In search of the market

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

 I think there is a conspiracy!!!  They must keep the big market in a secret location and as soon as someone tells me where it is… they move it!!!  We spent yesterday walking up and down Yang Gao Zhong Lu, but we did not find anything that even remotely looks like a market.

During our language lesson last night I had gone through all the words I thought would help me at the market. 

Market - Shi Chang

Flower market – Hua shi

Dirt – tu

Pots – hua pen

Gloves – shou tao

Fertilizer – fei liao

And some really important words…

Ice cream – bing ji lin

Cone – tian tong

Chocolate – choco lee

(Marcy tells me that every post, I talk about losing weight and ice cream in the same post.  I had not realized that.  However I do think about ice cream a lot.  It is the only dessert item that we like here.  They have chocolate, but it is very expense, so that is something I buy, but partake of only sparingly.  So although I speak about ice cream often, I really do not have it that often, maybe once a week or, sometimes if I am lucky, twice.  But for someone hoping to drop a few pounds it is probably still too often.  But it is a comfort food in a place that never really feels like home.)

But back to my dilemma, all I want to do is buy some pots, soil and flowers… and maybe a couple of tomato plants.  I have this large wonderful deck on the front of the apartment that is begging for some color.  There is already a table and chairs with an umbrella that came with the apartment.  A few pots of color would make it so much cozier.  Around the parameter, they planted red tips for privacy.  They make a perfect back drop for a few nice flowers.  BUT Nooooooooo… the market alludes me!!!

So when we got to the Lotus Supermarket, I knew we had gone too far, so we went in to see what was there.  The supermarkets always have lots of shops outside them or they are in a mall in the basement.  We thought we should see what is here… it’s a mall, kinda, and the grocery is actually upstairs.  We wandered around the mall part looking at the shops.  There was a Dunkin Donuts and a French Bakery, restaurants… an Ajisen Noodles, then just clothes and shoe stores. 

Once we saw the noodle place… well, we knew what was going to be our lunch.  The walk from the apartment had built up an appetite and it was bearing down on about 1:30.  So we slipped in and ordered some lunch. 

I tried to ask the wait staff if they knew where the market was.  I carefully wrote out my questions in the correct format I had been taught and had the pronunciation down.  When I tried to ask them, they just blew me off before I could even finish my question.  That is the part of living here that is so frustrating.  Back home if someone asked me a question about some place… I would do my best to understand the question and give them an answer or point them in the right direction.  But here, there are many who do not even try to help.  So the market will just have to wait.

I needed a few things from the grocery, so after lunch we went upstairs to a giant Lotus Supermarket.  This was a really nice store.  The bakery was disappointing, but the produce was exceptional… and reasonably priced.  And the big thing… no fishy smell was permeating the air.  As a matter of fact, I saw no fish tanks of live fish.  This was almost like being in a grocery back home.  So we walked around to see what products were available… which really translates into ‘how good is the import section?’  It was only a couple of aisles and not so great.  I will put this on my list of places that I can shop.  It is no farther than the Thumb Plaza Carrefour and actually the walk felt a little shorter.

I was so optimistic I would find the market; I had drug my cart with me.  Although it would not be full of plants and materials, it did go home full of food.  All the way back I continued to look for the market.  I peeked down every cross street thinking I would spy something worthy of a closer look, but nothing worthy of a second look anywhere along the way home. 

I sent an email to Victor, our cultural training person who told me about this market in the first place.  I am hoping he can give me very specific directions and hopefully a name.  This has now become my mission… I am bound and determined to find this crazy market!!!!

I also had some presence of mind today and brought the camera with me.  All the wonderful things that are really close to us I can now share with you.  This is by no means everything, but it is a glimpse of what is between our apartment and the Lotus on Yang Gao Lu.

This is a huge plaza in between the intersection of Century Ave and Yang Gao and another road that marks the start of the gardens.  On the weekends this plaza is full of families skating, flying kites and just meeting up with friends.

The building in the background is the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.

I am doing a kinda 360 degree view and this one is looking back to an area of businesses and tall buildings.

This is one of the time sculptures, the sun dial.  It looks like a fallen tower to me, but I am told it is a sun dial.  To the left of the sculpture is a tall white building and next to it is a dark greenish looking building that looks to be leaning with a slant on the top. That is China Fortune Tower, Michael’s building.  His office is on the 32^nd floor.

Oh BTW… notice the jacket… it has been in the 60’s since Saturday.  We went from mid 90’s on Friday to jacket weather on Saturday and rain.

