An Oriental Adventure...Shanghai

WEDNESDAY 13th - WEDNESDAY 20th JANUARY

The pearl of the orient awaited and, after another day of store visits and a day of work in the office, the weekend was free to begin exploring the city's varied history dating back to the Song dynasty (960 - 1271 AD), becoming a center for trade for the English in 1842 which was swiftly followed by the French in 1847 and now the booming metropolis of over 1,000 high rise buildings with a population of 24 million.

Wanting to take in as much history as possible, my first stop was the Shanghai Museum located in the center of the city. Guarding the entrance were a selection of statues depicting lions, a pixie (exercisers of evil spirits) and a Tianlu (supernatural beast).

The museum is divided into 10 exhibitions displaying Chinese art and national treasures providing a glimpse into 5,000 years of history, some of which are below:

Paintings and Calligraphy

Mi Fu (1051 - 1107), Duojing Lou Poem

Wang Shimin (1592 - 1680), Landscapes after Old Masters

Jin Junming (1602 - 1675), Beautiful and Fragrant Flowers

Ancient Ceramics, Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD)

Currency

Spade-shaped and Sword-shaped coins (475 - 221 BC)

"Jiao Zi" paper notes, the earliest paper notes in the world

Bronze

Zun (wine vessel)

Masks

Tibetan Masks: skull mask and a mask of Garuda used for the Cham dance

This was an obvious place of interest for the indigenous population as I only saw one other western tourist and, as much as I liked seeing a lot of the same thing in each exhibition room, a couple of hours was all that was needed before a change of venue was wanted.

Adjacent to the museum is Renmin Square and Renmin Park (People's Square / Park), formerly a racecourse built by the British in 1862 and enjoyed by foreigners and Chinese alike but gambling was deemed immoral during the 1940's and now all that remain of this former social center is the clock-tower which was the racecourse's clubhouse.

Astonishingly, every weekend in the park scores of parents whose young adult children remain single and career focused gather to match-make and marry off their child to suitable prospects. The pathways are lined with an array of coloured umbrellas, each pegged with a single sheet of paper describing all the positive attributes of their child in the hope of ticking the social norm of getting their son or daughter married.

A few gents playing the game of Mahjong.

Gently strolling east towards the Huangpu River, the Bund was next on my list to appreciate the Neoclassical architecture from the 19th century which line the bank on the west side while being able to capture the new but already iconic skyline of Pudong on the opposite side of the shore. By day...

...and by night.

Towards the top of the pedestrian boulevard which runs the entire length of the Bund is the stone monument 'Heroes of the People'.

Eager to see more heritage from China's second city, I found myself strolling through side streets, marching across busy roads and occasionally taking the wrong direction as I traversed Shanghai in search of the Old City. Timidly, I approached this area whilst checking my guide book as the Old City was far busier and intimidating compared to previous sights on this adventure. Strangely, the further into the Old City I walked, the more familiar and comfortable it felt as it was vaguely reminiscent of walking into China town in Soho. Arches like Chinese pagodas straddled walk ways, the buildings were of traditional architecture and narrow lanes led through a bazaar with the hustle and bustle of people aiming to get the best deal down every alley.

Inside the Yu Yuan, the busy bazaar, is a fully restored classical Chinese garden. Originally built in the 16th century by a high official of the imperial court in honour of his father, this garden features pools, rockeries, walkways, bridges and a number of different buildings for various uses from reading and painting to the performance of dance. The different sections within the garden are divided by high dragon walls with undulating tops to represent the body and crowned on the corners with dragon heads.

Wrapped up warm to withstanding the cold of the January weather, my direction took me west and then north to visit 2 temples. The first, Jing'an Temple is nestled between a selection of high rise sky scrappers, shopping malls and busy roads but as soon as you step into the temple itself, a feeling of serenity surrounds you. Encompassing every direction were people burning incense and bowing to their deities in ancestral worship while in the center of the court was a towering incense burner where worshipers tried in vain to throw coins into tiny opening towards the top of the incendiary devise. Towards the edges of the court were huge pieces of jade where people would touch and rub the rock, again in ancestral worship.

