Our mid May visit to the Idaho Botanical Garden was on the day the Moody Blues concert was canceled. Its a good thing it was canceled, or the Garden would have been closed in preparation. As it was, we were among a very few uninformed who came to the Garden anyway.

The weather was only slightly warmer than during our March visit, but there were many more flowers in bloom.  We followed the same course through the garden, but skipped the “natural garden” path up the side of the hill.  We hike in the local hills regularly and see that sort of landscaping there.  Maybe the following photos will give you some ideas for your garden.  I’ve tried to mention names of what I know or what was labeled, but welcome help identifying the rest (or corrections…).  You should be able to enlarge pictures by clicking on them.

orange poppies and purple columbine

Not that many of us have the space for such a display of wisteria…

A closer look at the deep purple columbine.

Yellow lilies provide color right now in this border.

Unidentified lavender bush.  May have to go back and ask the personnel at IBG.

Formal hedges staging frilly clematis and my blonde brownie.

White clematis with a touch of purple.

Exotic purple clematis.

Giant allium

A peaceful corner for hostas.

Contrasted with these rows of mature hostas.

A well dressed geranium.

Spanish eyes in the grass, but you’ll notice that it hampers the mowing schedule.

Strange bark adds to the visual effect.

My partners in exploration.

Another fun tree.

I never tire of the variety of iris colors.

Snow in summer up the rose garden steps.  Delightful.

Raspberry swirl tulips are a nice addition to this bed.

Am dreaming of the wrought iron support for peonies in my yard.

I have no idea what this is and can’t decide if it belongs in a cave….flowers up close below.

I adore pussy toes and finally got some established in my garden.

Here they are up close with some striking red  columbine amongst them.

And stepping back a bit -

A new twist on the old west theme.

Apparently planted in broken rocks – see the whole row of them below:

It looks like this straw flower has some source of inner lighting!

These girls keep following me. 

We saw this plant sprouting when there in March and it reminded us of a gooey alien life form.

and its flowers now.

The flowering roof over the Lewis and Clark display.

I have not been successful with penstemons in my yard, but IBG has a number of them that tempt me to keep trying.

See the buds up close below:

A bubbling brook -

With a camas lily on its banks.

Russian stonecrop.

Hot pink Lewisia.

A gentian blue flower

And also in the “fire protection” borders area, red penstemon and a weeping Siberian pea (tree?).

Me looking casual on a well placed bench.

If you are looking for a place for photo-ops, IBG has many opportunities.

This little fellow followed us a bit, seriously dive bombed the girls, then sat on the branch to sing an aria for us.  I think he wanted to play.

Another graceful combination.

A brilliant white shrub behind the covered swing.

Since it is actually June now, it is time to go again and see the roses in bloom.  The rose garden was looking very promising, but there were only one or two roses just beginning to show.

On our last day of adventures in Taipei, we began with a visit to the Taipei Zoo.  This is no small place, and I’m sure we walked a few miles.  It is half a mile from just the front gate to the animals.  The zoo design categorizes animals by continent.  Sometimes there are two or three enclosed habitats for the same animals.  Most of the animal living spaces seem large and safari like in spite of their camouflaged walls, moats, and electric wire.  However, even with that, I never felt completely safe from the things like lions and white rhinos.  One lion had a roaring spree right after we walked by.  The volume of his repetitive roar was bone chilling.  I would understand if prey was paralyzed by fear when they heard it!

Pandas have been there since just before we stopped living in Taipei two years ago.  It was a lot less crowded this time around and no guard.   We were able to stand there much longer, happening to have arrived right before feeding time.  Greg took a video of the live Teddy Bear.  We thought it was interesting how the panda peeled the bamboo and even then didn’t seem to eat it all before moving on to the next piece.

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So many animals of varied cuteness, magnificence, or oddity, but I will only post a few pictures this time around.  Descriptions will be below each photo.

This is a type of small deer (here in the zoo) that Greg came across while running in the jungle like parks around and in Taipei.

Besides birds, this was one of the only cages with bars.  I’m guessing leopard are just too good at jumping.

