Girls Gone China

Hello Everyone today we are going to the Great Wall Of China there is so much history Surrounding it. We are going to visit Simatai, 110km north-east of Beijing. It is the only part of the wall that is still in its natural state and looks the same as it did the day that it was built. As no public transportation goes there, there are very few people who go to that part. The most popular part just outside of Beijing has all been renovated and even has a starbucks in the parking lot. Wow we want to see the wall in a more natural state. We are reading thorough some of the tourist books as we sit here on the bus and have found out some pretty intersting things about the great wall. Lie that it is 6,700 Kilometers long. As of 2002 only about 30% of the wall is still in good condition the rest is falling apart.

Today we are flying home and as sad as it is to say goodbye to this amazing place, I’m ready for some real Canadian food. After everything we’ve seen it’s going to be sad to leave it all behind but I think we all got our fair share of memories and souvenirs.
Our flight takes off at 10:40am so we are up early, its 6:00am and we are leaving in 20 minutes to head to the airport. Our hotel has a going away package created for us which includes some traditional breakfast, some fruit and coffee.
I hope our trip has influenced where you might go when you visit South China.
Signing off, Erika, Nancy and Nikki.

Well I can`t believe it`s almost over. Today is our last and final day in China so we have to make it count. There is always room for more memories and today I think we`re all ready to make a couple more. We’ve decided to spend out last day on the Bund, and visiting the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Jin Mao tower which are both located on the Bund.
The Bund, also called the Zhongshan Road, is the waterfront area - east edge of Pu Xi (West City) that confronts the newer development zone of Shanghai. We took a cab early this morning so we could get there before most of the crowds. The Bund has been considered as the symbol of Shanghai for hundreds of years. It is less than one mile in length, but a very popular destination for tourists. It is said that walking along the Bund at night is a fascinating site, as the entire Pudong skyline (across the river) is illuminated, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the 2nd tallest building in the world - Jin Mao Tower. We decided to start our exploration at the Jin Mao Tower then visit the Oriental TV Tower and finish our last night off on a boat watching the sunset and the lights hit the water as we cruised down the Huangpu River on the edge of the bund.

At our first stop of the day, the Jin Mao Tower, we were able to go into the tower and make our way up to the observatory floor on the 88th floor at a height of 340.1 metres. It is the largest and highest observation deck in China. Admission in is approximetaly50 rmb (about $6 US). An interesting fact is the Jin Mao Tower is home to the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, which occupies floors 53-87. We weren’t allowed into the hotel as we were not guests, but it looked from the sidelines as though it was very beautiful and with a 5 star rating, I’m sure it is very remarkable. The tower is also home to offices which occupy floors 3-50. The building's shape draws on traditional Chinese forms, especially the tiered pagoda. Another interesting fact is the tower is designed to withstand an earthquake of 6 on the Richter scale and the strongest level of typhoon.

After visiting the Jin Mao Tower for the morning we grabbed some traditional lunch from a little boutique and moved along to the Oriental TV Tower. The tower has three observatory levels. The highest is at 350 metres, and is called the Space Module. The second is at 263 and 259 metres and is called the Sightseeing Floor. And the lowest, the Space City, is at 90 metres. There is also a revolving restaurant at the 267 metre level. The Space Hotel is a 20-room hotel located in the five smaller spheres between the two biggest ones. This is a very expensive stay. We did grab a bite to eat at the revolving restaurant and the food was definitely a++.

After we were all finished at the Oriental TV Tower, we went down to the bund to experience the night life. We boarded our pre-booked cruise, which our hotel booked for us, at about 5:30pm. We were provided drinks and snacks on the boat but we were all so bloated from dinner we didn’t do much snacking. We watched as the sun set on the towers we visited earlier in the day and the lights illuminate the night. It was the perfect way to spend out final night in Shanghai.

It was our final exploration and our trip has come to an end. Tomorrow we will be heading home to Canada via Air Canada and we will be back to our normal selves, only with more knowledge, more memories and of course, more souvenirs.

