Shanghai

Today is March 25th and we are docked in Shanghai, China.  We visited here several days ago but this time we decided to take a different tour.  Our tour today was "Shanghai from a lofty Perspective".  But before we could get off the ship, we had to go through immigration.  So we gathered in the theater to collect our bus ticket and then our passports in order to have a face to face meeting in immigration.  A slow process.  But we made it through with no real problems.

The weather today is rainy.  We have been here in Shanghai for four days and it has rained for half of them.  But the forecast is to clear up in the afternoon.  So our tour was a tour of the French Concession.  This is an area of a very high end shopping area.  And we just rode through it.  No stopping.

Our first stop was to the Pearl Tv Tower.  We were having lunch at the revolving restaurant on the TV tower.  The TV tower is the second tallest in all of asia.  It is a modern symbol of Shanghai City.  It has a height of 468 meters and is the tallest TV tower in Asis and the third highest in the world.  China is obsessed with being the tallest, largest, etc.

Our lunch was a buffet.  It included foods from all over the world.  I was happy the day was cloudy as you could tell how high up we were.  All you saw was white.

Lots of noodles which I like

The buffet had traditional Chinese foods along with others that I did not try but Bob did.

This was Bob's plate.  Notice the chicken foot.  And then he had some bull frog, rabbit, etc.   Some was good others not so much.

When we came back down, we saw this display.  It is done with mirrors.  If you sit or stand at the right spot on the ground, then it looks like you are sitting or standing on the wall.

We entered the Shanghai History Museum and it gives a history of Shanghai including wax figures.  This is one of the street cars used in the 1920's.

And while Mom worked, she kept the child restrained using the butter churner.  Clever but I am not sure it is child abuse or not.

When we came outside, it had stopped raining but was still cloudy.

This is the Pearl TV Tower from the outside.  The restaurant is in the second ball.

Our next stip was at the Yu Yaun Garden.  It is located in the center of the Old City and is the largest of Shanghai's ancient gardens in the architectural styles of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.  The garden was started in 1559 and finished 19 years later.

It was destroyed by the French during the first Opium War and later rebuilt.  The garden has 6 different areas each with its own style.  This is the Grand Rockery, one of the most popular areas.

This dragon is on the wall of the garden and is allowed because it only has three toes and real dragons have five.  It was not allowed by anyone but the Emperor to have a correct dragon figure.

More of the garden and its buildings.  We have been here many times before but it is always a nice walk around the garden.

Just a picture of the old and the new in Shanghai.

Now all the street signs are in Chinese and English.  Most of the young people speak English.

A tasty little treat that we passed up eating.  We did buy a Dairy Queen cone.

Back to the ship and we cleaned up for dinner.  We did not get back until after 5pm.  It ended up being a long day.  But a good day.

Cocktails in Horizon Lounge where we  saw some of the lights of the city.  I already posted them on our first visit so will not post them again except for one.

Dinner was in Compass Rose where I had a vegetarian meal and Bob had lamb again.

We stay here overnight and then leave around 5pm.  Tomorrow we will self tour and I will probably not post as we might just not do anything interesting.  And then we have another sea day heading to Hong Kong.