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We were flying with Cathay Pacific to Shanghai. The journey involved a 1 hour stopover in Singapore and a transfer in Hong Kong.

We were landing on Pudong International Airport. Our Shanghai guide-Catherine picked us there and transferred us to our hotel. I have to say Shanghai is my favorite city in the world. The food was out of this world, the people were small so you could see for miles, the buildings were huge and modern, and the subway was clean and efficient. We spent two days here looping the highlights of the city. Catherine was absolutely a good guide and she did an excellent job in showing us around. The Bund really hit me. It was a great waterfront area with many ancient buildings of different styles. We were strolling about 1 hour on this fantastic place. At lunch, Catherine took us to a small local restaurant in which we tried the Chinese Dumpling. I did have no idea how was it made but it was delicious. We all dined to a feast.

"On Earth there is Hangzhou." Hangzhou with its natural beauty as well as the historical sites kept attracting our eyes as we planned our china tour. So we four went. Here in china, Getting on and off the train could be a challenge in terms of the height of the carriage, the time available (the trains don't seem to stop very long), and getting on and off the platform. It was great Catherine was touring with us and helped with the luggage while boarding and arriving. Our hard-sleepers were not very comfortable but the scene on the way was fine.. We saw vast lush green terraced rice fields where farmers and their children were busily working. We glimpsed rows of finely built new apartments. It seems that China is galloping forward in economical development to become one's the world's greatest country.

Hangzhou is quite different from Shanghai. It is a lively town on the shores of Xihu (West Lake) We deposited our bags at our hotel and were taken to the lake. The water was "green and clear".. We visited sights with such romantic names as "Lotus Flowers in the Breezing Winding Courtyard," "Orioles Singing in the Willows Park," and "Three Pools Mirroring the Moon Island."

All of us agreed that the most amazing thing of Hangzhou is its food. I have to say the food here was superb. Restaurants ranged from massive four storey buildings with hundreds of tables, to a noodle shack on the street. But in those street shacks, ordering food was a problem. There were no menus, just tables of vegetables, meat and tanks of fishes. ?Of course, no English is available. After some pointing and inventive gestures, we ordered us fish, Chicken, duck and pork.. Ten minutes later dishes on our plate. They were very effective to deal orders.

While in china, the Yellow Mountain (Huangshan in Chinese) must not be missed. We then went for great experience. For centuries, the places have inspired numerous painters, poets and meditators, who in return immortalized the mountain by their works. ?Yellow Mountain has long been in my imagination with sheer cliffs from which sprout twisted green pines, sunrise over mystic clouds.
Our travel advisor has booked us a hotel at the top of the mountain so that we could see the sunrise. We opted for a cable ride to the top, which saving us hours' climbing.. Most tourists had the same option with us. ?However, there were some who braved the stairs. We spent the rest of the evening surveying the breathtaking landscape. Words fail to convey the charm of the place..

We started the next day with a five-thirty alarm call for the sunrise.. We gazed at the far east. But that's a cloudy day so we missed the view.

We was picked down from the mountain in the dusk and then transferred to the railway station. We boarded a train for shanghai and then headed for home.