*Note: Click images to enlarge.
27 November
Arrived in Shanghai at around 7am in the morning. Then we did all the usual airport stuff, found the tour group, dumped all the luggage in the bus etc. We followed the tour guide to the train station, where we took the Maglev train! As you know, its really fast, and it uses magnetic force to move... Oh, the train was shaky, do forgive the shaky hands as well.
That's bleedin' fast, eh! We took the train to the CBD of Shanghai, where the bus was waiting. We took the bus to Wuzhen, which is a water country with over 2000 years of history. There's actually REAL people still living in that run-down-and-smelly-but-lovely place! They hang underwear and wash chickens and all the normal things. (Weird, because there's an entrance fee.)
There was also museums there, showing some history and some displays.
That's a display showing a wedding ceremony. The bride looks a bit like a ghost...
Followed by lunch (food was lousy in Wuzhen), then took the bus to Hangzhou. We went to this really BEAUTIFUL garden! I don't know what its called (its name was written on some large stone in squiggly old chinese which is totally illegible) but according to the brochure its called Flora Harbor.
Perfect for a wedding photo, yeah? That was followed by a short drive to Long Bridge Park, where the Leifeng Pagoda can be viewed from. Yeah, Hangzhou is full of scenery and beauty! Wow I sound so cheesy!
I have no bleeding idea what the stupid signpost is doing in the middle of all this quietness and nature, but all I know is that it ruined the picture. We then had dinner and then took the bus to Song Cheng, which is like a zoo I guess, but tells you all about Song dynasty instead of animals. We watched a full-length theatre performance over there.
It was quite good! The lights, the sets, the props, the costumes, dancing, stunts etc. After that, we went to a hotel to sleep (:
28 November
After breakfast, we took a bus to West Lake and took a boat along it. I think I was quite sleepy so I didn't really like it... heh heh...
Quite nice eh! (: You guys must be wondering why there aren't any photos with our faces. Wait lah! All these nice scenery will be ruined with our weird faces. Ha ha. That was followed by a visit to the Longjing Tea Plantation, where my father splurged about 700-800 RMB on chinese tea. Bah.
After the tea plantation, we had lunch at some whoa restaurant (which was a HUGE improvement from the previous day's er, gloop food) and then took the bus to Nanjing. In Nanjing, we visited the Zhonghua Gate. I think its some war place where soldiers do who-knows-what. Anyway, it was freezing cold there, much colder than Hangzhou. Brr...
After that, we had dinner (by the time we reached the restaurant it was quite dark already!) and then we proceeded to Fuzi Temple district for a shopping spree! (: I bought a lime green belt there, but not for me. After shopping and all, we went back to another hotel to sleep (:
29 November
After breakfast we crossed the bridge over the Yangtze River on the bus. No photo because it was on the bus and would look pretty shaky. A visit to the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Musuem followed soon after. Its like this war memorial hall. The photos here won't be nice. In fact, they'll be quite nasty, so I won't be posting them here. They're pictures of skeletons. Real skeletons of the people who died and whose bones were found in that area. There are photos which are not that nasty though.
That was on the wall. Can you see the sad faces on these people? Those horrid J______ soldiers. F-
After that, we went to a crystal factory. The stuff there are like, EXPENSIVE so no buy. They sell real crystals, and they also have crystal balls where they draw inside and its really lovely!
This is gross! Can you see some dude's hairy chest and breasts... I'm nice so I zoomed it in for you (:
Whoa, dude, you gotta shave. We then drove along the Green Corridor, which is like a road lined with sycamore trees. Stopped by some Ming emperor's tomb. And I finally decided to post a picture of a person! I'm quitting the scenery only thing.
That's my little brother and my big dad! Aw he's (my brother) not looking. Forgive that, will ya? And forgive the tourists in the background as well... Its a free country so you can roam around (: After that we went to the jade factory, and you know that jade's boring so no photos of that. After the jade factory, we proceeded to Wuxi! We stopped by Tai Lake (outer area), where there was a beautiful sunset! (:
Its a bit dark (I'll just wait for my sister to help me PS it), but that's my full family, yeah. From left to right: brother, father, myself, mother, sister. I have a family-less version here, too lovely to be shrunk and posted, so its linked: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y197/felicelsy/DSC00224.jpg
And then it was an early night back to yet another hotel (:
30 November
First we sat on the bus to the inner part of Tai Lake. It was almost the same as the previous day's one (: We then visited a TV station, where we took a tram to the set where they filmed the show Romance of the Three Kingdoms. That's sounds more like a book though... I'm not sure if I'm right. Anyway, it was really nice, and we took lots of photos as usual.
This was taken at the entrance. Oh my gosh, this is like a competition between my brother and the poor dude on duty for the title of Most Tortured Looking Guy. The guy: Upset because his job is basically to wear some corny suit and pose in the freezing wind for ages while people take pictures of him like he's some statue. My brother: Upset because he can.
This photo was taken at a little room. I'm sitting like some chao ah beng.
Yipee, I'm talented. Pah! This next picture was taken outdoors (:
That's my mother and my brother and my brother's waving to us! *Waves back* Then we watched a war show with horses and fighting and stuff. It was quite cool! (:
After the TV station, we went to a pearl factory where my mother spent like 800 RMB on pearls. Bah. After lunch was the teapot factory which was quite stupid, because who knew a dumb teapot could cost so much? In the afternoon we proceeded to Suzhou, where we stopped by a park. It was really nice! There was this giant harp there and here's a picture of it.
