Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Hangzhou, Shanghai and Home

November 19th and 20th, 2009
I am finally trying to wrap up the trip to China.  There have been so many other things that have been keeping me busy but I have to make way for the next journey.  I had been studying for the FAA written Instrument exam for a number of months along with ground school a couple times a week but I took the test on January 25th and passed it.  Now I look forward to the flying part to actually practice IFR approaches to airports, holding patterns, and the other related parts that I have studied about but now will do in real life with the instructor.  All this will lead up to the next test - flying with an FAA examiner to hopefully get my instrument rating.

We had a day in Hangzhou to do sightseeing of this interesting city.  Hangzhou was founded 2,200 years ago which makes it a couple of centuries newer than Suzhou.  These time periods are amazing compared to the United States and cities here.  Maybe not if you consider the indigenous American Indians as the original inhabitants. 

A word or two about the Grand Canal (mentioned earlier).  Another pretty incredible manmade thing in China.  It extends from Hangzhou to Beijing in the north 1,103 miles and even though shorter than the Great Wall it too is an amazing creation at a time when manual labor was the moving force behind it.  The Grand Canal is the longest manmade canal in the world.  Early parts of it were started in 486 BC.  The elevation of the canal varies from 1 meter below sea level in Hanzhou to 38.5 meters above sea level at its summit.  Amazingly flat for that long a distance.  The canal was built originally to transport grain from the northern reaches of the country to the south.  An estimated 360,000 tons at its peak.  Today bricks, gravel, sand, diesel fuel, and coal travel on the canal.  An estimated 75 million tons are handled through the Jainbi locks on the Yangtze entry point itself.  The canal was renovated in the early 1400's requiring a workforce of 165,000 laborers.  This was during the period of the Ming Guys who liked to travel down the canal to summer to enjoy the beauty of West Lake. 

Marco Polo visited Hangzhou in the late 13th century and described it as "beyound dispute the finest and noblest city in the world".

A few more pictures below.

One of the thrills of the last day in Shanghai was a ride on the Magnetic Levitation train.  It is I think, the fastest passenger train in the world but not sure about that.  It goes from the Pudong/Shanghai airport to downtown which is about 30 km in 7 minutes.  At the peak speed the day we rode it reached a maximum speed of 431 km/hour or about 268 miles/hour without wheels but with magnetic levitation.  That's pretty darn fast.  Below is a photo taken along side the train.


An interesting thing is that it was designed in Germany, installed in China but when I looked at the screen where the non-functioning operator sits the screens are in English.  I say non-functioning operator as I read that there are no operators required but that passengers feel more secure going 250 miles/hour if someone is sitting there at the console.

Here is a link to a YouTube video that I created of the trip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYhPP_6HeE


Here is Rainbow at her usual postion in the bus describing her family and what we were seeing as we traveled.

Here is the jump seat at the front of the bus that we had fitted with toilet paper dispensers on the armrests.  It was always good to have a supply when we stopped for lunch or just plain nature breaks.  Toilet paper was always in short supply it seemed in public restrooms or even in restaurant restrooms.  Joan tells that most of the restrooms had "bombsight" toilets (will describe this in more detail if needed), however the handicapped stalls were fitted with Western style toilets so that is where she would head.



Normally I only use pictures that I have taken however there are a couple of public use photos that I found that I would like to put here.   The first is the Tianmen Gate to the Forbidden City where you enter The Forbidden City from Tianmen Square.  You enter under the large photo of Mao.


The white railing along the entry walk indicates where the walk goes over the moat that surrounds the old city.

The next picture is a panoramic of the Forbidden City that gives a good indication of the immensity of it.

 

Sorry that it is such a small scale but if you left click on it maybe it will come up larger.



On the final night in Shanghai we went to a Chinese Acrobatics show that was very good.  The last of the acts was a ball or cage of death as it is sometimes described.  There were many signs saying not to videotape the show so I didn't but there are some links that have video that others have taped and posted.  My cousin's husband Joe and I have had a continueing conversation by email about whether the act is a trick or not.  I am still leaning to it not being a trick but Joe is adamant that it is a trick.  Don't know, but you can judge for yourself if you go to the links below.



The night we were there they used six motorcycles in the ball.  Must be a dizzying experience for the riders!

On the way back from the show they took us to the Bund (Google that) where we could look over to the newer skyline across from the Bund.  Quite a sight at night.



Then it was back to the airport the next morning for the flight home and again the ceiling there intrigued me once again.  Below you can see the ceiling with no supporting elements but with the clothespins sitting on the cables from side to side of the wide building.





Below a clothspin


If anyone knows if my conclusion is correct and that is the clothespins support the structure sitting on top of the cables let me know.  Gotta be!  Real clever!

Well that's that end of the China trip - remember the World Expo is in Shanghai in 2010 - this year, so I say go for it if you can.

A great trip to an amazing country that we in the States have made what it is and helped create a whole middle class plus a lot of rich upper class folks.  People there live a lot better than they did 30 years ago thanks to the United States.  The shoe is on the other foot now so to speak.

Life is good!


1 comment:

Jenny and Robin said...

We have enjoyed reading about your interesting travels. You say that you are planning another trip. Where to this time?

Jenny and Robin from New Zealand