....
Next was a tour of a gorgeous adjacent garden, the Yu Yuan garden: unbelivably beautiful.
From there, we went to dinner at a very nice hotel; food so-so, space a little luxe. A/c , water and a little food got the child back to normal.
From there, we went to a nighttime cruise on the Huangpu River. (A couple of photos, better than mine, are here.) It's true; both sides of the river, even north of the office buildings, are amazing. One could spend weeks walking Shanghai firing off awesome shots... of course, I like the discrepancy or contrast shots best, the today and yesterday shots....
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
10 July
Morning off, more or less -- so Shayna slept til 10:00 -- when she was awakened (as opposed to, like, waking up on her own).
Ad eventually off to Shanghai and our stay at the Galaxy Hotel.
After check-in and a refresh, dinner at the Seagull Restaurant (photos)on the east side of Shanghai. Everything there more than like four floors high is new since we were there in '97 (only a slight exaggeration, I'm sure.) Photos can be seen here and here and here and here (the last is an awesome site of photos) and a nice one is here.
On the ride back, local guide "Zoe" sang a song -- so we rioted and got all of the other guides to each sing a song and a few o the little kids sang as well. (A tween that won 50 yuan the night before refused to sing; probably not enough money involved now that she's, like, a pro.)
Ad eventually off to Shanghai and our stay at the Galaxy Hotel.
After check-in and a refresh, dinner at the Seagull Restaurant (photos)on the east side of Shanghai. Everything there more than like four floors high is new since we were there in '97 (only a slight exaggeration, I'm sure.) Photos can be seen here and here and here and here (the last is an awesome site of photos) and a nice one is here.
On the ride back, local guide "Zoe" sang a song -- so we rioted and got all of the other guides to each sing a song and a few o the little kids sang as well. (A tween that won 50 yuan the night before refused to sing; probably not enough money involved now that she's, like, a pro.)
9 July
A four hour cruise on the Li River, between the high hils of the region. A joy for the adults while the kids mostly stayed down elow and inside, reading, playing cards, Nintendo, whatever.
Had, missed chance to taste 80-proof snake wine; did see and photographed the seller though.
Disembarked and ran the gauntlet to the bus, as it were, through sellers and beggars.
Had, missed chance to taste 80-proof snake wine; did see and photographed the seller though.
Disembarked and ran the gauntlet to the bus, as it were, through sellers and beggars.
Photos (including the mysterious woman in the black dress waiting above the river) are here.
After that, a walk through the overlit Qixingdong Seven Star Cave. So much embellishment, as it were, the authenticity was almost lost. And they were the hottest 64 degrees of my life....
Next was a banquest dinner, more precisiely, dinner in a small banquet room at another hotel.
Meanwhle, Shayna was once again fried from heat and maybe tired as well from a fairly relentless tour. She and Donna bagged the "banquet" and dined at KFC. Or tried to; the popcorn chicken was apparently not the Colonel's recipe but rather a Sichuan one: too for Shayna who apparently required a number of ice creams to get rid of the burning sensation.
Guilin photos can be seen here and even more and better ones here.
Next: On to Shanghai, and back to the real world!
After that, a walk through the overlit Qixingdong Seven Star Cave. So much embellishment, as it were, the authenticity was almost lost. And they were the hottest 64 degrees of my life....
Next was a banquest dinner, more precisiely, dinner in a small banquet room at another hotel.
Meanwhle, Shayna was once again fried from heat and maybe tired as well from a fairly relentless tour. She and Donna bagged the "banquet" and dined at KFC. Or tried to; the popcorn chicken was apparently not the Colonel's recipe but rather a Sichuan one: too for Shayna who apparently required a number of ice creams to get rid of the burning sensation.
Guilin photos can be seen here and even more and better ones here.
Next: On to Shanghai, and back to the real world!
8 July
On to Guilin, land of large hills (or really small mountains) and the almost mighty Li River.
Flight on Air China again perfectly acceptable -- and with a number of empty seats so one can move to where the three-across doesn't have thre seats filled.
Staying at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Guilin; the hotels have been descending from 5 to 4 to now 3 star hotels....
First tourist thing: a visit to Elephant Rock Park, across the river from Elephant Rock, which kind of, sort of looks like an elephant with its trunk in the river.
Next: Forget the name but involved a climb of 200+_steps to the top of a "rock", which featured a view of this entire city of 600,000.
Back to hotel for a tiny break and dinner.
