China Day 1 -- Shanghai

China!

We're back and glad to be home. For nearly three weeks, we've been touring China and having fun. We took 5,800 pictures and videos (and then deleted 3/4ths of them.) We had a great time and enjoyed seeing the vast beauty of China, learning some of its history, and interacting with as many local folks as possible.

We visited too many cities and took too many photos to post them all, so I think that I will just take you through the day by day highlights.

Here's the first day: (Shanghai)

We fly from LAX to Beijing for about 12 hours. Changing planes, we then head to Shanghai for another few hours of flying.

The good news is that you get to eat stuff like this: (Be sure to click on the photos -- especially this one -- to get the full view.)







We land in Shanghai, get through customs and head for the bus that eventually takes us to our first hotel, built in 1932, the Broadway Mansions Hotel,

I walk outside the airport toward the bus and and here's the first thing that I see. No joke. More on this later....

By the way, we are on a Friendly Planet Travel Tour called the Best of China. Check out our itinerary and a description of the tour cities here.

OK, let's get right to the important stuff: Donde' esta el Bano? Que? You must be kidding me. No bano? Get this: the waste basket is really for, uh waste. It's where the toilet paper gets deposited. I was surprised how well I was able to perfect the technique required of the "Muslim toilet." (Let me know if you want photos.)

Try using this bad-boy after you've eaten a Chinese Big Mac, sweet 'n sour pork, and three pounds of fried rice. The stall is about 110 degrees, 90% humidity, and filled with mosquitoes. And by the way, I really wish someone had told me that you had to buy toilet paper before you go in!

We are anxious to meet our tour group. At our first lunch, shown here, we start to get to know the people that we will be living with for the next 15 days. Fortunately, we have a pretty good group and enjoyed hanging out with most. It's amazing how Mellissa's mess made it all the way onto my spot.

Shanghai started as a fishing village in the 11th century, but is now called the "Paris of the Orient." It is a very modern city. And a very western city. Gone are the Mao pajamas and conical hats, replaced by the same western fashions you would see in SF or LA. Where was this photo taken? China, or anywhere in the US? Lots to see and do in Shanghai, (as you'll see in the next couple of day's posts) but I was glad to move on and get to the "real China."



It is said that Shanghai has more in common with New York than it does with China. Being there, one sees that this is true. Our local guide said that there is no China in Shanghai.

We head for Shanghai's famous 1,700 year-old Zhouzhuang, a Town on Water. Like Venice, this town has gondolas, which we board and ride around the old waterways.

At this point, we are exhausted, and after dinner we gladly spend our first night in Shanghai.

Next post: Day 2, also in Shanghai.