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Johann and I arrived in Shanghai after a very long day and night of flights. It maybe was the fact the seats were very small, but more likey due to all the fun electronics easily available, Johann and I didn't sleep for a single minute of the flights. But the long customs line woke us up. We went through very easily. I think the real test is if you have the patience to get through the lines. After getting our bags, we met Ellen. Big hugs were exchanged immediately. We were all very excited to see each other.
The three of us took an hour long subway ride to the hotel. Ellen had spoiled us by getting us a room in the Renissance in the middle of Shanghai. It is a big skyscraper centered next to the Yu Garden. Johann and I's room had a bathtub overlooking the skyline and river. While Johann took a shower in the bathroom, I took a bath and admired the view. We both later admitted we totally fell asleep. That has nothing to say with the view.
After our R&R session, we met Ellen in the club lounge upstairs. We all ate a snack before heading out. Right next to the hotel, next to the Yu Garden, is a market place. We wandered here for a bit. This was the first time Johann and I were surrounded by Chinese culture. While since Shanghai is used to tourists, it's still very obvious when you're not from here. Even though in Spain there were moments it was clear I wasn't from there, I could fake it. Here there is no faking it. Signs of no recognizable letters, a huge language barrier, and our skin make it obvious who we are. Ellen speaks a little of the language, but mostly not. It causes for quite the adventure most of the time. A great adventure however.
Johann's eyes were officially droopy by this point. To his credit, he'd had a long five days to say the least. But as we headed back to the hotel for dinner, I was sure he would fall face first into his plate of food. Ellen said it reminded her of when he was an infant. His headed bobbed and his eyes were barely open. Ellen and I kept him up for a bit so he could sleep through the night. I walked him back to the room, which he claims to not remember. To Ellen and I's credit, he slept through the night.
Ellen and I continued to explore the hotel. The very top floor is a night club. The floor beneath that: a swimming pool and fitness center. Beneath that is a conference center. All these rooms have floor to ceiling windows overlooking Shanghai's nighttime beauty. We had a great time exploring and looking at the beauty before us.
I did not sleep through the night, unfortunately. But Johann and I slept in till about ten. We then met up with Ellen after some breakfast. The three of us returned to Yu Garden, this time entering into the actual garden. The garden is gorgeous. Flowers cover your vision. Ponds have perfectly arranged wooden bridges jumping over them. Rocks create the perfect background for the scene. Iconic Chinese buildings accent the garden. Despite the people meandering all over, it is gorgeous.
Our next journey was to pick up Dave from the train station. We met up with him, then headed back to the hotel. We all took about an hour for some R&R time. Hopefully the jet lag junk goes away soon.
Afterwards, we went to the river Wu Song. We walked around for a bit before heading to a place called "Good Fellows." It is an Italian restaurant obviously meant for ex-Pats. The owner of the restaurant talked to us for a bit. He is Italian, lived in New York for a while where he began to love the idea of owning a restaurant. He then began to travel the world setting up restaurants. He spoke of how he decorated the restaurant with pictures of actors and actresses who were ex-Pats to America and had made it big. He painted beautiful pictures for our minds.
After dinner, all four of us went outside to the river again. This time to see the lights. Johann and I leaned over the river and spoke of the beauty we'd seen in our lives. Johann mocked me when I said it was incredible how there is beauty everywhere. From the Arctic Ocean in Alaska to the city of Shanghai, it's beautiful. Obviously there you can focus on the negative and think of how the river is dirty or the arctic is barren. Anywhere you go you can view it this way. But isn't life so much better when you think it's beautiful?
When we got back to the hotel, Johann and I went up to the swimming pool. It's entirely glass with windows overlooking the city. It's amazing. Johann was annoyed at how the water was perfectly lined with the walls and would splash out into the catching area beneath. I tried explaining how that creates an aesthetically pleasing picture. He was still annoyed. But a perfect end to the day.
I guess the end of the day was really me laying on a velvet duvet chair looking out the windows as Johann scanned Chinese TV, which is odd-let me tell you. Johann literally fell asleep complaining about how his body was still so awake and he would never adjust. I think I stayed up just from laughing at that. I don't know how he adjusts so quickly. I'll get there. But as for now the adventure continues...
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