Who doesn’t love an elephant?!  We were fascinated to watch the one in front play with a softball sized rock in his trunk, rolling it up, knocking it on the cement, putting it in his mouth, over and over, with slight variations each time.

There were three kinds of lemurs in this enclosure, all very active, apparently unaware that they were in a cage or being viewed.

This possibly shows 1/3 of the giraffe quarters.  I liked the chocolate color of the guy on the far right…  but I didn’t have time to really get to know him.

Another visitor to the zoo who was only there for the warm rocks.

The hippos were all crammed into one corner for feeding time.  I don’t recall seeing hippos out of water and was rather shocked by their layers and folds.  Very plump!

There are a large variety of birds in the zoo, but most of it was blocked for remodeling.  This fellow looks quite military.

This one looks like aliens I’ve seen in the movies.

I know how this one is feeling about his hair…

This crane was all arrogant crankiness.  “Just take your picture, then, and let me get back to my nap.”

The Asian sun bear was showing off.

I enjoyed the vibrant rusty orange of this animal.

This monkey seemed to be hunting bugs among the wildflowers, leaving the standard zoo fare alone.

This was labeled “jungle fowl.”  Really.  I will never look at my chickens that same way again.

This white rhino seemed to want me to know that I should be in dread fear of him, and he is right.  There was no sense of warm cuddlies from him.

And here we are “in” North America with the wolves.  Seeing them up close makes me even less fond of the idea of repopulating my backwoods with them.  The only animal we didn’t go see were the horses.  Greg said we have some of those in our backyard and it wasn’t worth the walk.

We ended our visit to Taipei by going to the Ziga Zaga Club in the Grand Hyatt Hotel.  This was the hotel we stayed in for our first three weeks in Taipei, when we were looking for an apartment to live in, but we never went to the clubs then, other than to glance into them.  The Grand Hyatt is right behind the Taipei World Trade Center, that Greg worked at on Friday, so not very far away from our hotel this time.  There was an excellent live band and a lot of tables filled with people for a Tuesday night.  Greg and I put on our barefoot shoes, mine being a version of this, and showed what we are made of, just like on the cruise ship, when I also danced for hours in these Vibrams.  Vibrams are the only way to dance!

Monday, April 18th, 2011 began with meeting friends for coffee and a chat.  A lovely four hour chat!  The two women we met with are both currently expats, one from California and one from France, who arrived a short while after our time of living there, but are still there.  They both have small children, including young babies.  It didn’t feel like it had been two years since we had seen them.  After discussing everything from how to find an American style meal in Taipei (“It’s all about the food.”) to how to encourage fellow believers, we parted regretfully.  Good-byes were filled with promises of visits in other foreign locations, and offerings of our house as a stopping point when they go stateside.

Then Greg and I went to walk along the river that we had frequented while living there, the same area in which Ben proposed to Amanda during their Christmas visit to us.  It is called Shuangxi Riverside Park, and I was excited to find that I could read four of the six Chinese characters on the sign!  I’m getting nimble with a Chinese dictionary, too, so I had the others figured out soon.

Someone takes good care of this area, although I have yet to see anyone besides illegal fisherman and poaching harvesters.  However, as gorgeous as it is, with the year long tropical growing, I can see that the weeds are tenacious and give no respite.  It makes one appreciate the aspect of winter that just gives a gardener a break from the struggle.

A sweeping view, then a close up of an amaryllis.

An aloe vera in bloom

A dainty purple blossom. (with Greg’s hand)

Curly, fuzzy pink and whites.

Lantana as it should look (as opposed to how it looks in  my garden…)

The fabulous Greg, as we take turns recognizing familiar landmarks.

And a swath of cosmidium phillipine, which I grew for the first time last year and was rewarded with a few flowers.

Then the raised pathway, next to a waterway, that leads through the city to “our” apartment.

Very ugly, poisonous looking, but strangely like tomatoes.

And, finally, a classically Chinese landscape in the background as we approach our MRT station.  I am surprised by how much like home it all felt.