On the way back, Donna sang her swimming song at the very loud and vocal request of he little friends -- who decided that Donna sang better than our Chengdu guide, Jane, the Singing Guide; not an accurate assessment at all but the basis was that the kids could understand Donna's lyrics while Jane sang Chinese songs.
After dinner, we went to a Cirque du Soleil-like show, "Dreamtime Luiang" [??]: Dancing, music, acrobatics (the rings!!) and a laser and some other effects.
Flight on Air China again perfectly acceptable -- and with a number of empty seats so one can move to where the three-across doesn't have thre seats filled.
Staying at the Plaza Hotel in downtown Guilin; the hotels have been descending from 5 to 4 to now 3 star hotels....
First tourist thing: a visit to Elephant Rock Park, across the river from Elephant Rock, which kind of, sort of looks like an elephant with its trunk in the river.
Next: Forget the name but involved a climb of 200+_steps to the top of a "rock", which featured a view of this entire city of 600,000.
Back to hotel for a tiny break and dinner.
On the way back, Donna sang her swimming song at the very loud and vocal request of he little friends -- who decided that Donna sang better than our Chengdu guide, Jane, the Singing Guide; not an accurate assessment at all but the basis was that the kids could understand Donna's lyrics while Jane sang Chinese songs.
After dinner, we went to a Cirque du Soleil-like show, "Dreamtime Luiang" [??]: Dancing, music, acrobatics (the rings!!) and a laser and some other effects.
7 July -- Bustin' Loose Day!
Or Liberation Day...
Spent the day in the People's Park with Ron and Mai-Ming Hollander. Amusement rides, watched singers, lunch in a tearoom (accompanied by massages for the adults), feeble speedboats on the park's wee lake, Ron and Donna did ballroom dancing. We later returned to the scene of the dancing where Donna then boogied with... a strange guy. Other sights: the wee babies, two Buddhist monks at the shooting gallery then chilling at the lake and a middle-aged guy with a massive reel of kite string with his kite, I dunno, at least a couple of hundred feet up. (Our local guide, Jane, the Singing Guide, later told us that they were fakes, that guys would shave their heads, and dress as monks to shake people down. Again, dunno, but didn't seem these two do any shaking.)
We returned to the hotel then we five went to a nearby restaurant recommended by the front desk. Again, as in the case of the park, I navigated us flawlessly, like a Chengdu native.
But while five of us went to the restaurant, only four dined. So after dinner, I shlepped Shayna to KFC -- except we never quite found it. (Saw a picture of the Colonel but never the actual restaurant.) Instead, spotted a Pizza Hut and got a cheese and pepperoni pie -- ingeniously made with the pepperoni under the cheese.
Walking up the avenue on the food run, picked up a couple of DVDs. As later at Pizza Hut and later with the ride back, Shayna did a little communicating in Chinese! The general couple blocks -- from around where the DVD guy was to Pizza Hut -- were all large stores, lit up and hopping; the whole street was hopping (DVD guy was not the only sidewalk seller.)
For the ride back (walking one way was fine, round trip too much for certain people), we took a pedicycle, which Shayna loved -- and I helped the driver with navigation -- I knew better where we were going than he did (he had the general idea but didn't know 100%.)
So ended our time on her own; fun, fun, fun and no danger experienced....
Spent the day in the People's Park with Ron and Mai-Ming Hollander. Amusement rides, watched singers, lunch in a tearoom (accompanied by massages for the adults), feeble speedboats on the park's wee lake, Ron and Donna did ballroom dancing. We later returned to the scene of the dancing where Donna then boogied with... a strange guy. Other sights: the wee babies, two Buddhist monks at the shooting gallery then chilling at the lake and a middle-aged guy with a massive reel of kite string with his kite, I dunno, at least a couple of hundred feet up. (Our local guide, Jane, the Singing Guide, later told us that they were fakes, that guys would shave their heads, and dress as monks to shake people down. Again, dunno, but didn't seem these two do any shaking.)
We returned to the hotel then we five went to a nearby restaurant recommended by the front desk. Again, as in the case of the park, I navigated us flawlessly, like a Chengdu native.
But while five of us went to the restaurant, only four dined. So after dinner, I shlepped Shayna to KFC -- except we never quite found it. (Saw a picture of the Colonel but never the actual restaurant.) Instead, spotted a Pizza Hut and got a cheese and pepperoni pie -- ingeniously made with the pepperoni under the cheese.
Walking up the avenue on the food run, picked up a couple of DVDs. As later at Pizza Hut and later with the ride back, Shayna did a little communicating in Chinese! The general couple blocks -- from around where the DVD guy was to Pizza Hut -- were all large stores, lit up and hopping; the whole street was hopping (DVD guy was not the only sidewalk seller.)