The second, Yufo Temple, was not as grand but equally as calm.

One amusing sight I glimpsed while walking to the metro from the temple was a very interestingly coloured pack of dogs...!

For my final night in Shanghai it felt only right to go to the observation deck of the World Financial Centre at 492m high. This building is affectionately known as the bottle opener because of its distinctive feature: a hole in the shape of an inverted trapezium between the 94th and 100th floors. The views were astounding, particularly of The Pearl Tower with its memorable baubles, the Jinmao Tower because of its Art Deco design and the Shanghai Tower - the tallest building in China. The glass floor running from side to side through the middle of the observation deck and below the glazing either side of the width of the deck were quite an unexpected thrill. It was very unnerving standing on glass at 100 floors up and the perfect way to end this adventure of the orient.

An Oriental Adventure...Shenzhen and Guangzhou

MONDAY 11th - WEDNESDAY 13th JANUARY

The following morning, our identities were checked, passports stamped and luggage x-rayed as we passed through boarder control from Hong Kong to mainland China. The first stop was Shenzhen, a city pivotal in China's technology boom and home to iPod production. The visit was swift and within hours we had purchased our tickets and boarded a train to Guangzhou.

Arriving after sunset made the best tourist attraction in Guangzhou stand out like no other building around. The Canton Tower is the second tallest structure in China standing at 600m high. Nicknamed young girl with tight waist after its feminine design, it was awash with colour like a bright, twisted rainbow standing proud against the night sky. At its summit it boasts one of the highest drop tower in the world. It's far from being one of the tallest but this does nothing to subdue the surge of adrenaline as you take a seat, are asked to fasten your own safety equipment and begin the slow assent upwards before pausing at the apex just long enough to begin taking in the unrivaled view of Guangzhou until the impending drop occurs.

This experience was followed by two full days of store visits which preceded the 2 hour flight to Shanghai, the final city for this part of my oriental adventure.

An Oriental Adventure...Hong Kong

FRIDAY 8th - MONDAY 11th JANUARY

The unmistakable skyline of Hong Kong awaited after a smooth 12 hour flight from Heathrow, a puzzling metro journey fraught with several misinterpretations of the map for needed line changes and solving the mystery of Google Maps showing you that you're at your hotel's address but the hotel is nowhere to be seen (walking down a side street would have solved this dilemma a lot sooner!). Fortunately, after a quick refresh and a glance at the travel guide, it was best foot forward.

Hong Kong is made up of 3 different areas; Hong Kong Island in the south, Kowloon in the middle and the New Territories in the North. The modern cityscape of Hong Kong is on Hong Kong Island in an area called Central and this was to be the primary destination. Casually walking down the crowded pavement of Nathan Road in Kowloon, receiving many offers of fake watches, wallets and items of clothing (I suspect our Western fashion made us easy targets as obvious new comers), the wealth and volume of money flowing through this region was clear. The fashion power houses of Dior, Gucci, Rolex, Tiffany, Prada, Burberry, Mulberry, Channel, etc., appeared on what felt like every street and in each shopping mall. The desire for luxury was everywhere.

Turning the corner to head towards the harbour, strange statues of monkeys greeted passers-by with what appeared to be an uncomfortable and all too familiar salute...

...it was only when viewed from the front did it become clear that these were not monkeys intent on mass genocide against a minority populace but friendly creatures decorated by local artists.

Standing tall and proud near the harbour's edge is the clock tower, the only remaining structure of the Kowloon Railway Station, from where back in the day a train could be boarded and travelled back to mainland Europe via Mongolia and Russia.

The spectacular skyline of Hong Kong awaited and, although the image has been shown on TV or printed in a magazine many times over, the iconic view is astounding. Countless towers rising high into the air from the water's edge with the back drop of The Peak and spanning a distance of several kilometers. The best way to journey across the water is by a Star Ferry between Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon and the pier in front of the IFC2 Tower on Hong Kong Island, all for the bargain price of $3 (c.30p).

