June 17 has come around very quickly.It seems no time since we were booking our trip and looking forward to heading away for our 2016 adventure to Croatia and beyond.
Well the day has arrived for departure and best friend Lynne deposits me at the airport where we meet up with Brad for our last coffee in NZ.It is not a bad day to leave home,mild and sunny with no wind to provide a bucket ride north.
A bit of a fuss at the check in as the Air NZ assistant said we could not have our luggage booked through to London.I stood my ground and eventually it was sorted out.Apparently the kiosk was the problem.It has to be over- ridden by a real person to enable instructions for check in.
Well, we were finally in the air and off to our destination.The flight plan meant we left Auckland after 11.00 pm and arrived in Shanghai at 6.00 am ready for a day out in the biggest city in the world.
Shanghai is a city of contrasts.The old and modern exist side by side as do the up market and down trodden. It was possible to see old bikes converted with trailers to cart cardboard and recycling items alongside modern transport systems.
We found people to be very friendly and willing to offer advice or help you when they thought it was needed.Several times we were taken under a residents wing and given advice about where to get off the metro or how to get somewhere.
We were able to negotiate the metro system successfully and found our way to the Number 9 line via No 2 and then onto the old water town of Qibao on the outskirts of the city.
It took us awhile to find it as I imagined it was a destination which we arrived at once we exited the tube.Not so we found ourselves in the middle of a large urban sprawl with no signage or suggestion of an ancient town.
We explored the area and eventually a young women spoke some English and gave us instructions to the town.
It was extremely hot and humid by the time we arrived at the ornate gates that provide entrance to the town so it was nice to walk alongside the canals and see water flowing.It would not be a place to swim however, a little green for my liking but it was home to a number of junks and water craft. I expected to see rides along the canal but boats were tied up and patrons left waiting.
We wandered along the old paved lanes looking at the traditional crafts,food and stalls selling local produce and fast foods,Chinese style.Eventually the heat got too much for us and we decided to head for the tube and find cooler conditions at the museum.
We spent an interesting few hours exploring the museum.An impressive building on the edge of the People's Park and cultural district.
Shakespeare was celebrated here with an lovely installation for the 400th birthday of Shakespeare.It was beautifully displayed outside the concert and Opera House.
Later we went and sat in the gardens by the Lotus blossom ponds and watched the world go by for awhile.It was much calmer and not as hot as earlier and we had a violin player entertaining us as we relaxed our tired muscles and absorbed the different family groups out for their Saturday.Young children were having a lovely time out with several generations involved.
Lots of unusual selling stations were set up in this area too.We think it may be selling real estate but not sure.I had read about this was a place where families traded marriage matches with eligible daughters and potential suiters.
All too soon it was time to find the tube and head back to the airport for the next leg of our journey.
No comments:
Post a Comment