That's a Wrap China

Sunday, September 18th

After breakfast and packing, it was 8:30am when we left the hotel with just four short hours left to savor Shanghai before we had to leave for the airport.  My mom, who has never been away from my dad this long in their forty-five years of marriage, wanted to make sure she came home with a nice authentic gift for him from China.  So we headed to the recommended Silk Museum and Market, selling the finest quality in Chinese silks.  It was like dying and going to Chinese silk heaven.  After browsing through the massive collection, we settled on a red tie.  Go Terps! (Who are playing now btw... this time difference thing really throws you off.  The Ravens play tonight at 1am and we'll be on a plane somewhere over the North Pole.  Bet I'll be their northernmost fan.  I never like having to come home from a trip, but at least it's football season... it makes returning to reality a little easier!!)

Anyway, it's Sunday morning, now around 10:30am and the subway is packed!  Where are all these people going on a Sunday morning?  It looks like the NYC subway station in the Bronx after a Yankees game.  Once we dodged our way through the crowds, we opted for one last stroll down that infamous shopping street, Nanjing Lu.  Well it was more like a mad dash ducking in and out of stores... a last minute shopping excursion as time closed in on us.  But as we hurried our way back to the hotel, we felt good about our purchases.

We didn't want to miss an opportunity to ride the Maglev Train, which connects Shanghai to the Pudong airport at a top speed of 268mph.  It's currently the fastest train in the world... Yes, please!!  It didn't feel as fast as I thought it would... maybe that's because it was such a smooth ride (or because maybe I've already gotten close to this speed driving my car).  The scenery definitely flew past our windows.

We were excited to find out that we had been upgraded again to Economy Plus and had the entire row to ourselves.  This flight is shorter than the last, but it's still a long fourteen hours and forty minutes, so I'm not sure "shorter" is anything to really get excited about.

I slept much more than I anticipated on the way home... probably because these eighteen days were jammed-pack with physical activities and a bit of mental stress, as we tried to navigate in a foreign country where we couldn't communicate.  I think we're going to need a vacation after this vacation, lol.  But we both really appreciated the opportunity to have this cultural experience and open our eyes to an entirely different society and way of life.

It's fascinating to me that we all share the same planet and originated from the same path, but have such vast differences in appearance and lifestyle.  And I've never traveled somewhere before where I was considered "famous" because I stood out for being so different than the norm.  This was an interesting experience; fun in some aspects, annoying in others and even scary to be that noticed, putting a target on you.  But it definitely gave me a newfound proudness to be an American in the sense that our country is a blend of all types of people and cultures from all over the world.  Watching the Olympic Opening ceremonies this summer, when China walked in, it was obvious the athletes were representing China.  The same applies to most other countries, like India, Russia, Mexico and Italy.  But when the USA made their entrance, it was a representation that included a mix of all colors, cultures and nationalities.  That's really cool when you actually take a moment to stop and think about it.

It was nice to touch down back in the states and great to see my dad as he anxiously awaited for us outside of baggage claim.  He might have enjoyed being a bachelor for the last two and a half weeks, but he definitely missed my mom and is extremely happy to have her back under his roof.  They're the cutest!

That's a wrap my friends.  Another great trip and a new part of the world to check off my list.  Now it's back to reality.

Shanghai to Suzhou and Back

Saturday, September 17th

In true Mayer fashion, we always feel the need to fit EVERYTHING in, so we got up early and hopped a train to Suzhou.  This town, famous for its gardens and waterways, lies an hour west of Shanghai and has earned the nickname "Venice of the East."  We wanted to see Suzhou and at least the Garden of Humble Administrators, which was listed in an older version of my mom's "1,000 Places to See Before You Die."  However, we still had a lot we wanted to do in Shanghai, so this would be an efficient and quick excursion.

