THE SHANGHAI MUSEUM

We had hoped to got up to the top of the JinMao building in the Pudong District and glean another fantastic view of the city, but the smog was too heavy making visibility poor.

All bamboo scaffolding

 

We chose to make the 5km walk to the magnificent (and absolutely FREE) Shanghai Museum to view their vast collection of Chinese art and crafts. I’d struck out in my coffee search that morning so was ecstatic to see a European style café just inside the entrance where I quaffed a cappuccino and drooled over the western style menu. The western bathroom was practically drool-worthy at this point in our bathroom adventures, too. Toilet! Hot Water! Paper Towels!

Shanghai Museum

We pledged to visit all the exhibits in the museum and started with Ancient Chinese sculpture. We were wowed into silence at the predominantly religious statuary- intricately detailed Buddhas and the like, from 400BC onwards.

Buddha on dais, 400BC

Next, we oooohed and aaaahed at over 400 bronze vessels, weaponry and décor dating from the 18^th century BC. The intricate carvings were enchanting. The designs and patterns provided surprise inspiration for future tattoos (don’t worry Mom, it’s just a thought).





Bronze cow wine vessel

Bronze dragon weapon head

Tattoo ideas- bronze collection patterns

Set of bronze bells- used to mark time

Next the entire second floor was dedicated to ceramics- not surprising since porcelain is one of China’s most revered gifts to the world. As we progressed through the ages, you could clearly see the evolution in technique and artistry. I certainly learned a wealth of interesting information about porcelain, and will now regard my Sears stoneware with some disappointment in comparison to the treasures seen here.

early porcelain dragon

Porcelain pillow- yes they slept on porcelain and stone pillows

Ming Dynasty red underglaze vase

Ming Dynasty vase- fantastic colour and patterning

Museum fatigue was starting to sink in, but we pressed on—two more floors to go.

The Seal (chops) Gallery was fascinating. The artistry and politics behind official and personal seals was very intriguing.

Next we were wowed by Chinese calligraphy- I didn’t know there were so many schools and styles of Chinese characters (4 main types, including Official Script- used in most public buildings, signage, advertisements, written publications etc).

Salmon leather ceremonial dress- yes, salmon leather, and yes, I want some salmon leather boots

Intricate jade carving

The fourth floor housed a number of smaller collections- a touring collection of Faberge and Russian jewellery, then Chinese currency, fabric and furniture. It was all starting to blur by now and we were exhausted after our three and a half hour culture binge.

early Chinese coins- shaped like garden hoe heads

Early sword-shaped coins- easily strung together but still not very practical

gorgeous red lacquer furniture set

Pastry to the rescue!

David and Helen had spotted the third floor snack shop and rejuvenated themselves with carbohydrates immediately. We had heard that pizzas could be had nearby and hatched a plan to walk or take a cab to this mythical place to stuff ourselves on cheese and dough.

Each local waved (Chinese don’t point- its considered very rude) in the general same direction every time we asked Pizza??? followed by eating pizza motions (not exactly my star moment in international relations but it was indeed a near emergency). We took this consensus as a good sign and kept walking.

Random Shanghai building

We ended up at a Chinese brand mall with thankfully a Starbucks where I could get a solid English speaker. It sounded almost too good to be true when the barista informed me that there was a Papa Joe’s on the bottom floor.

another ultramod building, Shanghai

Unfortunately, it actually WAS too good to be true as it was closed for renovations. Luckily, it was right next door to THE BEST RESTAURANT IN THE ENTIRE WORLD (or so it seemed at the time) where the entire menu was western and had just about every western food item you could think of.

Suzanne and I ran the menu with salads, spaghetti, tropical fruit smoothies and narrowly missed a big collision with their 5 page dessert menu.

We noticed many of the locals around us were eating their entire meal (including melting ice cream sundaes) at the same time as the rest of their meal. Maybe this is because they are used to eating communally and everything at the same time? But it seemed so weird to see someone take a bite of chicken tetrazinni, then dip the same fork right into their yogurt parfait. But we seem weird to THEM so I guess we are even.

