April 15 Shanghi, Tongli and Su Zhou

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Friday April 15, our vacation is slowly coming to a close. We have two more days in Shanghai, then the journey home begins. However, we still have two active days ahead, so we are going to make the most of them.



Today at breakfast, we were joined by Jo and our local guide Tony. Let me tell you about them. Jo is a very lovely mother hen, taking care of her wayward chicks. She anticipates everything. She watches over us to make sure we are on time for the next event, helps with the language barrier, fixes problems and, most of all, puts up with me, a major job in itself. She's funny, smart and a joy to be with. China Spree is lucky to have her. We all love her dearly.



All of our local guides were also excellent. The beautiful Sue and the handsome and affable Tony were the best. Knowledgeable, patient, funny and most of all put up with me. Are you sensing a theme here?



Anyway, we are heading to Su Zhou. It is about a two hour drive, mostly due to traffic rather than distance. Su Zhou is known for agriculture, aquaculture, and siniculure (silk farming). We will visit a silk factory, view the fish farms and drive through the farming villages, giving us a wide understanding of country life.





Mike shared a personal experience this morning. It seems that he was heading to the hotel elevator alone last evening, when he was approached by a Lady of the Evening, who offered him a massage! He said she was either drunk or drugged, he felt sorry for her, but did not take her up on her offer. Jo is staying at a hotel about fifteen minutes away, the Marriott does not comp rooms for tour guides, she said that every night some one slips a card under her door advertising personal services. Later in the day Brian also added an experience with another working girl. Good to see the world's oldest profession is alive and well in the People's Republic of China.



On our ride to Su Zhao, Tony shared some culture with us. Since the one child policy was initiated, the population dynamics have changed. There are 138 men to 110 women, so you better have a good way to attract a wife. The women are very discriminating, as they have the upper hand. To be successful suitor you must have the 6 C's: Condo, Car, Credit Card, Career, Cooking, and Carisma. Tony has it all, he now has a wife and a beautiful baby to boot!



We arrived in the old town area and visited a beautiful private garden. This garden was built in about 1100 AD and has been maintained over many iterations since. A Chinese garden must have three things, water (from which life begins), trees and flowers, and rocks. This is required to balance the wind or air (Feng) and water (Shui). The garden was beautiful, light and airy. Throughout the garden were various buildings such as a Tea Room (for entertaining), a library for reading and learning and various other rooms each with a specific purpose. I need to do a great deal of work in my bird garden at home if I hope to emulate the gardens of China.



After the garden we headed to lunch. Beer and specialties flowed as did the conversation with new friends. Another beautiful day in a beautiful city. Next stop, the number one silk factory.



Silk worms have been domesticated over the centuries and are fed a steady diet of mulberry leaves. Once hatched, the worms eat the leaves until they are full grown, about 21 days. At this time they begin to produce a sticky filament, senicine, which hardens when exposed to air. The filament is formed by excretion of the contents of the silk worm's stomach. Essentially silk is made from worm puke. A single filament may be a mile long. The worms grow within the pupa and changes into a moth within a month. A few hours later, the moths will mate and the female will lay eggs. After mating the male dies, the female dies soon after laying her eggs. The entire life cycle lasts about two months.



To make silk, you let the worm spin a pupa, but before it changes into a moth, you subject the pupa to heat to kill the worm. Once cooled the pupa can be unrolled, producing a filament that will unravel the entire pupa in one strand. The longer the filament the better the quality. The single fiber may be up to a mile long. The process of unrolling the pupa is ancient. The pupa is heated in hot water making the silk threat come apart. They use a rice brush to catch the end of the silk thread and then attach the ends to a machine that slowly unrolls the strand. The silk from eight worms are woven together to make an impossibly strong thread. Once processed, the silk can be dyed, spun and woven to many products. The deceased pupa are collected and used to make various medicinal elixirs or face creams. Think about that the next time you use to your $200 face cream that claims to have "silk" added. It is actually the dead worm carcass you are rubbing into your face. Never thought of that did you?



Of course after the demonstration, we were led to the silk store. Here we learned the process of making silk comforters. They are nice but not necessary for the Farina household. I did look for scarves but there were none to be had. Sorry Cathy. Ok I lied, there were thousands of scarves, but there was no way I could possibly choose the right one, as my bride is a little picky on what she will wear.



Our next and final stop of the day is the village of Tongli in the canal area. This spot is called the Venice of the East. The area is so named because it is a series of criss crossed canals and bridges. We will be taking a Gondola through the canals as we once did in Venice. I will also be searching for ice cream!



We entered the village through an ornate gate. As we headed through the central city I spied an ice cream freezer. Unfortunately it was out of order and empty, drat. A little further on, as we were about to board the Chinese version of an Italian gondola, when low and behold I spied a freezer full or Magnum Bars. I got two, one for me and one for John.



Equipped with our ice cream we boarded the Gondola with Heidi, her family, Rick, John and I. We were a little overweight, but what the heck right? Anyway we sailed through the quiet canals as our intrepid Chinese oarsman rowed from the back of the boat exactly as in Venice. We tried to get him to sing Italian songs, but were unsucccessful.



The ride was splendid. We toured the canals, under bridges, and watched the local people go about their daily work. We passed bars, restaurants and, of course, shopping stalls. It was beautiful and relaxing and one hell of alot of fun. After the boat ride, we visited another local garden, this one from a local military general, who fell into disgrace with the Emperor. Fortunately the Emperor needed his general for battle and he was reinstated. Not so good news, however, he was killed in battle.



We once again were given free time to enjoy explore. There was a shop in the garden selling real hand cut art called Papercut. This is where the artist cuts out the design from a single sheet of paper. They are beautiful, one of a kind, not too costly. My mother in law Rose, is now in possession of a signed Papercut of the symbol for long life. I hope she likes it.



After free time, we headed back to the bus for the two hour drive to our hotel in Shanghai. Before we returned to the hotel we stopped for dinner at an amazing local restaurant in what was once the Japanese Concession from WW I.



Tonight was our final farewell dinner with our traveling family. Several are going on to Hong Kong, some will stay with their grandson for a few days, and the origional 18 have one day at leisure In Shanghai . Leisure! What's that?Jo, our ever humble guide, offered to remain with us on her free day, and take some of us to the old town. She is even going to throw in a ride on the Chinese subway, an experience not to be missed. So here we have Jo, who has just spent two weeks mothering us around, giving up her free day to help us enjoy our last day. If this is not one of the best guides in the business I don't know who is. China Spree you have a keeper, take good care of her, she is your best asset.



John summed it all up for me when he said "This has been an amazing journey, filled with culture, amazing sights, once in a life time adventures and great friends." I could not have said it better, we all agreed.



Well now I have to pack to get ready for the last day. I am sad it is coming to an end, but I really miss my wife and can't wait to see her again. My dog Leo, not so much!

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Photos

Silk Farming
Unrolling the Silk Cacoons

Silk Farm
Each Strand is over a mile long

Silk Farming
Mechanized weaving

Tongli
Venice or China?

Tongli
Our Gondola

Tongli
Cruising the canal

Tongli
Just Beautiful

Tongli
Trained Cormorants used for fishing

Comments

[Alla]

Booo
Poor Leo, he misses his daddy!