The trip to China was not only to sightseeing but also family reunion. Both ktula and my parents and sisters met in Shanghai to join a 5-day group tour Shanghai, Wuxi, Suzhou, and Hangzho.
Shanghai (上海)
Shanghai is indeed fast progressing. The city sky is filled with skyscrapers; traffic is as busy and chaotic as any large-scale metropolitan in the world. Unfortunately, Shanghai also has its growing pain. The air pollution had the city covered in haze almost the entire time we were there.
The hotels we stayed were built within the recent years. The facilities were very modern and easiest one of the most luxurious ones I’ve being to.
Most places we went were highly commercialized. Yuyuan Garden for example, was developed into giant strips of restaurants and souvenir shops. Visitors were mostly tourists like us. The few locals were here selling merchants or begging for money.
The food was good. Our local tour guide apologized several times for local cuisine being prepared in a greasier, salty fashion. She had nothing to apologize for the delicious local dishes we had there and throughout the remaining trip.
Spending 2 days in Shanghai, I was more than ready to leave.
Wuxi (無錫)
3-hour bus ride from Shanghai, the group stopped at a quiet lakeside in Wuxi. We arrived just on time for the stunning sunset scene. It was quite a contrast with Shanghai’s sensor overloading experience. There was nobody other than us at the lake. Thus no second-hand smoke, aggressive street vendors or loud shouting like we frequently experienced in Shanghai.
After dinner, we were taken to the city’s shopping area. According to the local tour guide, it’s a good opportunity to witness the progress and wealth of Wuxi and its residents. We were dropped off at a shopping mall and told to regroup in an hour. The department stores were nice and bright; the items were expensive even for us (China’s import taxes jacked up prices of all imported merchants). It was a Friday evening, and this beautiful 7-story shopping mall was empty as a ghost town.
At night, we settled in a hotel that was supposedly one of the best in Wuxi. Let’s just say it’s Chinese standard 5-star, meaning it’s crappy and smelled like ashy tray. Hotel’s breakfast buffet was bad. The varieties were impressive but none looked appetizing. There was not enough lighting in the dinning area even in the bright daylight. Several of us left with empty stomach.
Last stop at Wuxi turned out to be yet another disappointment. We were taken to the production set for a period TV series called Three Kingdoms City (三國城). The history of the Three Kingdoms is well known among Chinese. But looking at cheap-built tv sets and decors was not my idea of a good time. It was also here I ran into the legendary horrid restroom that I heard so much about.
Living in the Seattle area, Smelly is a user experience designer by day, a running, cycling, gardening type of girl when she wasn't wearing the designer hat.