This is a much better angle on the sun dial.

Here is another angle on the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.  It is huge and the architecture… it looks like a set of glass kettle drums.

This clock is on the tower of one of the Chinese government buildings.  If I ever get turned around in Pudong and can see this clock… not only can I tell what time it is, but I also know I am almost home.

Not sure what these buildings house, but the architecture is pretty amazing. Kinda reminds me of Viking helmets with the wings or maybe a crown.

These are our apartment buildings.  The colored tiles on the balconies are a dead giveaway.

This is our front deck.  Now don’t you think this would be so much better if there were a few pots of flowers?  We have had some high winds so the umbrella had to be taken down.

This is my view off the back deck.  It is really lush.

This is the front entrance to our building.  Our apartment is the low bushes just to the left of the entrance.

If you peek through the trees, you can see the back of our apartment… that is ours with the dryer and a few towels hanging.  I am adopting the Chinese way… hanging our laundry.  It takes forever to dry in the dryer, so I hang until almost dry and then throw them in the dryer to soften them up.  I really never much liked the towels that could stand in the corner and felt like sandpaper. 

These are some random shots from the front of our apartment and from the back of the grounds.  The rounded building front that is down below ground level is the pool.  Although there are doors, the only way to get in is through the fitness center.  This little stream is the only one of the property that is not running yet.  There must be a leak or something… the workers have been doing repairs on it.  The other underground with the pond is another part of the fitness center.

Well I hope you enjoyed the short tour of some of my world now; the spaces between our apartment and the illusive market and around the apartment compound.   I am determined to make sure I have the camera with me at all times for those moments that something interesting or unseen appears. 

News Flash… just got an email with the correct location of the Market… it is Yang Gao South Rd and Pujian Rd.… total opposite direction of where I was originally told.  Of course we did not find it!!!   Yippee… going to find that ‘bad boy’ yet!

Hopefully next post will yield good news….but until then, have a blessed day!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

I found a back door into Facebook about a week or so ago.  It has been really nice to see the posts of family and friends, but the nicest of all is to see the pictures posted that remind me of all the wonderful things going on back home.  But this morning I was looking at a post my daughters had responded to.  It was a photo of their Dad when he was just a youngster.  His wife, Kathy, had added this quote to her response and I thought it was not only a truism, but just so beautifully said.

"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets , so love the people who treat you right, forget about one's who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it."

Thanks Kathy for sharing such a lovely quote… I am so happy Roger has you in his life and that we can all be friends.  This started my day off so nice.

Then Hanne colored my hair… which made Michael really happy.  She did a great job and I feel 10 years younger.  I was telling Marcy I needed to color my hair and she told me I should go El Nat- ur- ell!  I asked her if she was ready for me to age about 15 years… that white hair does that to a woman.  She thought about it a minute, then changed her mind.  But I will let you in on a little secret… there is no way I am ready to go natural… it is why we have hair color!!!!  I just would not feel right if I did not do my share to support hair color products!!!

Church was really great today… Emma was able to come.  It was just Hanne and I going, so having Emma join us was really nice.  We are studying 1 Thessalonians.  The theme is ‘A spiritual Roadmap in a mixed-up World’.  The message today was focused on 2:6b-12, spiritual returns on spiritual investments.  I am really enjoying our international church… I am celebrating the differences instead of comparing them.  It will not be like my home church, but it helps to keep me fed each week, along with online sermons from Prestonwood, and my bible studies.  I was so afraid that I would not continue to get what I needed once I moved to Shanghai, but I have been pleasantly surprised.

We enjoyed dinner at Element Fresh.  It is such a wonderful place to eat.  Everything is just like the name says… fresh!  We sat and chatted a long time.  Emma is having a hard time here.  She is all by herself on the other side of Shanghai.  Although she has met some really nice people and making friends, it still seems she is missing home a lot.  So if I can help feed her soul and she can spend time with us… and it helps her cope better… I am pleased to be a part of it.

But alas… all good things must come to an end.  Emma had to start the journey back across the river and we needed to go to the Carrefour.  We walked together to the Carrefour, where Emma hopped a cab and we went grocery shopping.  I zoomed through the store getting what I needed.  Since we are going to the farmers market on Yang Gao Lu Tuesday, I only bought what I needed for a couple of days.

