Jinan

Our trip to Jinan was about an hour away by bus and we spent only one day there to ride the ferry boat across the famed Yellow River. It was here I almost lost my Hasselblad camera bag overboard into choppy river waters. The river is very fast and muddy looking, carrying debris and sediment downstream. The ferry boat seemed centuries old and people were walking, riding bicycles, busses, cars and trucks to cross the river. If you like to photograph people try this place.

A few hours later we were at Daming Lake shooting pictures of local residents enjoying boating and a holiday afternoon. The lake is surrounded by parks and teahouses that flourish with Weeping Willow trees that add a splash of splendor to a shoreline filled with floating lily pads. My tour guide suggested many picture taking ideas as a result of his years of experience with other journalists and photographers.

Later in the day we were dropped off at Jinan train terminal to board our overnite train to Shanghai. Riding the train in a sleeper sounded like fun but I was glad when the trip was over.

We arrived in Shanghai around 9 a.m. and my tour guide was waiting as I stepped down from the sleeper car. How she knew which car I was on was a mystery to me. Shanghai like Beijing is a large modern city with many beautiful high rise hotels and a population of more than 12 million. This is truly a place you will love to shop, for there are more than 24,000 department stores and antique shops. Silks, jade, jewelry, handicrafts, exquisite china and many other commodities are available without a duty tax.

For your trip to China, bring alone a pint sized thermos or canteen to carry drinking water in or drink Coka Cola or other canned soft drinks. Tsingtao Beer is excellent. The water is not drinkable in most places except for the western style hotels and never eat fresh vegetables. Most Chinese food is excellent. Prepared well and served in true Chinese style. Your table has a large round lazy-susan and many dishes of tasty food are served for your choosing. Learn to use chopsticks for they seldom supply spoons and forks unless asked to do so.