China, the Ancient and the Modern ~ Steph

Another day of feasting in Shanghai!  The day started bright and early – the kids were all up before 4am.  What followed was another visit from Steve... who arrived bearing breakfast!  After filling ourselves, we met a woman in the lobby who delivered our train tickets to Wuhan for Sunday.  Next, we were picked up by our friendly driver Mr. Gu and he, along with our friend (and tour guide!) Steve drove us to an organic farm in rural China.   

After visiting the farm greenhouses, barnyards and fish and shrimp ponds, we had a sumptuous feast made exclusively from rice, vegetables and meats (including donkey) raised on this organic farm!

We then traveled to the ancient watertown of Zhouzhang.  We started with a ride on a rickshaw-bike combo. (Can these men ever steer through narrow streets!  There was less than one inch clearance at times!)  

  This was followed by a tour along the canals in a boat.

 

  We then walked around the ancient streets, bought a couple of things and had time for a pose of our lovely Rykauna.

 

 We then were driven to Steve’s house where we had a short visit while the kids, still recuperating from jetlag, had a nap.  Once they were up (if not completely awake), we walked to the campus of the famous Shanghai Jiao Tong University.   

 

We took a bus from the main gate to Steve’s office (yes, the campus is THAT big) and met two of his grad students.  Steve then took us all out for yet another feast – this one hotpot!

 A taxi ride home (that terrified Sara with the high speed weaving in and out of traffic sans seatbelts, but reminded me somewhat of playing ‘Moonview Highway’ on the Wii – only no ‘invincibility stars’!) brought us back worn, tired, but very satisfied.  Hopefully another good night’s sleep will help the kids get over the jetlag.

One thing that has really struck me is the dichotomy of Shanghai.  Today we saw stone bridges more than 700 years old, shortly followed by the sites of the high-rises and lights in Shanghai that were mostly built within the last 15 years!  The modern and ancient in one day!

.