As we headed to the taxi line, there was a young couple trying to communicate with the driver.  It was clear they were struggling.  As we headed to the next in line, the young man said the driver would not take them and that we could have that cab.  Well… that has happened to me and I was totally feeling their frustration.  I asked where they were going and turns out it was to Puxi.  The cabs on this side of the river are reluctant to go to the other side.  They were going to a location that I knew they could get to using the metro.  I told them we could share a cab to our house and they could catch a metro at the Science and Technology Station.  They had such a look of relief.

So we all jumped in the cab and started for home.  As it turned out, they are from Spain and visiting an Uncle in Puxi.  They had already had a bad experience with another taxi that brought them all the way across Pudong to a grocery store and now they will have to go all the back and then some.  So I called Michael and told him to bring up the metro map that I was bringing home strangers in need. 

So we got them all squared away with the correct line on the metro, directions to the station and they were off.  They thanked us and tried to pay us for our help… please … I was glad to do it.  Kindness does not come with a price tag!  I so remember what it was like to arrive here and be completely overwhelmed.   We warned them about the red cabs and wished them good luck.

Until next time…  have a blessed day!

The Rest of the week – May 18-20

A New Century Mart!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Today we took a walk to the Century Mart, but not the usual one.  Michael had discovered this one while looking for a Bank of China.  He had told me I should check it out.  In his opinion, it was better than the Carrefour at Thumb Plaza and might be as good as the Carrefour in JinQiao, but certainly beat the Century Mart I had been going to down Huamu Lu. 

So about lunch time, we decided to make the walk.  I had googled it to see how far it was and it did not look that bad… until we started walking to it… and walking … and walking.  Finally I stopped and called Michael because I thought maybe I misunderstood where it was.  But I was on the right path.  It just turned out to be much farther than I thought.

But we finally found it and I was really surprised.  It was completely underground.  You must take stairs or an escalator down to a very large open patio.  Then to the side is the entrance to the cave… or rather the underground Century Mart and other eateries and stores that line up outside the Century Mart.  And yes… he was right, it is a nice store. 

Hanne needed a thumb drive for her computer.  That was the first thing we looked for.  They were pretty easy to find and she bought one.  Most of the stores have you pay for electronics right away and this was no different.  As she was getting her purchase, I wandered around finding all kinds of things to buy. 

The big thing for me was ‘what does the produce look like?’  The other Century Mart had terrible produce.  I only go there when I need things other than produce.  Much to my surprise the produce looked pretty good. 

We passed by the freezer cases and noticed the ice cream.  It was like the bars we got in the market that were really tasty.  It was pretty warm out and I was trying to determine if I could get home with them before they melted.  Then I spotted chocolate ice cream in a container for 6.90 Yuan.  I knew that Michael would love that… so the decision was made, we could cab it home.  Hanne got a produce bag to put our ice cream in so if it melted I would not have a gooey mess in my pull cart.  But one of the sales women brought us an insulated freezer bag, the brand of the ice cream printed on the outside.  They were promoting the ice cream.  I was elated to have it, now I could stow our frozen treasures in.  What a deal!!!!

After paying our way out, we hit the street.  Now that I knew were we were I thought I could find a better way home.  So instead of a cab, we just walked it.  We walked back the way I thought would be quicker, but it put us out not far from Michael’s office.  Now that I knew where we were, we walked really fast to avoid having all the ice cream melted. 

But we made it to the house and the ice cream, although soft was not melted.  I immediately put it in the freezer… even though I really wanted one of those bars!  I knew it would be much better completely frozen.  And… by the way, it was!

Lunch with Emma in Puxi

Thursday, May 19, 2011

I mapped out 3 subway routes to where we needed to get today, Ciao Café.  It was close to Emma and since I had never been in this part of Puxi, it would be a new adventure.  I settled on the one that appeared to be the most direct route with the interchanges.   Little did I know!!  Silly me!

First sign… we had let the time slip up on us so we were on a really tight schedule.  This was a ‘lick and promise’ day.  I threw on a baseball cap and enough makeup to not scare the locals and we were off.

Second sign…  Hanne left the transportation card at home.  But we would just buy single ride tickets.  Got to the ticket machine and easily bought her ticket all the way to Chi Feng Lu.  Down to the platform… and we were off.  Not too crowded so things are good… so far.

Got to People’s Square and need to change lines… Rut-row!!!  The #8 is all the way across the station.  People Square is a giant station and the trip across took about 10 mins if we bob and weave through the masses, which we did.  Finally found it and boarded… so far so good.  We were cutting it close but we still thought we could make it by 11:15.

