Day 3 - Shenzhen City Tour

Saturday 8 December 2007

It was another early morning for all of us. We were to have quite a long day today. The day started with breakfast at 7.30am. Breakfast was at same restaurant where we had dinner last night. Breakfast was a heavy one that morning - fried rice, scrambled eggs and noodles.

A bicycle spotted outside the restaurant

Our program for the day was visit to Splendid China, a cultural park where one would be able to see the different tribes and interesting cultures of the Chinese people.

High rise in Shenzhen

More modern buildings in Shenzhen

Our guide Lychee started off with more intro on Shenzhen. She was explaining how rapid was the development in Shenzhen and how the city would play an important part in the coming Beijing Olympics. All of a sudden, she started talking about a theme park which was not in our itinerary - Windows of the World. She was then giving rates to the park and was coming on quite strong in getting us to go to the park. If we agreed, we'd have to pay like another RM500 plus per family. Huh....this was too much. We told her that since this was not in the tour, there was no point us going there. Looking at time and the amount of walking the kids and Mom would have to do, both Muni and I decided not to go for the Windows of the World tour. Lychee seemed a bit upset but we were the ones paying for it. So she'd just had to respect and accept our decision.

The bus or coach (which Lychee happily pronounced as "couch") took us to view Windows of the World from its entrance. I guess this was the usual tactics of tour guides wanting to make some extra income from innocent tour groups like us. Too bad for Lychee, we didn't fall for her persuasions.

It took a while for Lychee to figure out where she was to take us next since there were no takers to Windows of the World. She then decided to take us to the Jade Museum. OK...we figured...a museum would be good to start with in the morning.

Customers by the bus loads to the shopping places a.k.a museums

When we got to the museum, there were already lots of people queuing to get in. We were greeted by a young lady who then explained to us the different types of jade. There were green jades, purple jades, white jades and also blood red jade. Wow...I never knew that there were jades of many different colours.

Once she finished with her story on jade, she led us into another room. Thadaaaa.......it was a showroom where jades and jewelery of all kids were sold. Ha..hah...so much for going to a museum huh!!!

My ardent shopping supporters

As the saying goes...ladies...glitters ...they attract!! And that was what precisely happened. When the lady was explaining the science of purple jade earlier, I had already set my eyes on them. So as soon as I got into the showroom, I went straight looking for the purple jade. There were a couple of jade bracelet on display but my eyes were all set on the purple one. With the girls as my supporter, it didn't take me long to get a sweet purple jade bracelet for myself.

After my damage on the bracelet, Mom got herself a crystal jade bangle and a matching set of dark green jade bracelet and ring. Muni too got something for herself, a multiple colours of jade bracelet. The best thing about this place was..they even accept Malaysian Ringgit. Haa......a definite place where damage was to happen. After the "rush" for the jade stuffs, we also got some tea for friends and family back home.

Nissa & Ayna...that's all tea in the bag!!

When we came out of the jade museum, Lychee was all smiles. Why?? This was definitely better than Windows of the World...her commission on our purchases were ready for collection. I guess she's still new at this tour thingy. One thing for sure...with Malaysian groups, be sure to take them shopping. You'll be on your way to the cash register in no time :-))

Next , Lychee took us to a silk shop. Unfortunately, there was nothing very irresistible or with a calling "BUY ME" tag for us to get.

Way to Muslim restaurant

All the shopping got us very hungry after that. Next stop was lunch. On the way to our lunch place, Mom asked Ayna about the camera she had earlier passed to the girl. Ayna, with a panic look, searched in her bag. But......tak dak!!! Alamak...there goes one camera!!! What to do, as Mom put it, "Tak de rezeki...biar lah." True in some ways...but it was sheer carelessness too, if I were to sum it up simply.

Roti sold at the restaurant

The happy faces...after lunch, of course!!

After lunch, Mom and the rest of the gang performed solat at the restaurant. They opened up a room for them to pray.

We then boarded our bus heading towards our next destination - Splendid China. It was a big theme park depicting all the interesting landmarks of the big country. The park tour started with a warrior show, groups of men on horses showing their skills riding and fighting on the horses.

After that we went on a tram ride to see the interesting replicas of China's landmarks. There was the Great Wall and also the gardens and lakes in Hangzhou. So...apa lagi picture and posing time lah.

The tour in the park ended with a cultural show. All the different minority groups in China showed its elaborate costumes and dances. What a colourful show it was.

By the time we left the park, it was dark and we were all so tired. Dinner was next and we were heading back to the restaurant we we had breakfast this morning. It was quite a long drive and I ter"doze" off in the bus. What a day....

Dinner was good and we ate almost everything that was served. After dinner we asked if Lychee could drop us off at the shopping place. Mom, Abe and Nissa didn't want to hit the streets anymore, so we sent them back to the hotel. The girls, Faris and I were ready to shop again that night.

We spent a couple of hours at the shopping place. Got more stuffs and souvenirs for kids' friends. The girls got themselves Giordano t-shirts and Lesportsac bags. By the time we decided to call it off for the night, it was almost 10.30pm. We hailed down a cab, this time a real cab...not taxi sapu as it was in the previous night.

The cab ride back to hotel didn't take us long. When we got out of the cab, everyone was smiles all over. Mana tak nyer.....shopping sakan and they managed to get good bargains for the things they bought too. In the lift up to our rooms, I was thinking to myself....gosh, I see the making of my shopping proteges in these kids.