We arrived in Suzhou and made our way to the taxi stand, but after three different cabs shook their heads no when we showed them our requested destination, we decided to just get in the fourth cab. Once inside, I handed him the destination written in Mandarin and he started yelling, pulled forward, slammed on the brakes and frantically motioned for us to get out.  We're not quite sure why no one wants to take us to this famous garden or what we're doing wrong.  I'm wondering if the translation we are using is incorrect and if maybe it says something offensive instead of the actual destination? Either way, clearly we aren't getting to where we want to go in a cab... so we went with plan B, the bus.  This proved to be the better option as it cost the equivalent of $0.16 USD and was easy to navigate.

So now we're at the Garden of the Humble Administrators, which unfortunately is mobbed with people.  That's our fault for coming on a Saturday, but we didn't have another option.  The gardens were pretty, but I'm not sure they were anything better or more significant than the grounds and gardens we've already seen during our travels throughout China.  I find it hard to believe that at most, there are only 999 places in the world more fascinating than this.

At least our disappointment gained us some additional time elsewhere in town... to shop!  Suzhou has also been called the "Silk Capital" of China, known for its innovative, creative and artistic silk work, so we enjoyed looking at the hundreds of silk scarves, dresses and other silk items for sale.

We opted for a boat ride on the canal, but it was less enjoyable than we anticipated as they overfilled our boat and we were packed onto the small, narrow benches like sardines.  Plus the river had a strong smell that wasn't so pleasant on the nose, so we weren't too upset when the ride came to an end.

We decided to skip the second garden we were planning on visiting in favor of heading back to the train station in hopes of getting on an earlier train back to Shanghai.  Fail... We were frustrated to learn that all trains were sold out until much later in the evening.  We have an hour and a half to kill, which isn't enough time to head back out and explore but too long to hang around the train station. Geez, we're really striking out today, aren't we?  Maybe we should have just stayed in Shanghai for the afternoon, but at least we got to see Suzhou and form our own opinions.

I haven't mentioned this yet, but in China, the two most popular American chains are Starbucks and KFC.  There is literally a Starbucks and KFC on every corner.   Luckily for us, there was a KFC in the train station and we decided a little snack of greasy, fried American food might be what we need to put us in better moods.  I'm sure we were stereotyped sitting down to eat in that establishment, but it was worth it.  I was able to kill the rest of the time waiting on the train flirting with an adorable Chinese baby.  They seem to think the blonde hair is pretty cool as well.

Finally we boarded our train back to Shanghai and then rushed to Vue Bar at the top of the Hyatt hotel on the Bund.  A local had told us it's her favorite view of Shanghai and I have to agree.  You can see both skylines on either side of the Huangpu river and once again, we were mesmerized by the view.

Then it was off to the Former French Concession for dinner.  We had met expats living in Shanghai earlier in our travels who had raved about this neighborhood, advising us not to miss it.  They were right. A pedestrian-only street lined with restaurants and bars spilling out into the sidewalks amongst boutiques and galleries.  It was hopping... the restaurants were packed and people filled the street. We decided on one of the restaurants, sat down to a great dinner and enjoyed the ambience.  I could definitely live in this city.

And the clouds have finally parted, so when we got back to our room, we enjoyed a fantastic view of the Shanghai skyline.  I can't believe tomorrow is our last day already.  How did these 18 days fly by so quickly??

Two Sides of Shanghai

Friday, September 16th

In our travels throughout China, we've flown Chinese airlines connecting cities, we've taken the bus and now it's time to figure out the train.  The Hangzhou East Railway station was beautiful... Very clean and high tech.  The modern architecture is really eye-catching and contrasts with the stark, older buildings.  With the help of a nice train station employee who spoke English, we purchased our tickets and boarded the hour train to Shanghai.  They are very efficient here when it comes to security and ticket check boarding procedures.  Penn Station and Amtrak should take notes.

When we arrived in Shanghai, a light rain was falling, but we'll take that over what we dealt with yesterday... So we hurried to head out and start exploring before the weather got worse.

A visit to Shanghai isn't complete without a shopping excursion... For all of you who know me, I'm not a big shopper (unless shopping for my next travel experience counts), but apparently regardless of whether or not you are a shopaholic, a visit to Nanjing Lu is a must.  This pedestrian mall stretches for several kilometers and has earned a reputation as China's number one shopping street.  Besides a good place to shop, it's a good place to people watch... Mainly because there are SO many people to choose from!  The sheer numbers really help prove that Shanghai is the most populated city in the world.

