After delays ranging from fixing tray tables to waiting for the President to land we started making our way from Newark to Shanghai. Fourteen and a half hours later we arrived in Shanghai. We navigated our way through the lines at customs and the lines to exit. Exiting the luggage era we found ourselves walking through a seemingly never-ending pathway with people on both sides holding an array of signs to meet people – but it was here that we found Phil – our friendly face and guide for the week who emerged from the sea of people.
Next up we had a 4 and ½ hour bus ride to Nanjing with a stop at our first Chinese rest stop on the way. One memorable site about halfway into the journey was a large Ferris wheel and a fancy, casino-like shopping area centered by a Sam’s Club in lights. I had never considered the world of Wal-mart in such glamorous contexts.
We were relieved to finally arrive Nanjing and get some food. It was here that we enjoyed our first ’round table’ event. Numerous plates of fresh food were delivered to our tiny room to feed our weary souls as we experienced the joy of sharing food on a Lazy Susan table. Finally, we arrived at our hotel, the Grand Hotel nonetheless, a beautiful site where we crashed in our beds. We made the long journey and were excited to see what was to come!