Now we are at the Hong Kou Football Stadium.  It is time to take the #3 for the last leg of our journey.  BUT where is the #3?  We see no signs for the route to the #3.  I have just enough Chinese under my belt to be able to ask one of the subway workers where the # 3 line is… and he motions up! This means we have to exit the station and Hanne’s ticket will be eaten when we go through the turn stile.  We find a customer service box and again ask where to get to the #3… same answer.  Hanne waves her ticket and the lady scans it… then lets us out of a gate with the ticket.

So we go up and find ourselves on the street.  This I was not prepared for.  One must map out these street visits so that we have some level of confidence on where we are to go, but this was quite unplanned.  We look at each other in total confusion. 

Ok… clearly this is different and there must be another entrance.  We spot one across the street in one direction and then another in yet the opposite direction.  One goes up to an above ground rail and the other goes down into the subway system.  We make the only assumption one can… go down, this is the subway.  Wrong!  We get all the way over there and it is just an entrance to the #8 again. 

Time is running out and I am asking anyone that will talk to us where the #3 line entrance is.  What is this?  No one knows???   Then we stopped a younger woman and thankfully she speaks English.  She points to the station that is across the street… the elevated station that is 4 long flights of steep stairs to get up to it.  I am having visions of the Batu Caves 272 steps!  But one must do what one must do to accomplish the appointed task! And we are off.

Ok, we practically ran through People’s Square, and then hustled all over this area looking for the station, now we have the stairs.  Now my upper thighs are burning.  We walk through the part of the station and there before us are two more long flights of stairs… then through the turn stiles.  Boom, not working!  We discover that Hanne’s transportation ticket is not working and since I did not scan out of mine it is not working either.  Now I am quickly surveying the area for a customer service booth with a person manning it.  There across the station is one and she scans Hanne’s card… ok’s it, and opens the gate. 

We are off again… and there before me, yet again, are 2 more long flights of stairs.  Will someone please tell me where the escalators are?  No time, so up we go!  The train is there and we hop on!  Now here is something you learn… always determine the direction of the train BEFORE boarding.  OOPS!!!  We are going the wrong way... what more can happen?

We get off at the next station and go down the stairs and back up the stairs on the opposite side of the platform to catch the next train going the right direction.  I thought I was getting into pretty good shape, but I guess the combination of heat and stairs… I am exhausted and sweating unmerciful.  Lovely way to have lunch! 

But we finally arrive at our stop and now only a short walk to Ciao Café.  We are to look for a small grey building with little white curtains and surrounded by trees on the opposite side of the street.  There it was and I was hoping for good A/C.  We walk in and the next sight is a flight of stairs we must climb to get to Emma!

It was worth it though.  The food was excellent!  We enjoyed a lunch of catching up with Emma.  And the nice bonus was to meet some of her school mates.  We met two friends from Italy and one from Norway.  Intros were quick and unfortunately I cannot remember their names… which really bothers me.  It seems I have to hear names several times before I can commit to my memory.  But I have an idea I will be meeting them again, so I will have that chance to hear them again. 

After lunch, Emma had to run to her part-time internship job, and Hanne and I contemplated how we would spend the rest of the afternoon.  One thing for sure, at least we know how to get back and all the steps will be going down on the return trip once we got past the first set at Chi Feng Station.

Since we were going through People’s Square, we would have dessert at the Hershey store and I would show Hanne the park.  The Hershey ice cream would be a well-deserved treat after all the craziness of the morning and THE STAIRS!!!

We got our treats and walked to the park.  We found a nice shady place to sit and enjoy them while we watched a couple of Chinese men doing these moves… part exercise and part dance, very graceful whatever it was.

The flowers were blooming and beautiful.  In one area of the park stood a man playing a flute like instrument for all to enjoy.  I am not sure if he just came to the park to play or if he was hired to play in the park.  Either way… it was really nice.  There were certainly lots of people in the park; some lying in the grass or on the benches napping, others just resting in the shade, and still others playing cards or dominos.  One thing for sure, the park is heavily used by all.

We were approached by several people wanting to know if we were American and where in America.  One man began immediately talking to me about the Mavs and the Rockets.  I hated to tell him that I was not that knowledgeable about the NBA players.  But it did not seem to matter one bit to him… he was just excited to be speaking English to someone.  This is not uncommon.  The Chinese people that have learned or are learning English are eager to find someone from America to speak English with.   So we talked for a few minutes and then bid him farewell as we continued our stroll through the park.   This is a planned paradise in the middle of the city. 

We left the park behind and I wanted to surprise Michael with some chocolate from the Hershey store.  He would be excited for a new stash of Hershey’s.  I made my selections, stowed it in my backpack and descended into the subway station. 