We arrived at the Bund, a waterfront boulevard that offers stunning views of Pudong across the Huangpu River.  The promenade also provides a window into Shanghai's past with the Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings lining one side of the river and the futuristic, modern skyscrapers on the other. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll down the Bund and back taking in the atmosphere and that infamous skyline.

Then we headed across the river to explore. After a quick look back at the Bund from Pudong's waterfront promenade, we went straight to the "Bottle Opener", Shanghai's World Financial Center.  But we skipped the Observation Tower in favor of the lobby bar in the Park Hyatt on the 87th floor.  I'd much rather sip a cocktail while enjoying sky high views of the city, duh.  We timed it perfectly so we cold see the city in daylight, but watch the sunset and the lights come on.  The view was stunning and the clouds would come and go, but at one point we were completely enclosed in a sea of white... Eerie!

We could have sat there all night taking in the city spread out below, but we wanted to experience the Peace Hotel's famous Jazz Band, where the average age of the musicians is eighty!!  Sipping one of the authentic time period cocktails on the menu while listening to the jazz band, we were instantly transported back to the golden ages of Shanghai in the 1920's and 30's when the Peace Hotel was THE place to see and be seen.  I'm in love with this city... It has so much character with glimpses into it's past, but a focus on the future.

Before calling it a night, we walked over to the Bund to take more pictures of the sparkling skyline all lit up.  It's just so beautiful... Well done Shanghai.

Typhoon Thursday

Thursday, September 15th

The rain is back and the weather forecast looks worse than yesterday, so we relaxed a bit and took our time getting out of the room.  We decided to head over to the Four Seasons because we had read that their Hangzhou hotel is one of the top in China.  Like every Four Seasons property, everything from decor to service was immaculately done and we couldn't help but sit down in their bistro restaurant to treat ourselves to a fancy lunch.  We haven't done much on this trip at a leisurely pace, so we enjoyed the opportunity to sit back and relax.  We have major hotel envy!

After exploring the hotel grounds, we walked to the Lingyin Temple, which was a much farther walk than anticipated... Or maybe it just felt long since we had to do it in the rain.  The temple is inside a scenic park, which was mobbed.  I can't believe how many people are out and about in this weather.  As soon as we bought our tickets and went through the gates, the typhoon let loose.  It was pouring buckets as we tried to light our incense in the courtyard, leave an offering and experience the Buddhist traditions associated with the temple.  This is one of the major Zen Buddhist shrines in China and the name translates to Temple of Soul's Retreat.  No disrespect to the Buddhist religion, but my soul is retreating right now... to somewhere sunny and dry.  I'm soaked... Even though I'm wearing my waterproof hiking boots, I can feel my feet sopping in puddles of water.

We took a taxi back to the lake to walk along the shore and continue exploring, but the rain refused to let up.  At this point the rain was running off our rain coats onto our shorts and we were drenched.  Before we called it a day and headed back to the hotel, we took a quick detour through the Hefang Street Market.  Even with the elements, the vendors were set up selling everything from tea leaves, to silk scarves to trinkets to fried insects.  There was really no great way to buy anything though because we had our backpacks zippered under our rain coats and it was hard enough keeping the water out even with the protection of an umbrella.  Not that I would have been brave enough to buy fried insects anyway...

At this point, we're done.  We grabbed a taxi, enjoyed long, hot showers and then headed downstairs for dinner at the Italian restaurant in our hotel.  I was excited to see a Pinot Noir from Forrest vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand, on the menu... I had done a wine tasting there when I traveled through New Zealand in December, so we ordered a bottle!

We also tried the famous Longjing tea, aka "Dragon Well" tea.  It's a fine and delicate green tea that is cultivated in the Longjing Village, just a thirty minute drive from Hangzhou.  The Chinese suggest a minimum of eight cups a day to ensure longevity, but I'm thinking that might be a hoax at $7.50 USD per cup.  At least that's what we paid for our taste.  I'm not a tea connoisseur, but I give it two thumbs up... I drank every last drop, which might have also had something to do with getting my money's worth.