I snagged a salad doggy bag (don’t ask for that here---could have an entirely different meaning…) that I could eat later on the night train and we waddled quickly back to our hotel to get ready for the last stop on our trip—Beijing.

Spaceley Space Sprockets? Shanghai

SHANGHAI’D in SHANGHAI

Just like that Nazareth classic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikZNQAMub6A

“ I woke up groggy, my sight was smoggy” and we were in Shanghai!

I felt like I’d just stepped into a Jetsons episode-  looking up at the space-aged, neon-flashing skyscrapers I kept waiting for our taxi to leave the ground for SpacePad Apartments.

My head wobbled -gawking at the architecture as we drove to another nice hotel in the British concession, surrounded by whimsically-named musical instrument shops.

As we entered the lobby, I saw him---blond, blue-eyed, arms like Popeye… and as he thanked his buddy as we passed, I heard him----THE CUTE AUSSIE!!!! !!!!!

I’ve been waiting for you my whole trip!!!  And quicker than you could say "G’Day Mate"—he was gone…  L L L

Best Friends Guitar Store, Shanghai

Famished, we ordered fast foodish Chinese grub in the hotel restaurant, freshened up and jumped another cab down to Old Shanghai.

Sadly, not a single opium den in sight but, regardless, Old Shanghai did not disappoint. 

Classic wooden Chinese architecture, crooked backstreets, flashing lights, massive crowds- it was pure, unadulterated sensory overload.



Old Shanghai



Every bright doorway pumped music and beckoned you to come in and Buy Buy Buy! I wanted everything I saw and my daypack was full of souvenirs in mere minutes. I resisted the siren’s song just long enough to toss back an espresso and break the spell.

YOU MUST BUY in Old Shanghai

Then it was on to the Yu Yuan Gardens- one of the most-visited places in Shanghai. Yu Yuan Gardens, located in Old Shanghai was constructed in 1577 and reconstructed in 1956.

The gardens were originally owned and built by a government officer for the enjoyment of his aging parents. They are absolutely delightful and I can’t think of a better gift for an aging parent (hint hint darling Ceilidh).

Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai

Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai

To enter, one must first cross the moat a via a zig-zag bridge—constructed this way as evil spirits can’t turn corners. Once inside and past the teahouse, lies 5 acres of pavilions, corridors, streams, courtyards and gardens- beautiful. The crowds and time crunch somewhat diminished my pleasure, but reviewing my photos later refreshed my memory and spirit.

Dragon Wall, Yu Yuan Gardens, Shanghai

Our group lost each other in the labyrinthine gardens, met up at Starbucks again and then went our separate ways for more retail therapy. My pack and both arms were full of swag by this time, so I welcomed a quick break near at our hotel so I could drop my booty off.

Nighttime in Old Shanghai

Now it was prime time to stroll along the famous Bund and gaze across the harbour at the spectacular Pudong skyline.



The Bund, Shanghai



The waterfront Bund area is a mile long picturesque stretch of late 19th and early 20^th century Western architecture overlooking the HuangPu River. In sharp contrast, the Pudong district across the river houses some of the tallest and most spectacular ultra modern architecture in the world.



Pudong District, Shanghai



Strangely and quite unfortunately, the Bund had a decided lack of snacks and beverage opportunities- both of which our group was in dire need of after this length of waterside stroll.

Helen, David and I  tucked into a carnivorous late night feast and beer swig before crashing out- twinkling lights dancing in our heads.

Tea anyone? Tea Shop, Old Shanghai

XIAN DAY 3: THE TEMPLE OF THE EIGHT IMMORTALS

Jumped another public bus down to a very interesting part of the city-  the antique market.

A rabbit warren of small shops and curb side stalls awaited us: tables laden with old Silk Road coins, feng shui paraphernalia, porcelain, jade statuary and  other Chinese equivalents to our antique and junk shop bric-a brac (these places have that same metallic, musty smell worldwide). Interesting stuff, but I need to hold a yard sale, not attend one, so I soldiered on.

