My final week in Shanghai was rather uneventful. Except Friday night when the American fellow and I went "out" in Shanghai. However, instead of out, it was actually for an extended walk. This was partly because she wanted to show me a temple that is sitting in the middle of modern sky-scrapers - it's a little surreal as you'll see in the photo. Turned out to be an exhausting evening (we took some wrong turns) but for my last free evening in Shanghai it was good to get out and see some things.
This past weekend, we tagged along with a group of rural medical trainee fellows who have just finished their year in Shanghai and will soon be returning to the far reaches of China. We took a 5 hour bus ride to a place that translates into Thousand Island Lake. The lake was formed in the 1950's when they dammed a river and flooded the area. The size of lake is on par with the size of Singapore. Before we got there, we stopped for a lakeside lunch, tour of a cave, toboggan down from the cave, and raft ride on a small lake. Tourism in China is a finally tuned machine. All the tour bus groups were shuffled through in a timely fashion - photo opts at appropriate moments which you buy afterward (I did not partake) and then you are off on the bus again. In the evening we ventured into the town of Chun'an which is on the Thousand Island Lake, and happened upon their Saturday night fountain show, the square where people were practicing public dancing, and a random fireworks display.
Day two was similar. Several tour groups board each boat, you go to three islands. Each one has different amusements that you can pay extra for similar to a carnival, or you can walk around and look at the scenery. Easier said than done. There are hundreds of people and each tour group has a guide who is screeching into an amplified microphone - often at the same time. Between the crowds and the deafening noise, it was really quite an experience. But my group was very nice, the time out on the boat between islands was pleasant as well.
Day two was similar. Several tour groups board each boat, you go to three islands. Each one has different amusements that you can pay extra for similar to a carnival, or you can walk around and look at the scenery. Easier said than done. There are hundreds of people and each tour group has a guide who is screeching into an amplified microphone - often at the same time. Between the crowds and the deafening noise, it was really quite an experience. But my group was very nice, the time out on the boat between islands was pleasant as well.
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