Sitting here on Thanksgiving Eve surrounded by my family and friends while as we are discussing our 9 day trip to China, I was thinking how much more thankful I am for everything I have. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to visit Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou and several other neighboring cities. It was everything I didn’t expect and nothing I expected. I expected to fill my extra, empty duffle bag with merchandise that was “Made in China,” but I got so much more. I learned so much about the Chinese people, culture, and cuisine. I learned how gentle, kind and sincere their society was when I was told they did not even kill a mosquito for the mere fact that they didn’t want negative energy directed to them in the future. I also never worried about walking the streets at night because it felt safe. The poorest of poor didn’t panhandle and the police officers don’t carry guns. An interesting side note: road rage doesn’t exist. Our tour bus was full of Americans and we were astonished at how patient and understanding the drivers were when they were faced with another vehicle suddenly in their lane -- and we’re talking the highest pollution rates in these cities, so you can imagine the traffic.

Our first day was jam packed. Our first stop was one of the seven greatest wonders of the world, The Great Wall of China, It was definitely one of the focal points of our trip. It was deceiving in that it appeared that we could easily conquer the wall, but we were humbled as we began the long journey up to the first tower. Along the way as we were huffing and puffing and looking down at each step, we noticed a cord running parallel to the steps with golden locks attached to it. When asked what they signified, we were told that lovers go up there to place a lock on the wall to confess their undying love for each other – as it was everlasting. As we progressed up the wall, we became fewer in number. I think my pride wouldn’t let me quit, as I purchased a plaque that proclaimed my success in completing the climb, so I made it to the top – along with only four other people. It wasn’t as hard to make it down, but hours after the climb our legs were still shaking. But if you ever have the opportunity to climb the wall, I encourage you to do so because the views are breathtaking.

We were educated on Jade, Pearl and Silk by taking us to the factories, which was both fascinating and gorgeous. Later we visited the Olympic Village and Summer Palace with the largest imperial garden in the world and ended the evening with a Peking duck dinner. We visited the Tea Factory and took a boat ride on the West Lake with the beautiful willow draped islands. The Bund is surely the best spot in town with a mixture of colonial era and modern architecture. It is the most visited waterfront area in Shanghai, packed on any given day with locals dancing under a gazebo and bikers riding the trail. It’s especially picturesque at night, with buildings lit up on either side of the river.

Shanghai is divided by the river into eastern and western sections. Modern mega high rises are seen on the eastern side while traditional European style architecture may be seen on the western side. The Bund is a five-block riverfront promenade with many of Shanghai's banks and trading houses and a huge statue of Mao standing in the middle of the park. It was breathtaking.

Our tour guide mentioned that riding the Maglev was ranked the second “must see” in Shanghai. When asked what the Maglev was, we were told that it was the fastest high-speed train in the world. It floats above the rails. You don’t have to tell me twice, I was there. I remembered what the tour guide said as I was selecting my seat. She said to sit next to the window so that when the other train passed, you felt a more intense experience, so that’s where I found myself. As the train started, the speed was displayed next to the time. It started from zero and quickly climbed to 440 kilometers per mile, which is 273 miles per hour. It felt like I was in the Indy 500, and just as I thought the ride couldn’t get any better, the other train passed, and all of a sudden it felt like King Kong shook our train.

There is so much talent in this country that some of our tour guests enjoyed tailor-made suits that were delivered to them the next day for the small fee of $180! And fret not, there are Wal-Marts, McDs, KFCs, Starbucks, and Subways too. I was surprised not to see Chic-Fil-a since almost every meal we ate included chicken; sweet and sour chicken, chicken teriyaki, spicy chicken, etc, etc. For those brave of heart, there were fried scorpions, snakes, caterpillars, and crickets on a stick. And forget about praying to the porcelain gods, as their public restrooms didn’t include those in their architectural design. And ladies, when you pack for China, forget the perfume, instead include hand sanitizer and toilet paper for the restroom runs.

Another city of interest was Zhu Jia Jiao also known as the Venice of the East, bearing no resemblance to the Venice in Italy but it was culturally interesting to see how women were washing their clothes in the river on one side while the women on the other side were beading the most beautiful wedding dress for extra money, and men were playing cards.

My most enduring memory of China will be of snake oil lotions. Snake oil packaged as perfume, moisturizer, and generic unguent. That’s right, they tried to sell me snake oil! I didn’t buy any this time around, but perhaps on my next trip, the charms of the Chinese snake oil salesman will convince me to buy some.lol

I look back on our 9 days in China and search vainly for one word to capture my impressions. The words I find are all prefixed with “awe”—awe-inspiring, awestruck, and with a little stretch, awe-mazing.

Having spent 9 days traveling in China I did manage to say Xiexie” (pronounced as ci-ci) meaning Thank You !! Thank you for letting me share my thoughts with you.

Your foreverspades friend