Entrance to Antiques Market, Xian

We started to see the shops morph into seemingly paper-only dollar stores- exuding  boxes full of thousands of enlarged paper money bills, massive paper doll houses, fake paper flowers, fake paper shoes, fake paper cars and even fake food.

I was starting to wonder if the sedatives were playing tricks  on me or I had walked into a David Lynch movie set, when our guide explained these were funeral stores and all this paper stuff is burned (along with copious amounts of fireworks) at funerals to be manifested in the afterlife for the departed.

Who doesn’t like fireworks and a good bonfire? Sounds like a good way to go to me. There were colossal books and boxes full of paper punch-out beverages, clothes, jewellery, boats, TVs, stereos, you name it- you could burn it.  Trippy! And the only market yet where merchants weren’t hustling us.

The market morphed again into a fortune-teller area where rooms of traditionally dressed and long bearded “wise” men reportedly held court with higher powers. Our guide said they would tell our fortunes by looking at our hands. I replied that I figure my fortune would miraculously improve if they looked at my wallet, and passed at the opportunity. 

In my mind, the best way to predict your future is to create it- be your own fortune teller.

Onwards to the biggest Taoist temple in Xian (and in fact most of China)- The Temple of the Eight Immortals. 

Maybe it had just been too early in the AM for wacky, but this beautiful temple complex was a welcome break from the offbeat markets we had visited that morning. The inner complex had a stone “wish” bridge and a beautiful fountain/koi pond enclosure where you could toss coins and make a wish.

Wish pond, Eight Immortals Temple, Xian

I lit incense again for friends, family and a safe journey at the main shrine, where statues of the 8 Immortals sat high on a dais.  A number of other shrines lined the four sides of the rectangular complex. 

Incense Burner, Temple of the Eight Immortals, Xian

At the far end was a lush garden guarded by stone monkeys with a mosaic Ying/Yang symbol in the midst. The monks seemed to respect my reverence as they always returned my namaste nod.

Monkey Guardian, Temple of the Eight Immortals, Xian

This marked the end of our pleasant visit to intriguing Xian, and we were off to the train station for another magical overnight trip. Getting into that train station was what I imagine attending World Cup soccer game to be like and what I know a Metallica concert mosh pit to be like, but add lots of luggage.

Approximately 1000 harried and overly-baggaged people converging on one security checkpoint and luggage x-ray wicket. The crowd was so tightly packed and strong that I was dangerously pulled off my feet on a few occasions and when I threw off my backpack onto the conveyor belt, realized with a shriek that there was a frightened and embarrassed teenaged girl’s hair (teenaged girl painfully still attached) caught in the strap. I had wanted to embrace the culture and really get close to the people on this trip, but that level proximity was a bit much.

None of our intrepid group wanted to brave that entrance ordeal again to get fast food, so we resigned ourselves to gathering around a station pillar to people-watch and devour the usual convenience store fare before boarding.

I made a reconnaissance visit to the bathroom: discovered it was of the stall-less, door-less trench variety- ran back out and vowed to hold it until Shanghai if I had to.

Looking down from my top bunk at Helen and our guide, overnight train

This train was the newest, cleanest and best featured one we’d been on. Not that it made for improved sleeping or faster travel…I hunkered down (up- 9 feet up to be exact) with my laptop and novel to pass the time until lights out.

Tomorrow, Shanghai!

Dragons and roofline, Temple of the Eight Immortals, Xian

XIAN DAY 2: THE TERRACOTTA ARMY

Powered by another delectable breakfast of Isogenics protein bar and Coke Zero, we were off to catch a public bus for an hour-long bus ride to the site of the terracotta warriors.

Despite the bus’ state of decrepitude, the early hour and the warm sun streaming through the windows had our group back fast asleep in minutes.

