Wednesday 27^th June, 2012

In the early morning we packed our luggage for the last time. We started after a fine breakfast. We went to the market for antiques, but at 8:30am not many stands were already open. So we went to the nearby pet market. Here birds, fishes, insects, hamsters, etc. were sold. For Swiss understanding the market was close to animal cruelty. Often the animals did have nearly no space in their cages. After we went back to the antiques market where we had now more to see. After we dared to use the metro. Everything was also written in Englisch and thus it went very well. After my handbag got x-rayed at the security control we we could ride to our destination. From there we walked to the Jade Buddha Temple. In this Buddhist Temple were some statues of Buddha and from different gods. The most valuable one was a two meter high Buddha and a lying Buddha, each made of one piece of pale jade. It was not yet noon and so we walked to the Jing-An Temple. In the middle of the city this temple is beside skyscrapers and shopping malls. Also here a some statues for Buddha and gods were to see. Only there were fewer tourists here. After lunch we picked up our luggage at the youth hostel and let us order a taxi to the Maglev (Transrapid) station. With 300 km/h we travelled the 30 km to the airport. At the check-in the lady explained us that we first have to go into the next room as there is something with our luggage. I had to show the clamping set and the raclette cooking gear and then the lady from the security was content. Now we are sitting in the airport at the gate and wait for our long trip home.

Tuesday 26^th June, 2012

First we wanted to go by train from Kunshan to Shanghai. But Caren told us that we better take a taxi as it would be quite complicated by train. After a last walk in Kunshan the taxi was awaiting us. We started after our destination address was rewritten in Chinese on the reception. We got to Shanghai without any problems. At one point the taxi driver explained us in Chinese that we are there. There were a few small shops, but not a house which could host a youth hostel at the sixth floor. We tried to explain that we are wrong. So we called the phone number of the hostel and he called to ask for the way. He also asked a few taxi drivers and other people. Konrad told me that we are wrong as he drove through the tunnel to the other side of the river. Konrad was already once in Shanghai ten years ago. He gave up after we went back through the tunnel to the center. We were also glad to be able to change the taxi. The new driver did not speak English either, but with calling again the hostel she managed to find it. At the youth hostel we got a very nice room with balcony. After a short break we went sightseeing despite the rain. On the way to the Urban Planning Museum three young Chinese asked us if we could take a picture of them. No problem and after they made some small talk with us. Then they apparently got the idea that we might visit together a tea house. The museum would anyway close at 4pm. We thanked for the suggestion but wanted to go to the museum. Konrad told me that it is part of Shanghai that students try to get you in a restaurant or an exhibition. The museum was open until 5pm and so we could at least see the city in miniature. In the museum Konrad found a bit an expensive, but water-proof city map in English. With that map we could explore Shanghai walking. On the way to the old town another group of students started to talk to us. Konrad took kindly the picture. I continued walking and also Konrad left out the small talk. In the old town we walked over the Zig-zag Bridge. Then we went to the Bund, the river promenade of Shanghai. From here we could see the many colonial buildings on our side of the river and the new skyscrapers on the other side of the river. Here we met another ominous group of three, but I looked so grimly at the girl that it did not dare anymore. And now we know why the skyscrapers are in German called Wolkenkratzer (cloud scrapers). The really big ones disappeared in the clouds. Our dinner we had in a small restaurant in a side alley. We did not order much, but we got so much rice that the leftover is sufficient for the breakfast of tomorrow.