We managed to be in Taipei for the last week of the Taipei International Flower Exposition. While I did take some pictures of the plastic bottle building, we spent the rest of our time looking at floral exhibits by various countries. Most of the countries participating were from Asia, but the USA had an expressive display that did a good job of showing the variety of habitats around our country. I didn’t get photos of the entrances of all of the sites, so some you will have to guess if I can’t remember which ones they were!

On our way to the Expo, it was a little humorous to find ourselves walking through an Ascics race. I think Greg had a hard time leaving. It helped that he had gone on a nearly hour run the previous morning, followed by hiking and sprinting with the children. His legs being fatigued made it easier to move on.

The flower expo began just outside of an MRT station. In fact, we had passed that same stop a couple of times already on our way to other escapades. The first time the train stopped there, we didn’t know what it was or why the train was stuffed with people that early on a Saturday morning. As we arrived, a soft, drawn out, fascinated ‘ahhhh….’ ruffled through the passengers. Then most of them excitedly disembarked.

When we arrived on a different day, the sight was just as grand. There was a hint of a drizzle, so there was an expanse of umbrellas that foretold the colors of the flowers within.

Here I am with Iris, my Chinese tutor most of the time we lived in Taiwan, just after we have entered the grounds. She had scouted things out with her mother.

These canna lilies are just entrance decoration, but I couldn’t pass them up.

Then we needed to examine the pavilion constructed completely from plastic bottles. We did notice that Taiwanese plastic bottles have many flat edges, as apposed the the common curved ones we are used to.

Then it was on to the open air shows of how each country wanted to be remembered.

The rose bushes in Oman probably look better. They get limp and straggly in the heat and humidity of Taipei. Still, they were pretty – and countered the bareness of the rest of the Oman site. Inside the ‘fortress’ there were only pictures of camels and sand, something Greg had jokingly predicted.

The Greek gardens -

Korea -

Moving on to Thailand. There were a lot of interesting things here.

The Canadian exhibit was a bit humorous because we originally thought the structures were pink whales… Until the exhibit representative, excited to speak to English speaking visitors, gave us a tour. They are designed to be salmon painted as Indians or Eskimos would do it.

The theme of the display was hydroponic gardening and growing plants in unique small spaces.

I’m still not convinced that a pond is the best place for cacti -

I lost track of countries for a while.

Then we came to the southwest USA and felt right at home!

The northwest was comfortable, too. Iris was impressed when Greg told her the true size of moose.

And our favorite, Spudman!

This may have been Malaysian -

Something else I can’t remember. It was all just looking oriental to me.

And then there’s Chile, were we discussed bromeliads and pineapples, and saw some ‘hens n chicks’ as large as Greg’s hand.

Japan was next.

Then it was time to go to the Thai restaurant that Iris had made a reservation at. Here are some pictures if that, Beth!

Finally, we went for massage at a business that Iris uses. (she stayed for one, too). The masseuse said I should not walk anymore that day because my back had been very tight…. We were going to the hotel to rest anyway. Another day well spent enjoying the beauty of God ‘s creation

Saturday, we were able to spend the day with some of our wonderful friends in Taipei. They fed us twice, took us hiking, introduced us to some of Taiwan’s hot springs, and patiently practiced Chinese conversational skills with me. There were many highlights to the day and we deeply appreciate the time we were able to spend with them.

Before we even met them at the MRT station, however, Greg and I wandered around our ‘old neighborhood’ in Tienmu. What a strange thing to walk nostalgically down streets in Taipei! We came to our apartment building to find Uncle Huang (all purpose handyman, doorman, grandfather) and the landlady sitting in the entryway like they were waiting for us. Imagine how delightful it was for me to have a simple dialog with them after having lived there for so long without being able to communicate with them. They were also hugs and bows.

Peter, Esther, and their three young children, picked us up at the Zhishan MRT station at 11 AM. They drive one of the ‘larger’ minivans we’ve seen on Taipei. Once we were added to the group, Peter wound through narrow lanes, then parked in impossibly tight places, all in an effort to pick up some lunch and take us to their home. They were going to just take us to the restaurant, but the kids wanted to show us their new home.