The site itself is massive – huge parking lots of buses and cars full of people. The terracotta warriors are one of the biggest attractions in China and millions come every year to marvel at the sight. We walked to the entrance gates and met our guide. Our guide who’d been with us throughout our trip was not allowed to serve in this area, as local guides protect their own economy. She was very knowledgeable and pleasant, though a perhaps a bit rushed. She dismissed my coffee-hopeful excitement at spotting a café at the entrance, but mentioned there was a coffee-serving teahouse on the grounds we could possible stop at later on.

I have seen countless photographs and TV documentaries on the warriors, but nothing prepared me for the jaw-dropping sight when we entered the dome. Two football fields in size, Pit #1 houses approximately 6000 life-sized warriors, horses and chariots. Countess row upon row of armoured soldiers stand at perfect attention in the pit below. I was dumbstruck.



Pit#1 The Terracotta Army



Upon closer view, you could discern that each and every soldier was uniquely distinct in hairstyle, facial expression and size. It was uncanny and more than a little disturbing, especially with the chilled air and near-complete silence despite the hundreds of onlookers (the awe of the place silences EVERYONE).

It felt a lot like those sci-fi movies where the overly smug military brass and nerdy scientist types are watching the “dead” alien floating in the tank---- and all of a sudden it attacks!!! 

Plus, let’s not forget this is a gigantic gravesite, so the heeby-jeeby-don’t-wanna –be-here alone after dark vibe is pretty strong…



Side view near original wooden entrance, Terracotta Army



The Terracotta Army was created for the mausoleum of the first Chinese Emperor Qin She Huang @ 300BC. This emperor united the previous separate and warring state, built the Great Wall, set a uniform currency, written language, and standard weights and measures. He decided early (age 14) to get ready for the afterlife and had 74000 labourers working on the project for 30 years until his untimely death. Each warrior was crafted individually and took a couple weeks to complete from formation, to firing to painting and placement. They had all been  brightly painted but within 2 weeks of exposure to air, lost their colour completely. The site was discovered in 1974 by some local farmers digging a well. They unearthed part of a head, and realizing its importance, reported it to authorities.

Army was unearthed as rubble, and painstakingly restored

Archaeologists have now pinpointed 60 pits within a 56km radius, all part of Qin She Huang’s gravesite. They estimate there may be 60, 00 warriors, horses and chariots buried in the complex. Exponentially larger and more extensive than anything the Egyptian pharaohs ever did.

We viewed close up pictures of the warriors before they lost their colour, and you could see that even the fingernails and handprints were unique. The horses’ teeth were separately made- the detail and volume was staggering to comprehend.

All the warriors stood poised with weapons- but the weapons had either rotted away or been looted in a raid by another faction shortly after the emperor’s death. There were infantry, cavalry and archers.

The unique detail is staggering

Pit #2 housed an army headquarters and stables- only pottery officers and horses here. Pit #3 housed some of the archers and 2 exquisitely intricate bronze chariots.

We marvelled at the technology required to manufacture such quality and on such a scale almost 3000 years ago. According to our guide, the technology doesn’t exist today to fire clay at the temperatures that were used on the warriors, and the bronze work techniques used in the chariots is currently unknown and unmatched in modern times. Mind blowing.

After marvelling until our minds were numb, we retired to the teahouse for cappuccinos and admired the beautiful porcelain tea sets and cups for sale there. I had no room for (inevitably broken) tea sets in my back pack.

Gift shop jade statues- jade comes in many dfferent colours, though most commonly green

The group was quiet- the effect the sight of the terracotta army is just that stunning. We picked up a few souvenirs at the street hawkers, and enjoyed a meal at KFC before jumping our squalid public bus for a return trip home.

I need a  new winter coat... perhaps ocelot?

My mind was still reeling from what I’d seen, and the shrieking Chinese children’s cartoon and countless noisy cell-phone conversations was grating my nerves. Out of one eye a man was eating crabs and tossing the shells somewhere near the overflowing trashcan on in the aisle next to the step stools the ”illegal” overflow passengers were sitting on.

 One of my mottos for this trip was to enjoy the moment, but at that moment I felt better donning my iPod, cranking up Pink Floyd and putting another brick in the wall.