I needed to add yuans to my transportation card.  I spotted a service booth and was waiting in line for my turn.  As I was getting out my card and money, these two teens jumped in the line in front of me.  Well, I have had a rough day and was in no mood for this.  I snapped at him about what did he think he was doing, couldn’t he see I was there in line? And a few other mumbles about courtesy and elders.  He started laughing and said ‘pardon me’.  But he backed off, he knew exactly what I was saying.  I guess it surprised him that I reacted.  But I recharged my card and he waited while I did.

More often than not, I just shake my head and realize this is their way.  In the grocery store when waiting in line to have the produce weighed and priced, the women throw their stuff on the scales while you are getting it out of the basket.  It does not matter to them; cutting line is a way of life.  We are raised to be polite, wait your turn, respect elders, and a general sense of fairness.  If you do that here, you will never get anywhere, so although it is against my nature, I am having to be more aggressive.

But aside from the teens, we managed to make it home… hot and tired, but home and ready for a nice shower and some down time.

Market Day was a Bust

Friday, May 20, 2011

We have run all week, why stop now.  We are going to find the big market on Yang Gao Lu.  It is supposed to be a huge wet market, farmers market and plant market.  I was told it was at Fangdian Lu and Yang Gao Lu.  That is about 4 km from us (about 2 1/2 miles) and it is not far from the Carrefour at Thumb Plaza.  I needed some laundry detergent and bread, so we could kill a couple of birds with this trip.  It certainly did not hurt that the Ajisen Noodle place was there either.  I was definitely up for some yummy noodles and pork. 

It is already 93 degrees… It is going to be hot, but we are going to walk it anyway.  I throw on a baseball cap and sunglasses and we are off.  We are almost to the Science and Technology when I realize I really should have brought that umbrella I bought at the YuYuan market the other day.  The sun is beating down pretty good.

I have to laugh… remember all the movies with the Chinese and their umbrella’s out when walking in the sun.  I always think of the old movie, Donavan’s Reef; the scenes with the assistant holding up the umbrella for the governor and the ladies with their parasols; trying to block the south pacific sun and heat.  All of it is sooo true.  Almost all the women here have an umbrella when walking in the sun, some men too.  And when you buy them, the first question, ‘Is this for rain or sun?’  The ones for sun have a thicker lining to completely block out the sun and are lighter weight. 

We finally got to where I thought the market was, only to discover it isn’t there.  We stopped and spoke to a man that was on break from the Lotus that was on the corner.  He spoke enough English and with my Chinese, we managed to find out we had come too far.  The market was at Yang Gao Zhong Lu.  It was about 10 mins by bus to go back down Yang Gao to find it.  The market visit would have to be postponed for another day.  It was an easy decision; I was hungry and needed the stuff from Carrefour.  So we back tracked a block or so to the Thumb Plaza.

When we sat down in the Ajisen Noodle place, the perspiration was rolling down my face.  I was really glad I had a couple of packs of tissue to mop the water off me.  What little makeup I had applied before we left, was gone now.  My cheeks were beet red.   We ordered something to drink and I sucked down half in one gulp!  The food, as usual, was delicious.  But it was not cool enough in the place to really help cool me down.

It was not much better in the Carrefour.  I rushed through and got what I needed.  And in the process, bought yet another umbrella… I knew it was only going to be worst on the way home.  I am sure you are asking yourself… ‘Why doesn’t she just take a cab home?’  And that would be an excellent question.  And I did consider it, but you see, I really want to get more weight off and riding in a cab would not really help that cause. 

In my warped thinking… the walking and sweating will surely help drop the weight.  Michael is dropping weight… and I want to keep up.  He walks to work, skips lunch, and walks home.  He is getting about an hour of walking a day.  I do not always get out every day… Monday’s are cleaning and laundry days.  And typically have one other day in the week I do laundry.  If I go to the Dragon Fly, it is over 7km (about 4 miles) there and I have always thought it too far to walk.  Particularly now that it is getting really hot.  Maybe I need to start walking back from the Dragon Fly.  Then I do not care if I am all hot and sweaty.   I will have to figure it out so I can reach my goal of dropping about 40-50 pounds while I am here. 

Anyway, I need to stop the whining… I walked back from the Carrefour.  So all told for today, I walked at least 5 miles.  And that makes this another good day!!

No exploring planned for Saturday.  Michael will be on conference calls until 1am with the US.  He is figuring he will be too tired.  So we are having a lazy day this Saturday.  We will do our typical Sunday routine of church, dinner and the grocery.  But I am thinking I had a really active and busy week so a quiet weekend might be good.

