July 25 some more catching up

We did not discuss our massage on the ship. I love to try new kinds of massages. David choose reflexology - a foot massage. The woman started on his inner thighs, which, in David's understated words, was surprising. I had a back massage but they suggested cupping since I had many knots.

After:

looks a bit odd, but.....

We will have one more foot massage tomorrow. I will miss those.

Yesterday we landed in Shanghai on the hottest day in 100 years. It was 40 degrees Celsius, which if I remember from my temperature taking days, means 104. We waited to go out walking until the sunset and it stIll felt as though someone had a heater focused on my face. It doesn't cool down at night. Today the temperature was even higher. It is dryer heat but 104 is still VERY HOT. Today is now the hottest day in 142 years. (105) All outdoor work has been suspended. Yesterday's heat only required shortening the work day from 8 hours to 6.

Silly factoid. drivers must pass 10 tests to drive in China ( personaly I think they need 10 more) no one stops for a red light even if there is a pedestrian (me) crossing the street legally. it takes a minimum of three month's to take all the tests. But even after they pass the test the number of cars is limited in Shanghai. so one must go to a monthly auction to " buy" a license. That costs15,000 dollars. plus Shanghai has 10,000 "floaters" people who work or study here but don't live here. They are not allowed to use hiighways during traditionl rush hour. The must use regular streets. Because of the rush hour is from two to 5 for floaters, 5 to 9 for Shanghai citizens, 9 to 11 for the floaters again. They have an extensive system of elevated highways that from above create the Chinese symbol for the founder if tpt he city (we think). Here you can see 4 of the 5 levels all centered on a pillar you can see in the center of the photo.

Here is the pillar in more detail:

We went to what the driver called China town. Does that sound strange to you? I got up the nerve to ask why is it called China town since you're all Chinese ( I worded it better I promise). It's actually called the Old City by the Chinese. The Japanese destroyed this part of town during the war with Japan, what we call WW II. So they rebuilt it to look like old China which does look very much like our Chinatown. In the center is an extensive garden from the 19th century.

 

 

Here is the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the city (100years)

And then of course a trip to the tea shop for some medicinal teas.

And here is what the toy store in old Chinatown is featuring....

A

Btw, until we got to Shanghai we most of what we heard about the japanese most had to do ewith collaboration. In Harbin they had a Japonese expert reviewing their curriculum whole i was there. Today the guide talked about that the Japanese were building this building but company went bankrupt. the Chinese confiscated it and finished building it themselves. The top was going to have a circle and they felt it was too much like the Japanese flag so they changed the shape to a square. It is know know as the bottlecap opener. After visiting the old city we went to some beautiful gardens. Then I went shopping - with a vengeance. I had a great time. I'm catching up with the blog while David is at a museum. Tonight the acrobatics.

So there is a section of Shanghai that had nothing 20 years ago. It's now completly built up and is the financial district for China

This phoo was taken on the bund in the old English cones ion looking over the Yangste to this me area that didn't exist 20 years ago. You can see the bottle opener in the upper right of the photo. Yes the haze is what the air is like and it ain't fog.

. There are 4 buildings taller then the Empire State Building and a new building that will be 200 stories currently being built. David asked if the ground was bedrock/ granite and apparently not. There's no earthquakes in Shanghai but we will see. Remember there were no building over 10 stories 20 years ago. Its an island that they had to bribe people to move to. Now it is prime real estate. An apt there costs 30,000 dollars a square meter.

The city has 22 tunnels and16 bridges conecting it and 16 subway lines. All built since about 1990. . Apparently 50 percent of cranes world wide, as in building cranes, are used in China. Of those, two thirds are used in Shanghai. You really can't image how much building is going on. It's as though this country was totally empty and aliens landed and started building their civilization.

David is famous. I keep telling David that women love him. Today a teenage girl asked hi, and asked if she could take her picture with him because he is so handsome. He graciously agreed.

More later. We've given up with trying to relay all that we have been learning, it truly is overwhelming.

 

Posted with Blogsy