Leaving Shanghai for Zhangjiajie National Park.

I am writing this while barrelling down the mountain road from Zhangjiajie National Park.  We are in a van and it is pouring rain.  It has been four days since we left Shanghai and for the last three we stayed at a small hotel which translates into something like the Prince of the Heavenly Son, the Friendly Home of the Photographer Hotel, according to Keren.  It has been pretty hot but last night it rained and today the temperature has dropped at least 50 degrees.   The last couple of days have truly been a cultural experience.  Once we left Shanghai I think we are the only Westerners, let alone Americans, in the entire area.

We met Keren and our mates, George and Jane, four days ago on our second day in Shanghai and spent our first day together exploring the old part of Shanghai, filled with narrow lanes turned into trendy shops and restaurants and second story apartments where the merchants live.  Keren knew many of the shop owners and he took us into some interesting galleries, art emporia, and a fabulous and authentic vegetable market. One restaurant showed the English translation above the Chinese characters and was colorfully called More Than Toilet Delicious and Happy.  Can't wait to eat there!  Chinese translations are to me among the most priceless aspects of traveling in China.

We had lunch at a wonderful art gallery and restaurant owned by a famous glass artist named Loretta Yang who used to be a chinese film star before taking up her art.  Later we took an evening plane to Zhangjiajie, the town at the heart of the National Park which is a major part of our itinerary.  Falling into bed at the Flower of the Peace Hotel around eleven was a welcome end to a long day.  By the way, Chinese beds tend to be on the hard side, but exhaustion trumps comfort. 

Keren Su, our Renaissance Man guide, with Tom walking the streets of Shanghai

The view from the cablecar of the road leading up to Tianmen Mountain, a World Heritage site.

A covered walkway at the top of Tianmen Mountain.  It's not as scary as it looks

Next day we rode a cable car up Tianmen Mountain, a World Heritage site.  It boasts to be the longest cable car in the world but Keren says in China never believe any slogan.  In any case it is very long.  At the top we walked along a winding path built onto the side of the mountain and overlooking the beautiful mountain scenery.  There we had a typical experience with the odd fascination that the Chinese have with Westerners and taking our pictures.  A young woman approached and asked--rather gestured--if she could take our picture.  The next thing we knew we were having many many pictures taken with a small group of young travelers, all of whom were smiling and laughing and stroking our arms.  Moments like that truly define communication without words.

Later we left the hotel with a driver, stopped at a plain but delicious family hot pot restaurant for lunch and proceeded on to the Prince of the Heavenly Son etc., from whence we have now left.  More about that next time..