We were very disappointed that the clouds didn't break long enough for us to get a peak at the full moon tonight as this was one of the things we were looking forward to most when we were planning our China trip.  It's a shame we didn't get a dry, sunny day to experience this town, but based on how it was bustling in this weather, we can only imagine the scene on a nice day.

Singing (and Biking) in the Rain

Wednesday, September 14th

So if you're tired and need a good wake-up, the adrenaline of almost missing a flight in a foreign country where you can't communicate will do the trick.  We were twenty minutes later getting ourselves out of the hotel in the morning, then had trouble getting a cab.  So much for not drawing extra attention to ourselves... We were those crazy Americans running through the airport, arms flailing, making a scene.  But we made it with just a couple minutes to spare... Hangzhou here we come!

Hangzhou is located about two hours southwest of Shanghai and is one of China's most livable cities thanks to the many parks and green spaces.  But the major draw is West Lake, surrounded by hilly tea plantations, beautiful pagodas and temples making for a picturesque setting that has been inspiration for Chinese poets, painters and philosophers.  The lake is a popular vacation destination throughout China and I imagine will shortly become well known among foreign travelers as it was the host city for this year's G20 summit over Labor Day weekend.  We missed President Obama by two weeks!

We had prior warning thanks to weather.com, but we were still disappointed when we touched down to gray, rainy skies.  In fact, it looks like we're going to have rainy weather for the rest of our trip.  But we are in typhoon season, so I guess we need to be thankful that we've had great weather up until this point.  It could always be worse!  Plus the hotel concierge told us Hangzhou is more romantic in the rain, so two romantic days with mom ahead... Sorry dad!

We put on our rain coats, grabbed our umbrellas and headed out to explore.  There is a full moon tomorrow night and the Autumn Moon Festival is one of China's most celebrated holidays.  Hangzhou happens to be one of the best places to see the full moon and it's evident that many Chinese families are in town to celebrate, as the tree-lined paths along the lake are dotted with colorful umbrellas of people strolling in the rain.  I like that the Asian culture doesn't let Mother Nature ruin their plans.  We're not going to let it ruin ours either!

Biking around the lake is a popular pastime here.  In fact, Hangzhou was the first city in China to launch a bike share program back in 2008 and today it is the country's largest with 66,500 bikes available for rent.  We were back and forth as to whether or not we should attempt this in the rain, but as we were contemplating, two bikers wrapped in ponchos pedaled past us and we decided, why not?!?  So we rented bikes and off we went.

This would prove to be one of our not so smart decisions as the narrow sidewalks were packed wall to wall with umbrella carrying tourists and then we had to dodge sightseeing trams, scooters and other bike riders.  Every time we'd turn to go down along the lake, a security guard would blow his whistle at us, yell at us in Mandarin and point us in the direction of the major road.  We ended up so far away from the lake, that we got off course and almost got lost, but luckily we were able to navigate ourselves back.  I'm wondering if the pedestrian only areas were set up specifically for the influx of people coming into town for the Autumn Moon festival or if cycling is that restricted all the time... because for a city that promotes biking, they certainly don't make it easy for cyclists to ride safely and enjoy their time on a bike.

But despite the challenges, the bike ride served it's purpose because we got to explore the area and by the time we returned the bikes, the rain had subsided, so we decided to continue exploring on foot.  But first we made a pit stop for dinner at a highly recommended Hangzhou establishment, Louwailou.  Once a fish shack, this restaurant is now the most famous in the Zhejiang province and well known for the city's most popular dish, the Beggar's Chicken, a whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and baked in a clay oven.  We sampled this dish, as well as, dates with lotus roots and pumpkin with lily bulb.  We also ordered a small bottle of Chinese rice wine... Let's just say we much prefer wine made from grapes.  We were the only westerners in the restaurant and felt like we were definitely having an authentic experience in addition to a typical Hangzhou Chinese meal.