We were told how disappointed the kids were that our three youngest, whom they had met two years ago, wouldn’t be with us. After a bit of shyness, they decided Greg and I were reasonable replacements, and excitedly showed us their rooms, their turtles, their green caterpillars, and their bean sprouts. Soon lunch was set out and I ate my first snail. It was very chewy, which I am told is not true of all kinds of snails.

After lunch, we all piled back into the little van to take a windy, narrow road up to a trail head. This road was not isolated. There was frequent traffic necessitating passing within centimeters of rocks walls and other vehicles. Mirrors were more frequent than signs as they were provided to let oncoming drivers see each other approaching around bends. Greg had fun recognizing that he used to regularly ride his bike on much of the route. It got very foggy after a while.

When we reached the top, there was still dense fog, but the temperature was comfortable as long as there was no breeze. We joined the abundant hikers, most carrying umbrellas. Peter was pushing his oldest daughter’s wheelchair. He and Greg pulled ahead, while Esther and I came along more slowly while chatting in a mix of Chinese and English. She has learned more English since I saw her last.

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When we reached the top, the fog cleared a little.

The kids, with encouragement from Greg, went around hunting miniature frogs and tadpoles.

Naturally, I also found some flowers and unfamiliar plants:

After a slow, wet, slippery walk back down the path, they took us to Beitou’s Thermal Valley to see the green sulfur hot springs which are said to have magical effects on health. The water was 90 – 100 degrees Celcius, which means close to boiling. In fact, Peter and Esther both told us that when they were young their parents brought them down there to boil eggs. There are sturdy rails blocking access now, which was fine with me. Just the steam was hot.

Peter then took Greg and I to a nearby business that had some nice pools for the hot springs, with three temperatures to choose from. It was a popular place. Greg was obviously distinguished as the hairiest man there. I was the tallest woman. It was relaxing, but I, with my low blood pressure could not stay in very long. Not an appropriate place to take pictures, sorry.

The final destination was an authentic Chinese buffet for dinner. I have no idea what most of the food was. All the table clothes were kind of sparkling pink. The chairs were fully covered with a shiny white fabric. There was karaoke going on, so Greg asked me to sing. Everyone else was singing in Chinese languages, but Peter went up and asked if they had any English songs. The music was being played live by a nice woman who spoke a little English. I ended up singing Amazing Grace, which we heard played a lot around here when we lived here. After a few other people has sung, Greg wanted me to sing again, and I thought I could manage a Carpenter’s song, “Close to You.”. The piano player welcomed me to come on Friday nights, as she plays there every week.

We were dropped off at the MRT station to make our way back to the hotel. We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day.

Some people may say that I should completely embrace every aspect of Chinese culture while I am here. Don’t miss out on a single opportunity, they may preach. But they are probably back home getting to eat whatever they want for breakfast. Breakfast is not the time to challenge your stomach.

The hotel buffet it beautifully presented, colorful, and… well… weird in a lot of ways. They do have some very nice scrambled eggs and some cheese to slice. These have been my main stay. There is also some bread to toast (although Greg said three times through the toaster barely warmed it) and butter. The little triangular hash browns were probably from a box in the freezer, but they were decent. Cold sugary cereals were set out, but I have to wonder if they were decoration, like the crackers and bread that Greg considered eating. The crackers were a damp soft and the bread was stale from sitting out.

I do like some of the fresh fruit. There was some yummy watermelon the first day. The orange juice is watery, but good; and I’ve become a morning tea drinker because they don’t have water available there. (bottled water is in the rooms)

However, the freshest and prettiest offerings might as well be pictures in a magazine because all I am going to do is look at them! The entrance to the hotel restaurant is also pretty a a picture, though hiding away on the 11th floor, so here it is -

Then we see this -

A quietly friendly server takes us to a table (and on this morning offered to take a picture of both of us when she saw the camera out) -

in the next few photos I will let the labels on the food speak for themselves. (if you click on the photos they should enlarge)

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Below is a sauce that even Greg said he wasn’t willing to try. If he won’t try it, I not going to! He wasn’t wanting different things for breakfast, either.

