- 6 AM wake-up call. woke up w/ back of knees red, swollen, & kinda itchy. wth?? breakfast 6:30-7:40.
- drive 8:00-8:45.
- Freshwater Pearl Gallery - til 10:15. presentation started w/ unopened fresh oyster, guess how many pearls are in it, revealed to be 33(!) in just 1 oyster. showroom full of jewelry + pearl powder cosmetics, creams, & supplements. shopping: 2 black pearl pendants + 1 ring to match.
- Yixing Teapot Museum - famous ceramic teapots, made from special red clay from specific soil in local area. unique ability to absorb flavor & enrich tea w/ use. so no TNT, must be mined by hand to save flavor.
- Ancient Redware Gallery - Neolithic Age origin, 750 BC. clay pottery date back to Song Dynasty (960-1279).
- special design/technique creates perfect teapot: no spill, no drip, controlled pour.
- Master potter made 200 pieces, considered national treasures, given to dignitaries, gifted to Queen Elizabeth, Canadian Prime Minister, etc.
- free gift: 3 sets of mini Huishan clay dolls.
- shopping: 1 green clay leaf design tea set + 1 bonus red clay goldfish design tea set + 1 ceramic cup (100 yuen).
- lunch - sponsored by pearl company. (standard lunch or great lunch, determined by how much tour group spent at pearl factory. >_>?)
- drive to Suzhou.
- new guide, Sun. very chatty, especially about health remedies & uses for silk. kinda intense.
- Lingering Garden (Liú Yuán) - one of the Classical Gardens of Suzhou, UNESCO World Heritage Site. 600-year-old traditional Chinese estate w/ manor, courtyard, & garden. feng shui'd for harmony.
- pipa (traditional Chinese lute) + vocal performance on boat on pond.
- tour til 3:40.
- Silk Factory - presentation showed silkworm farm, silk fiber harvesting, silk fabric weaving. showroom w/ silk sheets, comforters, clothes, etc. til 5:40.
- tour guide talked non-stop about silk (even in the gardens!). @_@
- fellow tourist in group: "Feels like he's going to kill you o_o;" (LOL)
- 4-hour infomercial about silk + all 1000 benefits, LIVE! >_<;
- Grand Canal Boat Cruise - 45 minutes.
- pipa + vocal performance on boat.
- each tourist given a free pack of cards w/ pictures of Suzhou scenery on them.
- dinner at 7:30 - BBQ pork, veggies, egg, fish, soup, bean curd, shrimp.
- 2-hour drive back to Shanghai.
- loud hotel. no good.
- Shanghai at night. 9:15-10:00 PM. walk along boardwalk. (dammit, forgot camera on bus!) port/bay separates Old Shanghai & New Shanghai. 100 years between 2 areas' development. lots of Vegas-y lights + screens like NYC Times Square. (photo1 photo2)
- return to hotel. back of knees still red, swollen, & sometimes itchy. :P