After dinner we strolled along the lake taking advantage of the break in the clouds.  We found a waterfront spot to grab a drink and people watch and then decided to head back to the hotel to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Beijing in Fast Forward

Tuesday, September 13th

Welcome to the Beijing sightseeing express.  Please make sure you've had your coffee.  You might need it, even just to read about our last day in Beijing.  This was the opposite of a relaxing day on vacation.  This was a jammed-packed, run all over the city, non-stop day... But when a flight cancellation cuts your time short and you're not willing to sacrifice anything on your "must-see" list, what choice do you have?

After a big breakfast to fuel us for the day ahead, we started back at Tiananmen Square.  It was a much different scene from our visit the night before, this time the world's largest public square bustling with thousands of people.  I was too young to remember the tragedy that occurred here in 1989 when student demonstrators were killed, but my mom reflected back on it and what she had seen on the news.

Then it was onto the Forbidden City, once home to a long line of emperors, twenty four to be exact, and the largest palace complex in the world.  Even though we covered the grounds quickly, we were able to gain an appreciation for the magnitude of the place with 800 buildings and over 8,000+ rooms.  And we can only imagine the power trip the emperor must have been on knowing he was the only one permitted to enter this palace accompanied by select family members, concubines and eunuch-servants of his choosing.

We left through the Imperial Gardens and the Gate of the Divine Warrior at the north end of the palace and hiked up to Wanchun Pavilion in neighboring Jingshan Park.  The hill the Pavilion sits on was created to improve the feng shui of the palace using the land excavated to build the moat.  The pavilion is supposed to offer stunning views of the Forbidden City and beyond... on a clear day.  And it's nowhere near clear.  I wonder how many clear days they actually get here in China.  This can't be good for the lungs of the locals.

After working up a sweat climbing to the top... (the smog seems to hold in the heat and humidity making it feel so much hotter than the actual temperature), we decided to cool down with a rickshaw tour of the Hutong neighborhoods.  Hutongs are the traditional form of residences here in Beijing, narrow alleyways that open up into a courtyard with small houses lining the perimeter.  Several families occupy a hutong and share the common courtyard.  This style of living has been around for nearly a decade but is quickly disappearing due to urbanization.  Our guide was very sweet and helped give us a feel for the laid-back, light hearted lifestyle of these communities.  Plus we got to sit for a bit and our feet thanked us for the much needed relief.

Next up, the Lama Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist haven functioning as one of the most important temples in Beijing.  The grounds, with colorfully decorated halls and courtyards, were beautiful, but the highlight was the eighty-five foot Maitreya Buddha statue carved from a single block of sandalwood.

We hopped on the subway for the thirty-five minute trek outside of Beijing to the Summer Palace.  This is a royal retreat in every sense of the meaning.  The palace, sitting high on a hill overlooking the lake, is magnificent.  You can feel the money, power and royalty as you stroll the grounds, watching the dragon boats cruise the lake as they drift under willow branches hanging out over the water.  Beautiful pagodas line the shore and bridges connect islands, pagodas and docks.  It's a fairytale.


Reluctant to leave this peaceful oasis, but racing against daylight, we headed back to the city center to see Beihai Park lining the shores of Beihai Lake.  This is a retreat in itself from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city and our relaxing stroll around the city's largest and most beautiful waterway allowed us to see a different side of Beijing.

Crossing the street, we explored neighboring Quinhai Lake as the sun set.  Quinhai and Houhai Lake to the north, offer lakeside bars and restaurants with live music and a pleasant atmosphere for an evening out.  We treated ourselves to a local Chinese beer and an opportunity to sit for a few minutes as we enjoyed the lake scenery and ambience.

Then we hustled back to our hotel for a quick shower before heading to dinner at Made in China, a popular choice among locals and foreigners for Executive Chef Jin's famous Peking duck.  They serve it in three courses with the crispy skin first, meant to be dipped in sugar.  Secondly, they serve the duck breast, which is meant to be put in a potatoe pancake with celery, leek, garlic and their homemade duck sauce.  It's sort of like a duck taco.  The third course is the leg meat, meant to be eaten the same way as the second course.  It was very tasty, but one whole duck was probably really ambitious for the two of us and we left a lot of good meat behind.