These poached eggs fooled him once. They are actually chilled and sitting in soy sauce -

I don’ know what is on the two plates on the right -

I thought this was a clever way to keep boiled eggs warm, but since I didn’t have one, I can’t tell you for sure that they are ‘regular’ boiled eggs. Maybe I’ll give it a try tomorrow?

One Chinese food I DO really like are the steamed buns filled with sweet bean paste. The ones this morning had a purple tint to their bread, probably meaning a little of a certain type of potato around here was added for coloring.

Greg’s plate was more exciting than mine. He likes some of the less exotic dumplings.

Since there is food such that we can eat enough to feel ready for the day, we can appreciate looking at the rest, even if they don’t serve anything chocolate. I can sample a variety of things for lunch and dinner, but give me things I’m used to for breakfast, please.

(orchid near entrance to our room)

I’m not here for the food. In general. I do like the steamed buns with sweet red bean paste. Fried dumplings for lunch or onion flat bread is delicious, but I can’t eat all those strange vegetables for breakfast, or various slimy looking things at all. So every time I go out to look for a meal, it is with apprehension.

In a hurry to grab a late lunch before the eateries all closed for the afternoon, I was headed for a TGIF restaurant that the map placed just around the corner. I had already passed several of the common closet sized cafes that display oddly colored and shaped pieces of meat. Then some red lettering caught my eye. It said ‘Tasty Tasty’. I glanced at the menu and saw a few things that made my mouth water. A small voice in my head reminded me that it never tastes like it looks in the picture, but inside the establishment was very clean and neat. I went in.

The menu was the type where you chose from two – four items in each category. I can’t tell you for sure what was in each dish, but I can tell you it was gently delicious and elegantly presented.
My first choice was shrimp and asparagus in a mild Dijon honey mustard sauce -

It was only a few small pieces, a perfect appetizer. Then came a fruit dish. The melons, one of which was honeydew, were exactly crisp and sweet. There was a barely sweet dip that I used on every piece.

Then came the quaint pizza like Danish pastry. None of the flavors were what I would call strong, but they were distinct and made me want to savor each bite. The crust was light, with a touch of crisp on the outside. The top was a very thin layer of meat, cheesed, and spices. I ate the whole thing.

Next came pumpkin soup. It was creamy without being rich, not heavily pumpkin flavored while still orange, and had body without being thick. There were a few thin pieces of something I cannot identify, maybe potato-like. This was accompanied by a pallet cleanser, but I expose my ignorance when I say I don’t know if it was before or after the soup.

After that, the ‘main’ course of beef. No one ever asked me how I wanted it cooked, and it looked a little well done, so I was preparing myself for a chewy experience. However, it turned out to be quite tender and, again, carefully seasoned. I couldn’t eat it all and got to practice some Chinese listening skills when the young lady asked if I wanted it ‘take out’.

Lastly came the chocolate cake, which was about as light and creamy as can be done and still have something sit on the plate. The little logo sign on top was a gourmet tasting candy. It was the first thing to go. I couldn’t finish the cake either, but no one offered to let me take it. Oh, and fruit tea with the cake. Don’t forget the lovely fruit tea!

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in Taipei. With several more days ahead of us here, maybe I will have a chance to take Greg there.

I showed Greg how to get to work today! Will wonders never cease?! I had the edge on him because I’ve been back here a day before he arrived, and have been footing it all around Taipei 101.

Let’s start at the beginning. He arrived yesterday evening and made some comments about wondering if I “need him anymore” since in the past I haven’t liked to go out and explore (huge, foreign, international) cities by myself. I WAS very happy to see him. See me smiling at him:

Then we went out to find a dumplings restaurant recommended by the hotel staff. He got me lost in the dark. We saw a 7-11 and he thought he knew where he was. Bad choice of landmarks… There is one around every corner (literally, Rich). Here is our personal one where we did our bedtime shopping:

The following morning, after a yummy breakfast buffet at the hotel, Greg mentioned that it might be nice for me to know where his offices here are. I have never been inside his office in Boise, and I never visited the one when he worked in Taoyuan, Taiwan. So, off we went together.

