Day 17 – April 23
On our last full day in Shanghai (which I must say is a very cosmopolitan setting with a European flare and amazing architectural contrast of old and new…) we had time to shop (see the link below), tour the city, and visit a museum.
During our shopping we spent quite a bit of time in a small shop tasting the various teas and conversing with the shop keeper. Let’s just say we brought home a large variety of Chinese teas! A few of us chose to walk back to the hotel. We had been told that the area we were shopping in (and note, Shanghai is known internationally for shopping) was only about 3 kilometers from our hotel and the walk would take us along the water and through a pedestrian street populated with more engaging shops and little cafes. Well it did, and we had the opportunity to listen to street musicians, and see the bustle of the city – BUT, it was more than 3 kilometers. 2 ½ hours later, laden with our packages and shopping bags, we drug ourselves up the hotel steps. With just minutes before our last dinner together, we made the quickest changes imaginable – and enjoyed a quiet traditional hot pot meal with our colleagues. Later that evening we wondered down to the waterfront to see the skyline at night - the boats were lit up, the decks and masts trimmed out with lights, and the buildings sparkled with color. We had learned our lesson though - we took a cab (smile).
Find more information about shopping in Shanghai here: http://www.orientaltravel.com/China/Shanghai/Shopping.htm
Day 18 – April 24
We spent several hours packing the night before, weighing, readjusting, and reweighing our baggage to make sure we made the international weight limits, so we ended up sleeping in later than we usually do – however, after a late breakfast, Leah and I headed out to the streets to check out the local market, watch people exercising on the square, and to take in our last snapshot of early morning life before flying home.
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