As I mentioned earlier my Son Eric wanted to go back to the states. SO we had to take him to Shanghai to get a plane. And since this country is SO huge it is a BIG ordeal to go ANY where. We are living in Feng Xian right now, (population approx. 100,000 give or take a few). The nearest train station is Xu Zhou, (population approx. 2,000,000 give or take a few). (An hour and 15 minutes by car from here). Our dear friend Pan Qi and her husband Yan Xun live in XU Zhou. So Friday June 27th we went to XU Zhou and stayed there until Sunday morning, then took a train to Shanghai. While in XU Zhou we saw some sights, such as the lake. Tried some new things (like eating dog). (Ate squid for the first time in Beijing).

Got to Shanghai Sunday evening, checked into our hotel "Shanghai Zhong Ya Hotel". A GREAT hotel at a GREAT price (thanks to Pan Qi). I took a few pictures of the view from our hotel room. Once in Shanghai, we got Eric's plane ticket, it was for Tuesday July first so we had some time to look around. We went to the HUGE museum there. I guess for a HUGE city (population 20 million) they need to do everything BIG! The museum is many floors (I don't remember how many) just HUGE! FAR more to see in there then there are hours in a day. We just saw a little of it. And didn't have enough batteries nor discs for the camera to take as many pictures as it would take to cover the place.

There is a place in Shanghai called "The Bund". I had never heard of it previously, but it is famous I learned. (It is listed in "National Geographic's" places to see in China). If you also know nothing of it here are a couple places to read about it, (if you are interested). Site One, Site Two. Plus 100s of others, just do a search for "The Bund". But it is basically an area along the river with a LOT of HUGE lighted signs (and buildings) facing the river. You can walk along the water front, and take a boat tour to see them. It's history says it was actually started in the 1800s after the opium war. ANY way we walked along it a ways and took a boat tour and got some pictures.

Speaking of BIG. China now has the world record for the largest of at least three projects. The biggest dam, "Three Gorges Dam", the largest ship, AND now:

The largest "Arched Bridge", the: "Lupu Bridge".

(Now remember we are talking about the arched construction). It is not the worlds largest bridge, just the largest of the arched type. ANYway I intend on seeing all of their "largest" record holders eventually. BUT for now we have seen the bridge. They wouldn't let us stop on it and get out yet. (It just opened Saturday June 28th so they aren't ready for visitors yet). BUT I got a few pictures on the drive across it.

Probably one of our highlights of this trip was the aquarium. They have a NICE aquarium in Shanghai, (the price to see it isn't bad either). They have a nice setup. This site is of the company that did the lighting for it, rather interesting. Now according to this site as of July 27, 2001 this aquarium was to be the largest in the world. I didn't know to look for it while we were there, but EVEN the worlds longest goldfish. UNfortunately not all the pictures turn out under there. It is so dark and the light is on your wrong side for taking pictures. (Not right light for pictures, but good for the fish). AND when you try a flash it reflects back at you. BUT a quite a few turned out.

We went to an area to see a "Tea House" spoke of in "National Geographic" BUT that specific one was closed. BUT it worked out great since we saw a different "Tea House" "TenFu's Tea", it was beautiful. Small and quaint, yet very well stocked. AND as it turns out QUITE popular. There is a row of pictures above the table of famous people that had been there, (including our first prez Bush).

Here is a folder of miscellaneous pictures I didn't know where else to put. There are some pictures of the view from the last place we ate at in Shanghai "San Francisco Steak House" (this site is their HK branch) I don't see a site to their Shanghai branch yet. And a picture of a pretty lit up building. For some reason Shanghai is known for lighting up the outside of it's buildings to make them pretty. AND some pictures of a "reverse bungy jump" we did in Beijing but couldn't get pictures of it there so we took some here of some one else doing it. They stretch the basket attached to bungy cords down to the ground and strap you in, then release it and you SHOOT up in the air and bounce around some.

For those of you who may not understand my eloquent dialog above with all the linking text. OR just don't want to read it all and sort through the info links. (Since some of the links above in some of the sections are links to other pages I found that had good information about the subject). I have a row of buttons below that are just to our pictures we took.

Well that's all for now. Check back regularly for updates. Remember, drop me a message any time.

Thanks Ed. For questions and comments click here to contact me

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