Train To Beijing

July 7, Monday
Train from Shanghai to Beijing
(6:41 AM)

The day in Shanghai yesterday(July 6) was really HOT! It was a 15 year HIGH @ 104 degrees!
But we saw so many wonderful things. Breakfast was great.THE BEST BACON I've ever had...unbelievable. I also had an omelet and all kinds of great fruit. Breakfast also included CONGEE...a watery rice. There were various types of relishes that could go in it or sweet fruits...I put pineapple in mine. The breads were very good- I made toast from some kind of golden raisin bread, it was very good. My roommate John and I took a walk after breakfast around the block of our hotel...our very MODERN hotel.

What a difference a block made....going from our modern hotel to the what appeared to be "slums" of Shanghai...but what a great time to be walking around the area- early morning (7:30 AM) was a time of energy- people were out getting the day started...bicycles and scooters everywhere- bicycle bells ringing to get me out of the road- while taking pictures- so they wouldn't hit me...(lots of pictures of course). The girl in the butcher shop, the man brushing his teeth in the street... Shops of all kinds buzzing with energy and life in this city of 20 million people. The Chinese consider Shanghai to be their New York City- but twice the population. The pollution was rough...I had a tightness in the top left of my chest most of the morning. As the day progressed I became a little more use to it. The heat became what was on every one's mind- it was sweltering and of course the pollution didn't help. But even though it as so hot, it was interesting how much cooler it was in the shade...with a breeze constantly blowing...it kept it a bit cooler there.
We had a private coach for the day and it was very well air conditioned.

We spent the first part of the day in "Old Town" Shanghai- the highlight being the Yu Garden and the Old (400 year old) Tea House. (Again many pictures).

We then went to a SILK museum and saw how the silk in Southern China is cultivated- I got one of the silk worm's cocoons..and then bought a shirt, four pillow covers and a small purse for a friend of mine.

We then went to lunch and then shopping along Nanjing Road. I bought another friend a National China Basketball team jersey at the NIKE store. This road is their 5th Avenue.
My roommate John and I didn't do much more shopping there on Nanjing Road, we walked around taking pictures and visiting a mall (for the A/C)...to get out of the 104 degree weather.
While in the mall (8 stories tall), we played a video game at a large UPS/Olympics booth that was located in the center of the main floor of the mall. Our goofy American ways attracted (ok...my being loud and goofy while I played the video game) a bit of a crowd...some 20 to 30 people...cheering as I played the game. It was pretty funny. I won a prize of a small sponge volleyball with the Beijing Olympic symbol on it.
Our group left the shopping and headed to a Confucius temple...it was something else. The trees in front were full of paper "prayers" hanging in them. Others would then come along later after someone would hang one, and burn them...releasing them into the air/heavens. While there I purchased a personal stamp that had my CHINESE ZODIAC sign (The Ram/Sheep) carved on top, and then had my name carved in Chinese on the bottom.

We then went to an area that the French once controlled in Shanghai- the French Quarter. It was very modern and newly renovated. From there we went to dinner. All the meals have been AMAZING! We sit at a large round table of about 8 or 9 people and then there is a large "lazy susan" in the middle. All the dishes are brought out and put on this, and we spin it around and serve ourselves. They serve, bottled water, tea (hot), soft drinks, and beer with meals.

After dinner we caught a train to Beijing. The train station was a CRAZY mess...people shoving and pushing, and crowding around trying to make their train. It was crazy chaos. Then all the sudden some female official showed up (complete in hills and her skirt) and immediately shut down the escalator, and started yelling at people...etc. She had it in control in less than 5 minutes. It was something else.

Once on the train it was VERY nice. We slept in private cabins of four people. Each person had their own bed. I was in a cabin with our Chinese tour guide, and two other Chinese men who were not in our group. It was very nice, because the tour guide was off taking care of things (His name is Snow by the way), and the other two didn't speak English...and I certainly don't speak Mandarin...so it was peaceful and nice. I got nice night of sleep on the train.

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