Free Day hanging out in Shopping center in down town Shanghai

The picture on the right above is the entrance to our room. This was a relaxing morning, we had a day to do what we wanted.  Derek had a client he had to go meet with, so we just slept until we woke up.  We didn't go to breakfast until about 9:30.  You see the nice breakfast area in the photo above.  John got on the computer when we came back.  Rita and I washed some clothes in our room was a little washing machine.  



Derek got back about 1 p.m.  Above he is looking at the map to see where we want to go.  We wanted to go back to the Yu Garden, where we were yesterday and visit the big shopping area there.  Derek got us all in a taxi and off we went.  It had been raining all morning.  As you can see from above everyone had their umbrella.  I love the lions in front of most places, so have my picture taken with them.   I also think the big red lantern are so festive.




These pots caught Rita's eye, she loves to buy one from every county she visits.  I thought this one really represented China, and so that was the one she picked.   She got home with  without it being broken.




Rita was intrigued by some embroidery pictures, she wanted to frame it when she got home.  While her and Derek were looking at those,  John went with me to find a dragon to buy.  When we got back they were looking all over for us.  Derek and John decided to go shopping on their own.   Rita looked at Kimonos  this is where she brought her little grand daughter one.  We saw these beautiful butterfly kites, and Rita wanted to buy some, but didn't think they would survive the trip home without getting all broken up.   Here is the picture of the Dragon I brought isn't he a dandy.




The beautiful fans called to us, but we didn't buy any.  Food looked good, but we had eaten a good breakfast, then we went into this jewelery store.  We couldn't resist getting this Jade necklace and ear ring set, we each got one. 




We told Derek and John we would meet them at Star Buck at a certain time. After working around and buying some magnets of Shanghai and the great Wall of China, we took a little tour again in the Yu Garden, it was peaceful and away from the crowd.  We just wanted to enjoy it again.




We were on our way to meet Derek and John and I took these pictures, here's me under the feet of a Tiger.  We sat awhile in the place where we thought we were to met them.  They never came, so we thought we would walk around another area, and here we found them waiting by another Star Buck place.  That was lucky for both of us, as they didn't move and we did.  By then it was 4 p.m. so we caught a taxi and went back to our hotel.  It seemed a lot shorter way then the taxi driver took us this morning, I think he was trying to run his fare up as much as he could, from those dumb American's, us.  We needed  to rest up and get ready for Elaine to come get us and take us to the place down town to the Shanghai Center theater.  We were going to have dinner at the hotel but they were open until 6 p.m. and we had to leave before then, so we ended up going into the lounge and found a little place selling sandwiches, so that's what we had to eat.




Elaine didn't have her driver and so we had to go in two taxi's, as she went with us to show us where this Center Theater was down town.   It was a beautiful area, she had our tickets and helped us find our seats before she left.  We were own getting back to our hotel.




We had good seats close up in this Huge Theater.  It was so funny, Derek let us all in and we took our seats, and his was on the outer row, and when he sat down he sank down real low.   He had to go find someone to report his seat was broken.  So they came and took Derek and Rita closer up to the stage on another row.  So John and I stayed where we were.  The show started at 7 p.m and lasted until 9 p.m.  They had some pretty amazing acts.  One women came on with a card in her hand, and during her act, cards just came flying out of hands, we never saw her put her hands in her pocket or any thing.  It was just amazing.  I wish I could have taken a movie of it.  But they discouraged anyone from taking pictures.




Toward the end, people were taking pictures not using their flash so I took a few.  These kids in the picture were real entertaining.  At the end all the performers came on stage, so I got that.  We enjoyed the show very much.   When we got back to the hotel, Rita went down to lobby of the hotel to use the Internet.  I was still awake when she came back up.   I slept to long this morning so wasn't sleepy.   We have to be up at 5 a.m in the morning to fly to Xian, it is a city with an incredible history.   Look forward to that adventure.



Still in Shanghai, the day isn't over yet.

Elaine took us back to the Bund which is the water front area in central Shanghai along the shore along the Huangpu river.  We see this huge Bull, don't know the story of how it got there. There were lots of people walking up and down this area.



One of the reasons we wanted to walk down this area, we wanted to get a good picture of this beautiful needle building across the river, and have our picture taken with it behind us.




We walked on down to this area  we see the bridge over the river. You see the Red Flag of China flying above.




We then went down into what they called the People's Square.  During the 1950's a race course was rebuilt as the people Park on the North side and People's Square on the South part.  Great changes took place in the early 1990's  From time to time People Square became the Political and Commercial Center in down town.  They put these big rock balls so the traffic wouldn't come into that area.  In the picture above, a fellow is up in the balcony of that hotel playing a musical interment.  Everyone was enjoying the music.




As we walked down People's Square, there was this little hop on car if you wanted to ride.   We came to this area where people were dancing in the street having a good time.  I felt like joining them,  but I decided not to, so just took their picture.




Elaine took us down this pretty little street, with lights in the trees, they were so beautiful.   She took us into this restaurant and ordered food for us.  We were hungry by that time, so we enjoyed our meal.   Elaine sat over in the cornor with the driver of the van  and had dinner with him.





The above picture was a little better picture of me without my mouth full.  Elaine came and paid for our meal and they took us to our hotel.  It had been a long day and we were glad to see that nice soft bed and get our feet up.

 

After visiting Yu Garden, we visited this Silk Factory.

After leaving the Yu Garden, we were walking down the Bund the shopping area and we see this this Silk Shop, we ask Elaine if we could go in and see it.  So we did and below is what we saw.



They had demonstrations of all the phases that silk worms go through.   Weaving the silk around them as a cocoon to develop
into a butterfly.




She is showing us the actual silk worms, they have to put the cocoons into hot water to kill them and then they attach the silk thread to a machine that pulls the silk thread from the cocoon ball.




Here you see the cocoon ball ready to be attached to the machinery.




You see here the many silk thread being put together to form a large string on a wheel.




Here are the cocoon after the larva is dead and you see several at a time being unwound. 



They have a assembly line tray where they can do a lot at the same time.



I have forgotten what they were showing John & Derek, as I was busy taking pictures.




The girls working here, were working on a comforter to sell.  We felt some of the finish products, and they would be very comfortable to sleep under, but way expensive to buy.




Elaine seems to know alot about this place and was telling us about it.




More ladies busy working.




Not only the comforters they have a selection of clothes.  We went to look at the them, I didn't dare take pictures in there.  They seemed very disappointed when we didn't buy anything.