It’s pretty late in the night and I’m ready for bed but I figured I would write about another amazing day in paradise.
Today was an early day that started with a traditional Shanghai breakfast we grabbed from off the street. I have to say I didn’t know what I was missing before coming to China. The food is wonderful, tasty and cheap. Our shanghai traditional breakfast consisted of delicious pan dried flatbreads with a scramble of eggs and chives folded in half and eaten hot of the griddle and the bao zi some BIG steamed dumplings filled with ground pork. We picked our breakfast up from a stand on the street where woman were preparing it hot right in front of your eyes costing us $3.00 Cad for all three of us. This was the perfect start to another day.
After eating a delicious breakfast we visited the Jade Buddha Temple which was one of Shanghai’s most famous temples. It is known for its white jade Buddha’s carved from a single slab of Burmese jade. Brought to Shanghai in 1881, the statues were housed in separate houses amongst beautiful jewels and stones. In addition there were also ancient carvings, paintings and precious Buddhist cultural relics. Unfortunately the temple was destroyed during the revolution that overthrew the Qing Dynasty. Luckily the jade Buddha statues were saved and a new temple was built on the present site in 1928. The entry fee into the temple was 15 CNY. The Jade Buddha Temple is a good place to go whether you are a Buddhist or not, the peaceful and transcendent atmosphere adds a kind of richness to our busy modern society.

After the temple we decided to find some old fashioned shopping. We had heard Shanghai is a shopper's paradise. Our Taxi driver from the previous day informed us there are various bustling commercial streets and shopping centers everywhere. These include Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, North Sichuan Road, Xujiahui Shopping Center, Yuyuan Shopping City and Jiali Sleepless City. We decided to go to Jiali Sleepless City. Jiali Sleepless City in Shanghai is a thriving destination for visitors seeking to buy something special as a memento. There are shops selling handicrafts, and gift items which could be purchased as souvenirs. There are numerous shopping that sell apparel, accessories and all the products are moderately priced. The Sleepless City is very popular among residents who come in large number during weekends and on weeknights. The Jiali Sleepless City features a market where there are a number of large of small shops. The shops are beautifully decorated and well stocked. The shopping area is well decorated and beautifully lit up at night. The Jiali Sleepless City has a number of eateries that serve up some good food which we enjoyed after our afternoon of shopping.

Well It’s definitely bed time now, I’m sure their will be more excitement to come on our final day- tomorrow. Goodnight for now.

Have you ever been scared of those rickety airlines flying domestic flights between to cities? Well that was the type of airplane we were flying on today and let me tell you I am terrified of these airplanes. Not only terrified but it’s upsetting how much they charge for more then one piece of luggage. But I suppose its quicker then driving.
We caught out flight today around 12:40pm and the flight from Yichang to Shanghai was around 2 hours, 2 boring hours. After we arrived in Shanghai we caught a taxi to our hotel. The ride to the hotel was very smooth and the taxi was very nice. All taxi drivers in Shanghai are bilingual speaking English, or they are equipped with English translators.
When we arrived at our hotel it was a sight to see. The design was very unique and very industrialized. We decided since Shanghai was our last stop we mine as well stay at a high quality hotel. The name of our hotel was Urbn Hotels. The rooms were rich in touch and texture yet minimal in nature. The contemporary design is complimented by all natural materials – wood floors, linen curtains and rustic silks in shades of cream, coffee and beige, creating a relaxing ambiance which was more then pleasant. Each room carefully includes all the modern essentials, and some special creature comforts, for savvy international travelers.



After getting settled and exploring the hotel we decided to head to the Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe which we learned about from a friendly traveller on the airplane. The famous Shanghai Acrobatic Troupe has performed around the globe and is a wonderful night out for visitors to Shanghai. Their movement is art - tightly choreographed and rehearsed endlessly. Taking place at the Shanghai Center Theatre at 7:30pm, as it did each day of the week, we decided to call another taxi and take it there. When the show ended, I really wish it hadn’t. It was so fascinating and I could have watched it all night. The Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe has dedicated themselves to pushing the boundaries of acrobatic technique. Though the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe has been around for years, they started playing their most famous shows in September of 1999, as the main event in the newly constructed Shanghai Circus World. And although the circus travels around the world; from Chicago to Rome and Sydney their main hubcap in Shanghai. And personally seeing the show in Shanghai was very cool. A few of the things we saw were Hula hoops where it was a simple Childs toy used for the acrobatics to spin, fly and dance along with. Also there was umbrella handling, where an amazing woman was opening umbrellas with their feet and spinning those umbrellas on their feet. Sometimes the acrobats even did two at a time. If umbrellas weren`t enough there was an act called through the tube where a man literally folded himself in half, after stretching, and squeezes himself, rear end first, through a barrel and out the other end. I would highly recommend this trip to the Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe because I assure you there is nothing else like it.


After a long day, we were all exhausted. Our first day in Shanghai was amazing, and unforgettable. But we were all ready for bed to get some rest for our next amazing day in Shanghai. We have a long day in store tomorrow. Maybe some shopping is in store.
Ciao for now.