Get Out the Map!

On the way to Yuyuan Garden

Here’s to Mr. Wu!  
By Mike & Darlene Jordan
   Our flight was 5 hours late. It was the first and the last glitch in what became the trip of a lifetime.
   The late departure from San Francisco meant that we arrived in Shanghai at 11:30 p.m. instead of 5:00 p.m. Now, that might not sound so bad except that we were traveling east, meaning we flew all of Thursday afternoon, Thursday night, and all day Friday…or…something like that. The important thing is that, after flying through who knows how many time zones and across the International Date Line, we were in The People’s Republic of China!
Our group of 5 couples was met at the airport by our hosts, Viking River Cruises, and they transported us across town through a misty fog to the Pudong Shangri La Hotel where, by 9:00 a.m., we’d get just enough sleep to be ready to begin one of the most fantastic journeys we’ve ever experienced.
We have stayed in a lot of hotels, including the Waldorf Astoria in New York City and London, but we have to say that the Pudong Shangri La is, without a doubt, the most luxurious hotel we’ve ever experienced. For breakfast, they served the most extravagant buffet with dishes from all over the Orient as well as good old eggs and bacon.
After breakfast we met Luc (short for Lu Chen), the man who would be our guide for the next two weeks, and Mr. Wu, our driver for the next two days. Joined by 20 other fellow Viking passengers, we headed out to visit old Shanghai and a tour of Yuyuan Garden; the first of many tours that would immerse us into the country and culture that is China.
The first thing we learned is that China has traffic laws…but no one pays any attention to them, save for the occasional stop at a traffic light. Buses, taxis, motorcycles and bicycles wind in and out of traffic as though they are the only vehicles on the road. Fighting fire with fire, Mr. Wu navigated the impossibly busy traffic of Shanghai with ease, and got us everywhere we needed to go on time—and alive.
Old Shanghai looks like what you might imagine China to be. It’s full of the old buildings with swooping tile roofs and colorful carved wood decorations on the eaves. What was very odd was to see McDonalds and KFC among the shops and galleries along the streets.
Despite the foggy, misty weather that accompanied us for most of the trip, Yuyuan Garden was an unexpected pleasure; it was like taking a step back in time or onto the set of a Hollywood movie. Yuyuan Garden was built during the Ming Dynasty according to the 4 requirements of the traditional Chinese garden—water, buildings, trees, and rock. One step through the entrance brings visitors into another world. This 5-acre wonder is a truly beautiful and serene place in the very middle of a frantic city. We spent a couple of hours there as Luc gave us the history of this garden and Old Shanghai.
 Our next stop was a silk carpet manufacturing demonstration, where we watched up-close as a weaver worked on an incredibly ornate 100% silk carpet. We marveled at how 100% silk can look different from many angles. Some members of our group even purchased carpets to ship home.
 After a visit to the Shanghai Museum we had a traditional Chinese dinner at a local restaurant…but our day wasn’t over. We followed dinner with a gymnastics show featuring a troupe of professional acrobats, then walked along the riverside and marveled at the incredible modern skyline of Shanghai at night.
 Luc, however, was a slave driver. After returning to the hotel, he advised us that we had to be ready at 8:00 a.m. to begin our morning visit to a silk factory. This was one of the most fascinating things we saw. We were able to walk through the production area and watch up close as silkworm cocoons were unraveled and spun into silk thread. Then we observed as the thread was woven into elaborate fabric.
 After lunch, it was time for the bus ride of a lifetime. While Luc continued his talks on China as we drove, Mr. Wu wove in and out of the busy 4-lane traffic for the 2 and a half hour ride to Nanjing where we would be boarding our Yangtze River ship, the Viking Century Sun. Sometimes, for no apparent reason, Mr. Wu would slow down on the open highway, then speed up again without warning. When we arrived in Nanjing, we still had to navigate around traffic jams caused by an earlier accident, ignoring rights-of-way, traffic lights, pedestrians, bicycles, and other inconveniences; but we got there, safe and sound, and no one on the ground was hurt.
 We had made it through two days of China traffic and had escaped with our lives. At dinner on the ship, one of our companions helped us wind down the day by insisting that we offer a nightly toast after every busy day. He stood, raised his glass and proclaimed, “Here’s to Mr. Wu!”
Next week:  The Yangtze River. Until then…get out the map!