We had a couple hours respite before our planned outing to see the musical fountain and light show at the Great Goose Pagoda, so I took the opportunity for laundry and journaling.

We bussed down near the pagoda, and pooped into a great restaurant for supper, where I tried chrysanthemum tea for the first time- warm, light-tasting and refreshing!

Delicious meal of stir-fried chicken and peanuts with chrysanthemum tea

We crossed the busy thoroughfare to the pagoda, where there were probably 30 rows of fountains lined with trees adorned with Christmas lights. The effect was beautiful, especially with the pagoda in the background. The pagoda houses the earliest Buddhist relics brought to China from India.

In an instant, the music started and so did the fountain display- and we were al soaked! The fountain and light show went on for about a half hour and far does the one at the Bellagio in  Las  Vegas- the scale of  this event is 20X larger- the fountain site alone is the size of 2 football fields . It was incredible! I was so glad our guide recommended it- I hadn’t read about it in the trip literature or research.

Fountain and Light Show- Great Goose Pagoda, Xian

After the show, we decided as a group to test out the nearby Burger King (first we’d seen) for alignment with Western standards. According to David, the Whopper was WAY off- I wasn’t hungry but couldn’t resist buying the first salad I’d seen since arriving in China. I cradled it like the precious treasure it was back to our hotel- with plans to have it for supper on our next (UGGGGHHHH) overnight rain the next evening. At least the salad would be something to look forward to on that wretched commute.

I repacked my bags and bedded down- visions of flashing lights, water fountains and a pottery army in my head….or maybe they were just flashbacks. Regardless, I soon fell into a much needed sleep.



Yours truly, enjoying the vibe in Xian



XIAN DAY ONE

The fortified city wall is the first thing we noticed upon emerging from the train station- and its amazing to see- with numerous garrisons atop the 200 foot walls decorated with lamps and flags it has a staggering effect.

Couldn’t wait to explore it further on our planned bike ride that afternoon. Our hotel was a member of the Best Western chain- best room yet for space, cleanliness and facilities—shampoo, hair dryer!!!

We checked in, dropped our bags and hit the streets- stopping first to scarf down some delicious fist-sized vegetarian dumplings from a street vendor--incredible! We strolled along the bustling city centre---Chinese brand stores on one side and Western on the other. Many jewellery shops, but no reasonably priced gold dragons in any of them.

Who needs drive thru?

 We visited first the epic Bell Tower. In ancient times, the Bell Tower was used to mark mark the time for citizens during the day and the Drum Tower (which we also visited) was used to mark it at night. The bell or drum marked each of the 12 time periods of the Chinese day. The Bell and Drum towers in Xian are among the very few still in existence in China although all large towns and cities had them in ancient times.

Bell Tower, Xian

Famished, we ducked into the Muslim Quarter where we enjoyed big bowls of steaming hot lamb and bread soup. The bread was crouton-sized, gummy but not gelatinous, and the soup also boasted super-long, clear, thin rice noodles with the razor-thin slices of tasty lamb. Thick red chilli sauce and pickled garlic cloves were served on the side. It’s cold here in Xian- I needed my sweater and jacket and that soup really hit the spot.

We afterwards browsed and bargained through the Muslim Quarter Market area where we scored a few souvenirs ,then stopped for refreshment at the nicest Starbucks I’ve ever seen- post and beam construction, outdoor patio and a big gas fireplace inside.

Lamb and Bread Soup comin' up!

After our much-needed quality caffeine fix, we made our way through the crowd to the South Gate of the Wall. Just under 14 km in total length, the Wall completely encloses the Old City in a rough rectangle. The view from the top is great but the wall itself is even more attractive.
David and Helen decided to walk along it ans Suzanne and got a tandem bike since I had never ridden one.
A shaky start, and we were off impressing (scaring?) the locals with our bicycle prowess—taking the up ramps and bumping down the stairs while they lamely walked their bikes around these obstacles.

