Suzhou to Shanghai: Day 10, Part 1

October 10, 2014 by Let's CUT the Crap! 123 Comments

At home, my regular breakfast consists of a small container of yogurt, a hard-boiled egg and coffee. From the first morning after our arrival in China, I ate breakfast as if it were my last meal. I even sampled more than one kind of roll although I rarely eat bread. An extravagant buffet breakfast is not easy to ignore, but I believe I burned all those calories during our days of walking and climbing and walking some more. I bet hoisting myself up into the bus consumed 1,000 calories, easy.

Sue checked her rash but it still had not improved and her legs and feet were still swollen. There was no pain and she was satisfied with that.

We started the day early to avoid crowds at Liu Garden (the Garden to Linger in), which Jackie, our guide, called The Lingering Garden. Upon entering the grounds, instructions about time and meeting location were dispatched immediately.

“If you need the Happy House, it is there.” Jackie waved in the direction of a low building. We squinted with pinched brows. What?

 “Happy House is toilet.” He checked the screen on his cell phone and was gone. We were on our own to wander as we wished. Again.

Bonsai Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Gardens, Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Stone Walkway – Lingering Garden, Suzhou

Bonsai Garden – Suzhou

Bonsai Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Cloud Capped Rock – Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou

Lingering Garden – Suzhou© All Rights Reserved. Used by permission of RJ, a member of English 8.

The garden was small, neat and clean. It seemed there’s no such thing as early. Passages were tight in spots and we had to wait for a turn to pass. We rubbed elbows with lots of other visitors. Lorena lost us when she stopped for a photo opportunity. Not successful in finding us, she headed back to the parking lot where the buses were parked. She saw the French Group’s guide, who then called Jackie and he joined us up together again.

Back on the bus, we settled in for a two-hour ride to Shanghai passing the time napping or talking, sometimes asking Jackie questions.

Once again we were treated to a tourist wonderland of Cashmere / Cashmina factory shopping. The sweaters, shawls etc. didn’t interest me. I noticed the men’s pained faces as if they’d been lined up for a firing squad.

Before we left the factory, a museum stop on the schedule was voted down in favor of more shopping time at the bazaar in the afternoon. Jackie suggested this was a great place for picking up knock-offs which are illegal everywhere.

 Silk Embroidery Shop:

This work was the most amazing embroidery I shall ever see. Some was done in 1/64^th thickness of a silk strand. I wonder if the workers have good compensation when they go blind. Even with my nose an inch from the finished product, I could have sworn these were paintings. Some were three dimensional and especially the fur on some animals was ultra realistic and breathtaking.

© 2014 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

© 2014 Tess @ How the Cookie Crumbles

 The following  is the best link I could find for silk embroidery display (jade is also included)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45909111@N00/sets/72157607927737804/

Chinese Saying:

He (or she) has a jade face (is good looking)

Jade is highly valued, therefore this is the highest compliment you can pay someone.

 ~ * ~

Next on October 17, Shanghai, Day 10, Part 2 – Huangpu River and the Bund

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© 2014 All Right Reserved TAK