NI HAO

Hello!
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I have now been to two new different countries. I never thought I would be able to say that. It is still so crazy to me.
On January 31, I disembarked in Shanghai, China. I spent the first three days exploring the city. The skyline is absolutely beautiful! I loved waking up to the view from my cabin window. At night, it is even more beautiful. My favorite skyline is the Oriental Pearl Tower!
On the first day, Kelly, Carolyn and I went to the underground market. It was an experience. It was somewhat overwhelming. Although I do not like bargaining, I did get a backpack. I think I take after my dad. I didn’t want to spend all my money in one spot in one day. Dad, I got one item and walked away. Then, we walked to a famous shopping area. Along the road, there was a food market. Kelly and I got glazed strawberries on a stick! So good.
The second day, the girls and I took the Shanghai Ferry to the other side of the city. Before we shopped, we ate at a Chinese cuisine. We all got fried rice. It was very good, but kind of bland. I also had a side of pork with brown sauce. Yes, brown sauce. That was the English translation. Full, we walked the entire Super Brand Mall. This is the biggest mall I have ever been to. At a kiosk, I got a Chinese style waffle for lack of better words. It looked like a beehive. It was delicious! I need to learn how to make it.
The day before we left for Beijing, we taxied to the Shanghai Aquarium and bussed to the Shanghai Zoo. The Aquarium was extremely crowed. People were still on holiday since we ported at the end of the 2017 Chinese New Year celebration. Yes, it was super cool to be in China for the New Year. The aquarium had a travellator through a glass tunnel where sharks and stingrays swam above me. The zoo, on the other hand, was not that exciting. It was depressing. Animals’ territories were polluted. It was so sad. We didn’t stay long so we left to gab lunch at a restaurant nearby. They had sushi on a conveyer belt. Again, we got fried rice. It was served differently than the one we had on the first day. We all liked it so much better!
It’s the fourth day, and we have a 4 a.m. wakeup call to catch an 8 a.m. flight to Beijing. We flew China Eastern where they fed us a traditional Chinese breakfast. It was interesting and filling. We landed and our tour guide took us straight to a local restaurant where lunch was served lazy Susan style. I loved the orange chicken and sticky rice. Stuffed, we bused to The Tiananmen Square and The Forbidden City. I never thought I would see with the naked eye the images I had seen in numerous textbooks in both grade school and high school. I am very thankful for this trip. Having walked for more than two and a half hours, we went to The Bell Tower for a tea ceremony. We taste tested five different kinds of teas. I bought my favorite! To end the day, we took a rickshaw to a family’s home where they served us dinner. Tired, we slept at our hotel because we had a big day ahead of us.
We went to The Temple of Heaven and The Great Wall of China! Outside The Temple of Heaven, there is an exercise park. We used the equipment with the locals and joined in their hacky sack games! It was so much fun. Of course, I bought a hacky sack to take home! The Temple of Heaven is gorgeous. I love its blue color. The girls and I slid down the side of the temple. Children were doing the same. We had to join the fun! Next, we headed to The Great Wall. Kelly and I took a ski slope up. We hiked, climbed, bear crawled, walked, you name it, to the top of one portion of the wall. And, we had to walk down. I laughed the whole time. I looked back. I looked forward. I couldn’t believe what I had done and what I still had to do. But, we got to toboggan down the last part. This was incredible! Kelly was behind me. She almost ran into me five times, but we had a blast!! With a fun filled day, we ended with a flight back to Shanghai.
The last day, Carolyn and I walked around the city again and had lunch in the mall. Again, we had fried rice. Carolyn and I both thought this one was the best. Overall, China was grrreeaatt!
P.S. The smog in China was horrible. It was worse in Beijing than Shanghai. I did wear a mask at times. I could feel it in my chest, throat, head and eyes.
Enjoy the photos ☺
Love Always,
Cee at Sea ​