Both of us can barely keep our eyes open.  I don't think we've fully caught up from getting just an hour and a half of sleep on Saturday night and then combine that with our intense schedule and the oppressive heat... It's a wonder we're still functioning at all!  Unfortunately we have a 5am wake up call tomorrow to catch an early flight out of Beijing to our next destination, Hangzhou.  I think we're going to need a vacation after this vacation!!

That Really Great Wall in China

Monday, September 12th

This day is finally here!! An opportunity to see the Great Wall of China with my very own eyes and step foot on one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  I can't remember how long I've been waiting for this experience, but it was definitely early on in my desire to travel the world.  I mean, the wall alone is reason enough to come to China for some people.

We booked a private tour guide and driver to escort us to Jinshanling, a section of the wall still easily accessible from Beijing, but offering the most rustic scenery with less visitors than some of the other sections.  We were picked up at 7:30am for the two-hour trip from Beijing city, so we got to witness Beijing's rush hour traffic.  They definitely drive less chaotic here than in the other China cities we've visited, but it's bumper to bumper in every direction.

Zhang, our guide, is very nice and has a great sense of humor.  He was making us laugh as he supplied us with Beijing facts on our way out of the city.  In all seriousness though, this city is huge... Home to thirty million people!!!  To put that number in perspective for you, that's 3.5 times the population of New York City.  Insane, right?!??

As we got further away from Beijing and the cloud of pollution, we started to see blue sky.  Just an hour or so outside the city into the countryside makes such a difference.  And I think Happy Buddha is making it up to us today, because we couldn't have asked for more perfect weather for this adventure.  As we got closer, we started to see the outline of the wall's watchtowers perched high on top of the mountain peaks.  I just got goose bumps!

Here we go!! After saying good-bye to our driver, we started the trek up to the wall, which is a hike in itself.  And then we were standing on the Great Wall of China!!  Is this happening?!??  The mountainous scenery is beautiful and your eye follows the wall as it snakes up and down the mountain peaks as far as you can see.  Even off in the distance, you can make out the thin brown line of the wall against the green backdrop and it's surreal to process how something this vast was created before modern technology as sections were built from the 5th century BC to the 17th century AD.

The wall spans over 6,000 km, the longest man-made structure on earth measuring a distance longer than the width of the United States.  Some sections have been restored and others are crumbling, displaying the original remains.  With Zhang by our side, we began our ten kilometer hike to the west.  There were only a handful of people on the wall when we started and it felt like we basically had it to ourselves to explore.

With every turn and every step climbed, the view was more and more beautiful.  It's fun to imagine what the scene must have been like as the kingdom tried to protect itself against enemies and invaders from the north.  Zhang was very patient with us as we stopped to have several photo shoots with the selfie stick and self timer... In fact, he seemed pretty excited when we included him in the action.

The 10km hike was strenuous near the end as we climbed extremely steep inclines on flat stones, not steps, with crumbled walls lining the edges.  My mom, who doesn't do well with heights, had some issues with this part at the end, but she powered through!!  This was a fantastic experience... One that will stay on the top of my list of favorites for the rest of my life.  I was worried I would be disappointed by the wall, because I had been looking forward to seeing it for so long, but that was nowhere near the case.  Hiking the wall far exceeded all expectations!! Put it on your list, if it's not already!!

We stopped for lunch on the way home and had another delicious authentic Chinese meal with Zhang ordering for our group.  Then we sat back and relaxed as we made our way back to Beijing.  It wasn't until after sunset that we arrived at our hotel, so we decided to check out Tiananmen Square at night.  We weren't able to get in the square, but instead had to admire it from across the street.  It is impressive, but was completely empty and felt very stark.  We walked over to Wangfujing Street, Beijing's 5th Avenue.  Even though the shops weren't open at this hour, it was busy with people out and about.  Our hotel is located on the northern end of this street, so we worked our way back to putting our heads on our pillows.  We're still on a high from the Great Wall, but also highly exhausted.  Night!