 We stopped several times to take photos of the city below and red-circled a promising bar/café district for later revisiting.

 We watched two wedding couples being photographed here, both the bride AND groom rents their wedding outfits for a photography session booked far in advance of the actual ceremony- so alien to us!



Xian City Wall



 After our bike ride of an hour and a half, we ventured to a café we'd spied earlier and spent the afternoon sunning ourselves and drinking iced mochacinos. On holiday for sure!

We walked back through the Artist’s Market and admired the beautiful paintings, calligraphy and yak bone carvings on display.

Ravenous, we gobbled down our supper of beef and potato (very stewlike), sweet and sour pork, chicken and peanuts, bok choy and eggplant- yummy!

Couldn’t get the much-needed heat working in my Arctic Circle room, so after much arm waving and head shaking with the heater remote control, they changed me to another one. Dragging my luggage and wet laundry down the hall was pretty darn fun but I soon fell into a comfortable sleep—tomorrow the Terracotta Warriors!!!



Met a couple of well-dressed gents down by the South Gate--not really my type...



DAMN, THAT’S ONE HELLUVA DAM

Another early morning repeat of the Chinese boat cruise soundtrack and it was up and at ‘em!

Our guide led us through a filthy dockside labyrinth reminiscent of a regrettably-Matt Damon- free Jason Bourne foot chase scene up to level ground.

Third Gorge

The extent of water pollution is sickening. There must have been a fifty foot swath of garbage on top of the water here.

There is a real pollution and garbage problem in China- with many contributing factors. Only once did I see a recycling bin (overflowing with trash). Garbage cans are rare, small and inevitably spilling over onto the street. Although spitting is not as rampant as I’d expected, it was still disturbingly common for a passerby (man or woman) to loudly hork up a massive loogie that was then disgorged with a wet smack onto the floor or street.

Between the bathroom filth, the garbage and the rampant spitting, its no wonder flu pandemics originate here- your masks ain’t gonna help people!

Early Morning, Yangtze

Our bus driver drove us to the massive 3 Gorges Dam- and it certainly is a engineering marvel. The ship locks and ship elevator (currently still under construction) were an amazing sight.

Ship Locks, 3 Gorges Dam

Yichang was another underwhelming city of 1.5 million, although much cleaner and less smoggy than Chongqin. They had also made some real attempts at greenspace beautification- we enjoyed a stroll along the riverside park, watching the obviously desperate fishermen. We then climbed up the 8 flights of stairs to mount the stunning white 2 span cable Yilang bridge.



Me atop Yilang Bridge



Yilang Bridge

We then walked back through the city centre, lunched at KFC (same but different) and then split up to shop the big mall. I bought a linen scarf and admired many of the clothes. The shoe store we visited must have had a thousand pairs of shoes and boots, but I was a good girl and didn’t buy any (really---too expensive and no room).



Like a kid in a candy store



We stocked up for our train trip at WalMart (also similar but different- this one had live frogs in the meat dept). We picked up our stored bags at the train station and boarded for Xian.

A familar store -but no greeter!

I am tiring of these dirty, slow trains- hard to sleep, no room, frightening toilets and nothing t eat except what you pack in (which you have to first carry, then sleep with). My routine has become watching movies until my battery runs out, read until exhaustion, take a sleeping pill and pray for sleep.

On this jaunt, Chinese Businessman one bunk over decided midnight was the optimal time to catch up with his obviously deaf friend via phone headset. I couldn’t sleep even with a sedative on board, so I cranked up my iPod to down it out and I was soon in Dreamland.

Only to be awakened by someone stroking my bare toes that had escaped the blanket (not an invitation!). A gave a helluva kick in the pitch dark to my Foot Fetishist/French Pedicure Enthusiast/Chinese Businessman?, and laid a curse on the army of creeps that boasts membership worldwide.

After that rude awakening, sleep eluded me. I took a mental tour of my house, tallying up all the repairs and upgrades to be done room by room. A disturbingly long list, but it did the trick and the next thing I woke up in the great city of Xian!