Here is the building with our hotel room, Pacific Business Center:

And here, just up in that little triangle near the top, you can see about where our balcony is:

Here are a couple of views of the “streets where we live.”. I say “streets” because there are so many of them so close together, it’s hard to say exactly which one is ours.

My kids will appreciate the effort I went to to take those photos…. I actually stopped on one of the overpass walkways for a few seconds. Not a comfortable place for me! It is, however, the most convenient way to cross the street at this intersection, as well as being a useful landmark.

I showed Greg the way to the point on the map where his offices were supposed to be, but he had to choose which building might house them. (I had no idea!). He correctly chose the Taipei World Trade Center.

In front of the building, there were five neon lime green-vested traffic control personnel waving short batons and playing a symphony with their whistles in order to keep pedestrians from being squashed by taxis. Busy, busy place. Inside, we found the bilingual directory that listed Micron as being on 25th floor. We choose from three sets of elevators, our destination being in the middle section of floors, and got in line. We missed the first wave, but lead the second trickle.

Here is Greg standing in front, and then pushing the security bell to be let in.

On the way back to the hotel, I had to take a picture of this canna lily:

And now, I’m doing a little laundry. Some things never change.

For an authentic experience, you should go sit in the sauna while you read this post, or just find someplace where your clothes will get damp and cling to you. It has to be 80 degrees Farenheit to count. Forget to take your water bottle, too. I’m not complaining, though; just setting the stage.

I thoroughly enjoyed my walk through Taipei Botanical Garden. It was a visual treat accompanied by various light nectar fragrances carried in the soft warm breeze. The predominant colors were green, with scattered blooms. Some of the flowers appeared to be tolerated weeds that lent a wild, free look to many sections. There were just enough people to give it a friendly feeling. This included a couple of classes of young school age children, but was mostly over 40′s adults getting some fresh air. One teacher encouraged the class to wave and say good-bye to me as I sat a moment on a nearby bench.

This is the entrance I came through after a short walk from the MRT (subway) station. Both the station and the street were almost deserted, causing me to feel a little unsure of the situation at first.

This was just a pretty design in the walk way as I entered.

You can see that once I got through the gate, the aspect was majestic.

The shapes and textures in the trees, both bark and leaf, was fun.

The sign for this vine said it was similar to one I grow every year in Idaho, “thunbergia”, but the flowers were quite different. I tried to avoid disturbing this lady involved in sketching it, but she turned out to be quite friendly and we had a bit of conversation with the help of my dictionary.

Close up of the flower.

Yep, they’re beans! Much of what I saw after the grand entrance, was vegetables, oddly enough.

Look at the trunk on that pepper plant!

That is rice in the front of the photo. Next is the scarecrow, which seems to have a universal character.

A loud buzz of voices and laughter lead me to discover a grade school adjacent to the gardens, just over the fence in this picture.

I contemplated giving this post the name “Land of the Giant House Plants.”. Here is a ‘crown of thorns.’

The special little house was full of cacti. I think it is environmentally controlled to keep it dry enough for them. They might rot out in this weather.

I thought this was a clever way to use these bricks in landscape design.

The leaves on this tree were huge.

Strange little water plants

In Taiwanese fashion, this lady is pulling a rather heavy cart as part of her work.

This is a building from the Qing Dynasty government.

Excellent us of a bicycle.

They are taking pictures of birds, but I couldn’t see any birds. Maybe not patient enough right then.

A panda plant?

This is labeled as a ficus.

A clematis

Intriguing plant supports

Twisted vines

The woman walking down the path in this photo talked with me for a while. In Chinese, and I learned how to say, ” Toronto, Canada” in Chinese because that is where her daughter is going to doctorate school. I don’t think she knew the elderly gentleman until he came over to try to help with the conversation and talk with the American. He knew a bit more English that she did. They walked away together and I could tell they were discussing the event.