For the ride back (walking one way was fine, round trip too much for certain people), we took a pedicycle, which Shayna loved -- and I helped the driver with navigation -- I knew better where we were going than he did (he had the general idea but didn't know 100%.)
So ended our time on her own; fun, fun, fun and no danger experienced....
6 July
First stop: The Panda research center. What we did and see: a pregnant panda. The year's second newborn. No one said but from a film they showed, I would believe the cub was maybe days old. An older baby that, for 200 Yuan, would be posed with a child. Shayna posed and on course the cub wanted to snuggle up with her, get on her lap, give a little arm on the shoulder thing.
More: Approximately five lazy pandas, a few in that enclosure bothering to eat, most snoozing. An adult that posed with adult humans (for way less than 200 Yuan.). Another enclosure had the four I refer to as Manny, Moe, Jack and Curly: they, of course, expended much energy eating but at least also moved around alot in generally photogenic ways. Lastly, was the enclosure with four (visible) red pandas, being fed. This is a whole different species, beagle or terrier size, maybe a little bigger. Yes, they were so cute one wanted to bring one home.
More: Approximately five lazy pandas, a few in that enclosure bothering to eat, most snoozing. An adult that posed with adult humans (for way less than 200 Yuan.). Another enclosure had the four I refer to as Manny, Moe, Jack and Curly: they, of course, expended much energy eating but at least also moved around alot in generally photogenic ways. Lastly, was the enclosure with four (visible) red pandas, being fed. This is a whole different species, beagle or terrier size, maybe a little bigger. Yes, they were so cute one wanted to bring one home.
Photos from the panda center are here.
Here's the opinion of another person on another tour in or about October 2007.
As has become her custom, Donna bought a hat (one of two for the day).
Next was another lunch; if not forgettable, one one would rather forget. Again, the menu was mild but for a single dish, which is to say it moved away from local cuisine.
Thence to what could be called Recreated Old Town for Tourists, including a brief boat trip. This was all pretty much on the edge of the city, it seemed.
Donna bought her second hat of the day: a freshly made wreath of flowers and straw.
Then rebellion: Donna had been conspiring with one of the other parents to bust loose from the tour, to bag dinner and the plan for the next day (an aged irrigation system an hour and a half away from the hotel and a temple or something) to hit the streets.
Management took that poorly; management may fear a backlash from their "masters".
There was sturm and drang about the need to sign waivers, after telling us how awful and unsafe the city is. (Subtext: Chengdu is a real $#!thole.) And after earlier events, does one care? One does not.
Someone also hypothesized that busting loose is an insult to our hosts -- essentially party cadres or people whose loyalty is excessively to the powers to be as opposed to putting together an interesting tour that would include efficiency instead of a great deal of standing around; a little downtime and free time; seeing something of reality instead of propaganda. Management has been doing a poor job of serving the customers. Indeed, it was different last year, I was advised by one of the tweens who was on it: less time standing around and some downtime. (She was on the tour in 2006 with her mother who wrote a book about that tour that I understand we will be receiving copies of at the end of the tour so we shall see, maybe, what was what.) I was also told the representatives of the organizers of the tour mentioned these complaints to the tour guide agency and the latter simply does not care; it simply must be their way.
But I digressed: As I was saying.... We busted loose before dinner, after much threats as noted above. (Again, didn't know Chengdu was so freaking lawless.... Thank God for the protection of our personal cadres.)
So we got off the buss. The females cabbed to the hotel -- and we two dads took a pedicycle!
Yes, we bust loose -- to have dinner at Mickey D's; the kids had been going into junk food withdrawal and desperately needed a taste of home....
As has become her custom, Donna bought a hat (one of two for the day).
Next was another lunch; if not forgettable, one one would rather forget. Again, the menu was mild but for a single dish, which is to say it moved away from local cuisine.
Thence to what could be called Recreated Old Town for Tourists, including a brief boat trip. This was all pretty much on the edge of the city, it seemed.
Donna bought her second hat of the day: a freshly made wreath of flowers and straw.
Then rebellion: Donna had been conspiring with one of the other parents to bust loose from the tour, to bag dinner and the plan for the next day (an aged irrigation system an hour and a half away from the hotel and a temple or something) to hit the streets.
Management took that poorly; management may fear a backlash from their "masters".
There was sturm and drang about the need to sign waivers, after telling us how awful and unsafe the city is. (Subtext: Chengdu is a real $#!thole.) And after earlier events, does one care? One does not.