After wandering the streets of Central and tucking into some local cuisine, time was ebbing away and the journey back to Kowloon was met with haste as the daily light show was creeping closer. At 8pm each day, the high rise buildings of Hong Kong Island are lit up in time with the beats and melodies of music and pull in large crowds of spectators to marvel at this dance of light.

Unexpectedly but very much welcomed, Auntie Barbara and her husband (from the Team Tams side of the family) were able to meet me at the hotel and take me out for a couple of beers in a very local bar.

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The following evening, after devouring delicious Dim Sum and enjoying the light show once again, I ventured north along Nathan Road until I arrived at Temple Street Market. Here I was meet with familiar sights, sounds and smells I recognised from my travels in Cambodia and Vietnam. People late at night sitting outside a crowded cafe chatting, laughing and enjoying being with their friends; the unforgettable smell of a food market full of exotic foods and live fish waiting to be culled the moment cash is exchanged; and the market sellers trying to part with their goods for as close to asking price as they can muster.

From Hong Kong, the journey continued north to cross the boarder into mainland China.

Mini Break #2...Symonds Yat

WEDNESDAY 23rd - FRIDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2015

A relaxing few days awaited us in Symonds Yat and the unexpected beauty of the English/Welsh boarder greeted us as we arrived. The trees were still lush and green, the temperature remained mild and the chirp of birds was clearly audible above the din of the river rolling down its course.

The following morning was the main event: canoeing 9 miles along the River Wye, just Josh and me. Fortunately, we took to the skill quite quickly after colliding with a fisherman's line (not to his amusement) and learning how to paddle / steer to compliment rather than work against each other. Regrettably, the same could not be said for the middle-aged ladies in the canoe behind us...we had successful navigated through some rough water and were heading around a corner when we looked back and saw these ladies paddling dangerously close to the bank. As we rounded the corner and lost sight of the pair behind, a loud thud and an increased level of splashing could be heard. Unable to turn around to check the situation occurring in our wake, we paddled forward in the hope that we would once again see the canoe on a later leg of the river, but we never did!

Mini Break #1...Bude

JUNE 26TH - 28TH 2015

Day One

Being a determined driver with exceptional navigation skills and wanting to keep 'face' as designated driver for the weekend, I insisted on using paper directions, a 10 year old road atlas of Great Britain and my internal compass to steer competently to our lodgings on the outskirts of Bude rather than relying on the wizardry of the Tom-Tom. A couple of hours into the journey and all was well until, one mile from our destination, a misread sign took us down the wrong road! Disoriented from the new surroundings and realising that an up-to-date road atlas was needed, the glove-box was opened, the small black box extracted and the postcode entered. Humbled by this new technology, I reestablished connection with the correct road and within 2 minutes had arrived at our endpoint: Barn Cottage.

Day Two

Waking up through natural means and the sound of silence all around us was the true indication that we were not in bustling Bristol anymore but in beautiful Bude, a small seaside town in north Cornwall which is known for its good surf, clean beaches, friendly locals and tasty pasties. A full exploration of the town was on the agenda which included a stroll over the beach where brightly painted huts added to the coast's beauty on what began as an overcast day...

...a competitive game of crazy golf (where Josh unleashed his hidden sporting skills)...

...and a brisk walk along the canal.

Day Three

Following a restful sleep and a hearty breakfast, we decided to venture further afield and visit the small fishing village of Boscastle a few miles west of Bude. This sleepy village is nestled within a coastal inlet and its attractiveness and romance is only fully appreciated once you are on foot and walking along the river which leads to the harbour and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

Following this path, we discovered a short coastal walk leading up to the apex of a cliff. Along the way we felt the Atlantic spray against our faces, the taste of sea salt in our mouths and the smell of the coast was all around. Greeting us at the summit was a string of wild ponies who were more than pleased to make our acquaintance once they saw grass in Josh's hand!

Gladly, a strong, hot coffee was sipped while overlooking the loveliness of the British seaside before making our way back to Bristol with the uplifting knowledge that we'll return to enjoy the splendour of Cornwall again.