Editorial Trip to Chongming Island

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Got up really early yesterday to go on a trip to Chongming Island. It's a large island, about 80km by 15km, at the mouth of the yangzi river. We had to get up at 5 to catch the first ferry, which was a bit of a shock because its the time we usually come in.

There were six of us on the trip, me, Jerome and Pippa, the three interns and Shamus, his wife and a chinese journalist Zat. Zat was born on Chongming Island so she came along to show us around.

It was about an hour's ferry ride up the Huang Po river and in to the yangzi basin. When we arrived on the island we managed to arrange for a guy with a van to drive us round for the day.

First we went to a bird sanctuary, but there was a distinct lack of birds so we quickly moved on to visit Zat's home village. We went to see where she went to school, which is now derelict, and had a nose around all the class rooms. We then got the driver to stop at a random farmstead so we could meet some local people. It was very very rural, I dont think some of them had ever seen a western face and we soon drew a big crowd. They were fascinated by our cameras and couldnt understand how they could see themselves on the screen!

After the village visit we moved on to a forest park. We had arrived out of season and were the only people there apart from a big crowd of soldiers on their day off, all in uniform, all very young, about 16,17.
It was really nice to be out of the hustle and bustle of Shanghai, laying in the sun, but it was soon time to go back.

The ferry we caught home had an open deck so we all paid Y5 to sit on the top deck and watch the sun go down over the Yangzi as we cruised back home, sipping green tea.

I was absolutely shattered when we got home but Jerome roped me into football training with the French team. (In shanghai there is an international league for the expats, each major country has a team and they are sponsered by local bars and companies, Jerome plays for the French team). We played football until 10.30, then went to get a big burger king before going home for some much needed sleep.

Off out tonight to meet Mike Tyson. He's opening a new club in town and were on the guest list, so free drinks. Probably get home about 4 or 5 ready to do it all again tomorrow!

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Photos

Chongming Island Trip
Our ferry to Chongming Island

Chongming Island Trip
Shamus waiting to board the ferry

Chongming Island Trip
Jerome relaxing on board the ferry

Chongming Island Trip
Our A-Team wagon!

Chongming Island Trip
Me chewing sugar cane on the way to the (bird flu!) bird santuary

Chongming Island Trip
Enjoying the sunshine at the bird sanctuary. Miles and miles of wetland but no birds!

Chongming Island Trip
Zat's home town

Chongming Island Trip
Zat's school, only a few years earlier this was still a working school, we had been hoping to meet the children, but as you can see, it's now very derelict

Chongming Island Trip
Zat\'s school, only a few years earlier this was still a working school, we had been hoping to meet the children, but as you can see, it\'s now very derelict

Chongming Island Trip
Meeting some very bemused villagers, most of whom had never met westerners!

Chongming Island Trip
Watching the sun going down over the yangzi on the way home