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Goodbye Shanghai.......etc.
Good to hear you have moved on OK from Shanghai - and the bargains that you managed to get were amazing! A little unnerving though, I imagine, being led through various alleys etc to the locked rooms to make the purchases! So glad you are feeling better Sam - and Giles - I hope you are feeling OK too? Maybe there is a proper 'Chinese laundry' somewhere, if the washing machine at the hostel is broken?? Take very good care, we miss you and love you lots. Mum, Susie and Tessa xxx
Goodbye Shanghai... hello Hangzhou
Trip Start
Oct 27, 2008
Trip End
Oct 27, 2009
Where I stayed
Mingtown Garden International Hostel
Giles: So, Shanghai. Brilliant place, loved it, expensive though in places, the places we went two nights running! But Pizza Express was worth it, and the live entertainment the following night was funky too - a big black lady with an amazing voice in a jazz and blues club! So now we're counting our pennies. Luckily we got hold of our fake things before we decided to pull the purse strings, Sam already mentioned her bags and purses, and I got hold of an Omega watch (James Bond style no less) for 20 quid - identical to the one in the official Omega store which was priced at 3500 quid! Was also told it was made using a proper Swiss machine... whether or not I believe that is one thing, but I was impresed she knew it's a Swiss make!
Now in Hangzhou, attempting for some relaxing times but getting nowhere fast - firstly this keyboard's R and N don't work properly so it's hellish writing this, secondly the staff aren't too helpful with no idea about trains leaving this place and they refused to speak to places in <Macau for us for booking our next place. But we got there in the end, the internet is a useful tool! Just booked a place in Macau for a couple of nights, then four in Hong Kong as it's cheaper (hostels don't exist in Macau). And the drawback for no trains is that we have to fly from here to a port near Macau - expensive even with an 80% discount, but a bunch of trains from here, back to Shanghai, switching somewhere else would have been just as pricey - not my finest suggestion to come to this place!! Plus after all that it pretty much leaves us with only today to do the sightseeing thing, and it's aleady 13:30! Not a great deal to see though, a pretty lake and nice walks (yes, Sam has her shoes on today!).
I'll be in a better mood for the next blog update from Macau!
Much love, Gam and Siles xxx
Two men in designer watches...James Bond - International Man of Mystery....Giles Chapman, International...???? What was it she called you again?? and why exactly????
We laughed so much at that status - Giles, is it the beard?
Look forward to hearing from you again soon - and just think - no 30 hour train journey = no nappies!
Love always,
mumdadjosh X X X