Gives the phrase “letting your roots show” a whole other meaning

The lotus pond. I was expecting something smaller….

My favorite sign. Experience those plants!

I don’t think my irises at home are getting enough water…

Now, I’m tired and thirsty, but I have added another pleasant memory to my trip.

That is the only picture I have of my bike tour. My nearly “three hour tour.” Really, the guide was much friendlier than the picture shows. I expected to be joining a group, but I was the only person. The bike was a cleaner version of the same basic bike everyone on the streets were riding. It looked like it came out of the 1950s, felt wobbly, and had a bell that I could use, but everyone would ignore.

The guide, “Jimmy,” wore a bright green vest. There was a flag of the same color that he put on the back of his or my bike, by turns. These items also boldly displayed the company name, China Cycling Tours. We were the ONLY bicyclists that wore helmets, so with all of these things, I felt very conspicuously “tourist,” but I had promised a few people to be careful on my adventures, so I swallowed my pride and proceeded.

The streets were filled with all the normal traffic mix of cars, taxis, scooters, bicycles, and three-wheeler bike-wagons. I was told I could stop anywhere and take pictures, but I was either navigating traffic patterns for my life, or filtering communist propaganda that Jimmy seemed to believe important to impart to me. The sights of the city he showed me were either depressing and inappropriate places to take pictures, or they were contrived shopping centers built to please tourists and put on a good face for the government. He didn’t seem to see the contradictions between what he told me about all the “good things” the government does for people and the poverty of these same people.

For instance, the first stop was a section that used to house French expatriates, before the communist revolution. Now, it has been made into government apartments where families live 20 to a room and share common kitchens and bathrooms between families. The spaces between buildings was barely five feet, having been constructed in the pre-car era. Another stop was a labyrinth of small, but nice stores, the wares being marketed to mostly foreigners, who, Jimmy says, “are the face of money.”. Hmm… Foreigners from free countries are prosperous. I wonder what it means?

To his credit, Jimmy was an excellent haggler for me. All I ended up buying was a deck of cards because he said everything was too expensive and I shouldn’t let them take advantage of me. He took a lot of heat from one elderly woman for “helping the foreigner.”. We did try bargaining for some scarves, but the ladies would not deal, so they didn’t get to sell me anything. Jimmy says they are probably still waiting for me to come back.

The last place he was going to take me was either Yu Garden or a temple. Obviously, I didn’t need to go to the garden again. He was stunned that I do not like temples. He said that left one more option, which showed the “true face of Shanghai.”. He got very serious when he said this.

We rode up to another narrow alley and he began to tell me about the “village” here, where the inhabitants never came out into the rest of the city, many didn’t have phones or computers, and they were all very poor. As he spoke, we passed a man sitting to the side of the road working on a laptop, another man walking while talking on his cell phone, and a girl wearing some decent looking leather boots. I became skeptical of the presentation, but as we went further into the section, it did seem like I was walking into a no man’s land. After just a few yards, I firmly told him that I was done with that section, what about lunch?!

Although the tour was scheduled from 10 AM – 2 PM, I thought two and a half hours was enough time spent, especially since there was no time allowed for lunch. Poor Jimmy was distressed that he hadn’t given me my money’s worth and concerned that I was a dissatisfied customer. I assured him that just being able to ride around through the normal life of the city, without getting lost, had been what I wanted. We headed back, him taking the side next to traffic. Or pulling ahead to cut a path. No one gave us any leeway or advantage, in spite of the odd attire. On the way, we passed a pretty park that Jimmy said was built for the tourists, with nice fountains, but the government had to stop running the fountains because “all the people were bathing and washing their clothes in them.

I don’t think I would recommend the city tour, but I do think it was an interesting experience. I would be inclined to take one of the full day country tours, with a group, if the opportunity ever came up. I can certainly say that I have developed my skills for big city survival. If I can ride a bike in Shanghai, I can ride anywhere!