A Welcomed Farewell

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Our last day in China couldn’t have arrived soon enough. Having combined Japan and China for the better part of a month, Gina and I could truly say we were over Asia. Between the spitting, pushing, honking, fleecing and sheer number of people, we yearned for some rest and relaxation at our next destination.

Less than ambitious, but conscious of the necessary errands which we needed to complete prior to departing China, we procrastinated for the better part of our final morning. Over the course of two weeks, we had amassed a bit of heavy junk, souvenirs and otherwise, that needed to be shipped home. Having located a post office on our rudimentary Shanghai map, Gina and I anticipated a repeat of our efficient shipping experience in Xi’an, but unfortunately learned that like many things in China, the postal system is not uniform.

What appeared to be 4 blocks on the Lonely Planet map turned into 2 kilometers. What was supposed to be an easy task, turned into an hour-long cluster. First, we watched as two early 20-something American girls wrapped their one box with the entire roll of communal packing tape, while alternately asking one another, “Is that enough?”

Then, we discovered the Chinese haven’t mastered the science of carbon copies as the postal officer handed us the same form to fill-out in quadruplicate for each of our four packages. As we sat and penned away for a good half hour, I figured the situation was only befitting of our final day in China. Wrapping up shortly before noon, Gina and I decided to return to the hotel and eat pizza leftovers from the previous night. Our malaise with China compelled us to use the balance of our day planning activities for future destinations on our trip.

Celebrating our impending departure that evening at the chic restaurant, M on Bund, Gina and I hoped that our next destination, Nepal, would prove more hospitable.

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Photos

Yes, Chinese Elevators Go To Hell
-1 ????

Comments

[Jen Rhoades]

Apparently the Chinese are superstitious too
I like the absence of a 13th floor on the elevator.