So until next time… have a blessed day and enjoy life!!!

YuYuan Gardens and Market Day

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Hanne and I wanted to get an early start today.  We would be taking the subway to YuYuan Gardens to do a bit of exploring.  Michael and I had been there back in January when we came apartment hunting, but were only there long enough to buy 5 t-shirts for the grandkids and snap a picture.  So today we would be really checking out the gardens and all the surrounding area.

We are making the short walk from the subway station through a plaza to get to the main areas called YuYuan Market.  This area really begins to look like what you might expect China to look like, from an architecture perspective.

Let the games begin… Hanne and I are starting to enter the market!  There is one hallway after another off the main walk ways all filled to the brim with every kind of shop you might want.  One must prepare mentally for the assault of merchants all vying for your attention.  They are tugging on your arm; all wanting to get you into their store, just hoping for a sale.  “Hey lady!… come have a look… looky looky… high quality… cheap… just for you today!”  They all have something special they want to show you.  And if you show interest… then the negotiations begin.  They quote a price that is outrageous and you must come back with a fraction of that and then whoever can hold out the longest and bargain the hardest will be the victor! 

This whole bargaining thing is a cultural thing, but frankly I think it is a waste of time.  I really have to get my mind right to go to the market.  I am not used to this dance.  I must prefer you quote me what you must have for the product and I will decide if I want to pay it.   But… we are in China!!

We are in a main plaza area.  To the left we will make our way to the crooked bridge and the gardens. 

The big pond that the crooked bridge crosses is loaded with Koi fish.  Some are quite huge.  They boil the waters.  The above picture is just one cluster.  We actually saw several clusters in the pond.

A little history about Gardens:  Founded between 1559 and 1577 by the Pan family, these classical Chinese gardens were ransacked during both the Opium War and the Taiping Rebellion.  This is a fine example of the Ming dynasty garden design and the highlights include the Three Ears of Corn Hall, the Exquisite Jade Rock, the Hall or Heralding Spring, and the gilded woodwork of the Ancient Stage.

Yuyuan Garden is the largest of Shanghai's ancient gardens with Ming and Qing architectural styles. The garden has six areas, each with its own style. The Grand Rockery, in the center of the Garden, is the most renowned sight. Near the garden, there is the City God Temple of Shanghai, where various local snack shops and streets are scattered around.

There are little buildings all over the gardens that contain replicas of ancient rooms with the original furniture that would have been there.  After a while they all began to look alike.  But there was one that very interesting furniture. 

I am not sure if this is carved or just roots… but it was pretty unique.

This big bronze creature was guarding the entrance, but Hanne was not to be easily turned away.

Here are some snaps from around the gardens.  The gardens were winding and a maze.  We think we saw it all, but you would go through this portal and wind around and end up somewhere else… never knowing if you missed anything or not.

There were lots of amazing rock formations, caves and grottos, as well as ponds and streams.  Not a lot of flowers which really surprised me. 

Hanne got into the action by tossing a coin into the wishing pond… or whatever one would call it.  There were many coins in itand on the ledges.  Everyone passing through seemed to stop and toss a few more in.

Isn’t he cute?  Just what every home needs!

Lots of dragons in bronze and wood; I even bought a cap for Michael to add to his already overflowing collection, a red cap with a black dragon.  I thought he might like it since he was born in the year of the dragon. 

It was hot and humid… as the day progressed; it took its toll on me.  It was time to leave the gardens and see what else the area had to offer before I was completely spent for the day.

Outside of the garden and the market we passed an entrance to the gardens and market, but it was only one of many ways to get in.

One thing that never ceases to amaze me is that you can be in one area that is all cleaned up for tourist and just around the corner is a whole different world.  We wandered through some of those areas just a block away from the action of YuYuan gardens and market.

Dinner anyone?  You can dress you table with plants and have fresh duck or chicken… or pigeon anyone?  We passed several of these fresh meat markets.  The ducks have their legs tied together so they stay put.  It was a struggle to see them there, knowing their plight!

Every time I wander through these streets it really makes me realize how very fortunate I am.  We walked through a back alley lined with doors that reminded me of the place I ended up in when looking for the shower head… only this one was actually nicer than that one.  But it is all relative…

By 2:00pm we were pooped out and overheated… ready to find the comfort of our house and the a/c.  We found the closest subway entrance and boarded bound for home.  It was a good day of exploring, but I was spent by the time we got home.