the sun is warm and the grass is green

so. the last day in shanghai we went to the jade buddha temple.

there are 2 different buddhas. the one that kinda looks hindu and the big jolly one.

the jade buddha is the hindu one. and is made of jade. surprisingly enough.

oh fyi my camera battery died this day. so i have just a couple of pictures. (plus i don't think they allowed pics of the jade buddha, google it)

they did let us take pics of the fat buddha.  yay for good luck.

after the jade temple, we went to the shanghai museum. and when i say went. i mean walked. and walked. and walked.

IMPORTANT traveling note-- chinese maps are generally not to scale.

 the museum was smaller but still cool. it had some ancient coins, and ancient seals, and ancient paintings, and well ancient a lot of stuff. apparently china is old. like 2000 B.C. old.  also. you know what hasn't changed over thousands and thousands  of years? the vase. it kinda reminds me of that seinfeld... "toilet paper...it can't get any better" ... anyone? well. we saw a lot of pots and vases.

THE NEXT day we left early to go to Hangzhou. i would like to point out we had breakfast at the holiday inn and i am not used to having fried rice or lo mein on the menu. I got used to baked beans showing up in england for a proper fry up. but the noodles still get me. that and actual salad. lettuce, tomato, shredded cabbage, dressing. no thanks. i stuck with my hard boiled eggs and cereal.

it was only a short 2 hr train ride. that actually got in on time to hangzhou.

hangzhou is literally know as heaven on earth. and of course it was rainy when we were there. it was still really beautiful. we took a little boat cruise around the massive lake. and then walked around until we got too cold and wet. then we ducked into a starbucks. which is becoming big in china. coffee is the new tea there. i had a hot chocolate. yum.  after that we went to the airport for our flight to chiang mai on the airport express bus. which was an adventure to find. i mean ..'it is there in the middle' aren't the most specific directions. but we made it to the bus with our bags in tow..

and to the airport..only to find they start checking people in only 2 hrs before the plane leaves. so we waited and then went though the most ridiculous 'security' check ever.

getting in china. difficult.

leaving... foreigners...don't the let door hit you on the way out ... :)