Wahliewehs, there are two people standing there but I don't think its obvious. And someone fiddled with the last string from the left, don't you think? Its a little crooked. After the park, we had dinner and then we visited a Buddhist temple, Hanshan Temple, which I shall not talk about. After the temple, we went to yet another hotel to rest for the night (:
1 December
In the morning I woke up with a bloody fever. Oh well... Anyway, after breakfast we took a bus to an ancient city, Panmen, and its something like a Venice of China. Its VERY old! And they're actually people still living there.
Oh my gosh... What is with the underwear?? And can you spot the toiletbowl? Its the weird brown container below the green pail. Oh yeah, and there was this lady, we tried to peer into her house and she slammed the door in the tour group's faces. Aw.
My sister took the picture so she's not here. Anyway, although the houses are ugly, the scenery is nice! My mother's teeth look funny. Ha ha. That was followed by a visit to Qili Santang Historical and Cultural Street, where there were a lot of old bridges.
Pretty bridge there (: Then we had lunch, and then we went to a silk factory, where we saw how silk was made and stuff. This is a picture of the silk worm, but its quite gross, so here's a link! : http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y197/felicelsy/DSC00367.jpg
After the silk factory, (and a bit of shopping there too) we proceeded to Shanghai, which marks the end of our tour and marks the start of our free and easy! I vomited on the way there on the bus (ew ew). Still feeling feverish at this point ):
We took a cruise on the Huangpu River, and here's a picture of the famous and tall Oriental Pearl Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world.
After the cruise, we went to Chenghuang Miao for shopping. My mother went shopping on her own while me, my sister, my dad and my brother sat in DQ pigging out on Moolattes. Ha ha. After that, we went to Nanjing road to look around. The stuff there were so branded and expensive we didn't buy anything but snacks from Bee Cheng Hiang.
Colourful eh! It was really nice and bright (:
Hoorah! My favourite drink of all time. After an hour or so we went to the Bund where we took a really special train (underwater) to the Oriental Pearl Tower (at night). The train was really cool and high-tech! I feel like going (in a cho-lor black American accent) this is the new Shanghai, baybeh. Sh-aeh-ng-hai. Not Sh-ah-ng-hai. What an insult. Anyway, the famous tower.
My sister took like 30 pictures of this tower. There was lights everywhere and shakes will be very obvious and ugly, even at the slightest movement. In the end, she succeeded (: Please, do not give up and buy an anti-shake camera. Do try, its possible.
After that we went back to sleep (: In? Yet another hotel.
2 December
Fever was much better. After a really late breakfast, we went to the Foot Reflexology Centre where the older members of the tour group got a free massage while the younger ones have to stay shut up in this weird room where we're supposed to watch TV. Worst of all, they were showing some lame period drama.
After lunch, we went to Xianyang Road. 5 hours of free and easy shopping. Because? Its the Road of Fake Goods.
That was followed by dinner, and then a farewell session to our tour guides because it was the end of the tour.
3 December
This was a totally free and easy day. We 5 took a cab to Underwater Sea, which is like Underwater World. Took PLENTY of photos! :D Because we realised there still was a lot of space in the memory card.
WTF? I love sharks?
You know what? These fishys are like screaming SNOG ME, BAYBEH.
Cool huh! Those are jellyfish you're dealin' with, sista!
This might freak people out: http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y197/felicelsy/DSC00563.jpg
And this is so ooh!
Ha ha. After we left Underwater Sea, we took a train to Chenghuang Miao. My dad said we should take the train for some experience instead of boring old taxi again and again. Alright, and this part is so stupid. After buying the tickets and all, we were supposed to use it to get through the barrier. I was like the last person, my whole family went through already. And guess friggin' what? My card was like, spoilt and I couldn't get through! Bah. And I started to cry. Then some guy helped open up the gate and everyone was staring. Yipee, I'm an embarrassing person to be with.
Anyway, we dropped off at some stop and then we asked for directions. The first person said, "Oh, its a 20 minute walk."
After 20 minutes, we asked someone else and the person said, "Oh, its a 10 minute walk."
After 10 minutes, the person said, "Ma shang jiu dao." Which means, "You'll reach there very very soon."
And we finally found it after 10 minutes of walking in the freezing rain. Ma shang. Right.
Went to DQ again at Chenghuang Miao and ordered Moolattes again! I was too feverish to enjoy much the other time so dad said we should visit it again. Then went shopping... bought a white leather shoulder bag and a brown leather handbag. My mother insisted on leather. Its more long-lasting, I guess. And puke-expensive.
Then we took a cab to Xin Tian Di and found a shopping center to "hide" from the rain. That mall was totally Paragon-ish. All the branded stuffz. Bah. I was seriously sick of these stuff. My heart aches for my parents' money when I look at those price tags! Seriously! Why do people go for branded goods? Like FCUK and United Colours of Benetton? Trust me, I'm no rich kid.
Had dinner at a Thai restaurant where the waiters were so polite! (: The moment we stepped in the whole row of them were like Sawadika-ing away. Then went back to hotel, packed up and slept early.
4 December
Flight back to Singapore early in the morning!
That was China, enjoyed it quite a bit (: Hope you liked the photos!
Lotsa love, Felice. (I know I'm corny lah...)
8:42 PM