Someone also hypothesized that busting loose is an insult to our hosts -- essentially party cadres or people whose loyalty is excessively to the powers to be as opposed to putting together an interesting tour that would include efficiency instead of a great deal of standing around; a little downtime and free time; seeing something of reality instead of propaganda. Management has been doing a poor job of serving the customers. Indeed, it was different last year, I was advised by one of the tweens who was on it: less time standing around and some downtime. (She was on the tour in 2006 with her mother who wrote a book about that tour that I understand we will be receiving copies of at the end of the tour so we shall see, maybe, what was what.) I was also told the representatives of the organizers of the tour mentioned these complaints to the tour guide agency and the latter simply does not care; it simply must be their way.
But I digressed: As I was saying.... We busted loose before dinner, after much threats as noted above. (Again, didn't know Chengdu was so freaking lawless.... Thank God for the protection of our personal cadres.)
So we got off the buss. The females cabbed to the hotel -- and we two dads took a pedicycle!
Yes, we bust loose -- to have dinner at Mickey D's; the kids had been going into junk food withdrawal and desperately needed a taste of home....
5 July
Goodbye, Beijing...
Welcome to Chengdu in southwest China. A non-descript city of 12,000,000, with, so fr discovered, the saving graces of spicy-hot cuisine, a fun-filled public park and at least one beautiful gardens.
But getting ahead of ourselves...
Flight again was on Air China -- this time, the complete antithesis of the flight to Beijing: no delay, nice equiptment (featuring agequate leg and knee room, a timely departure (with an unscary takeoff) and a pleasant on-plane staff. It just about made up for abusive security prior to boarding; much wordse than rrival, which, when you think of it, makes no sense).
First stop on arrival was lunch somewhere across the city from the airport. Best dish: intestine-burning hot noodles. Needed more chili oil, though. (Per the local guide, "Jane", the men are fed and eat the spicy hot food, wash it down with bee and, still sweating, rip thier shirts off. But query: What comes nest? No clue....)
Thence to the hotel, extenuated cheack-in (of course; what else is new) then off to the "Peoples' Park" and then to a poet's house -- actually a huge series of gardens -- and numerous shops. Talk about running dog lackies of state-sponsored capitalism! Abd ditto the "peoples' Park" -- which only became a free park recently.
Much action -- singing, dancing, story-telling, fresh-made sugar candy, tai-chi, a goldfish pond, bonsai plants -- at the park, much beauty at the gardens.
Then a disappointingly mild dinner at Dragon Chaoshou.
The guide told us the story of her life: from a city(?) in the northwest of about 100K people about 500 clicks below the Russian border. Surrounded by desert, desserted on a Sarturday night because of lack of action.
*************************************************************
Meanwhile, starting at the Great Wall, Donna is buying bizarro cheap hats to entertain he troops....
Welcome to Chengdu in southwest China. A non-descript city of 12,000,000, with, so fr discovered, the saving graces of spicy-hot cuisine, a fun-filled public park and at least one beautiful gardens.
But getting ahead of ourselves...
Flight again was on Air China -- this time, the complete antithesis of the flight to Beijing: no delay, nice equiptment (featuring agequate leg and knee room, a timely departure (with an unscary takeoff) and a pleasant on-plane staff. It just about made up for abusive security prior to boarding; much wordse than rrival, which, when you think of it, makes no sense).
First stop on arrival was lunch somewhere across the city from the airport. Best dish: intestine-burning hot noodles. Needed more chili oil, though. (Per the local guide, "Jane", the men are fed and eat the spicy hot food, wash it down with bee and, still sweating, rip thier shirts off. But query: What comes nest? No clue....)
Thence to the hotel, extenuated cheack-in (of course; what else is new) then off to the "Peoples' Park" and then to a poet's house -- actually a huge series of gardens -- and numerous shops. Talk about running dog lackies of state-sponsored capitalism! Abd ditto the "peoples' Park" -- which only became a free park recently.
Much action -- singing, dancing, story-telling, fresh-made sugar candy, tai-chi, a goldfish pond, bonsai plants -- at the park, much beauty at the gardens.
Then a disappointingly mild dinner at Dragon Chaoshou.
The guide told us the story of her life: from a city(?) in the northwest of about 100K people about 500 clicks below the Russian border. Surrounded by desert, desserted on a Sarturday night because of lack of action.
*************************************************************
Meanwhile, starting at the Great Wall, Donna is buying bizarro cheap hats to entertain he troops....
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