[pranava999]

wonderful thread. some really nice photos. The overall infra in China is years ahead of our country :( . Wish we get the ball rolling in all earnest.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Damn, that maglev is fast, very very fast. Wow.

Nice pics of Chinkiland. Waiting for more.

[benbsb29]

Ajmat, you could have really earned our applause by posting snaps in higher resolution. These are so tiny!

That apart, i like your writing style - short and crisp.

Infrastructure in China and the general cleanliness going by the snaps seems to be light years ahead of what we see in our country.

[ajmat]

After a relaxing morning at the spa and hearty buffet breakfast, it is time to explore. I decide to visit the TV tower and make my way down.

The concierge is not sure about getting there. He asks a taxi driver who explains that I need to pay a fee of 50rmb. We make our way there. The area approaching there is quite hilly, there are trams, it resembles San Francisco. I pay and am dropped at the tower.

I take in the view and take the elevator. Apologies, some of the pics are through greasy windows













This is the main city. Note the football in the Laobang Park. A nice garden with an amusement park in it. Note the ways to get there. More on this



A lot of the Forest has been retained.




Peoples Square

[ajmat]

..and a few more




Revolutionary Heroes Memorial

[hillram]

Wonderful write and it gives us a Birds eye view of Chinese advancement.

[finneyp]

Nice write-up & pics!

China is developing at a fast pace.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Ajmat, you could have really earned our applause by posting snaps in higher resolution. These are so tiny!

Remember there is a limit on the file size

Originally Posted by pranava999

wonderful thread. some really nice photos. The overall infra in China is years ahead of our country :( . Wish we get the ball rolling in all earnest.

These guys think 20 years ahead. Our guys think not beyond the governments term

[Jaggu]

A brilliant guided tour of china, maybe you can increase the square foot area of the pic a tad bit please.

[ajmat]

I come out of the tower and have different options

1: Walk down or take a taxi, boring boring boring
2: Chair cable car - so slow
3: Slide down 1 km on a sled

I'm a BHP'ian, its a no brainer

This cost 40rmb. You sit on a sled (which are sent up on the chair car). A joy stick controls the speed and slide. Bit mindful that I got my camera in my back pack.




Attendant shows me in sign language and I am off, bank on the right, hoo boy it is fun and suddenly, a couple come out of the bush (don't ask!). I brake and then need to build momentum. Over the bridge and whizz down the hill.

Like good things, it is over too fast!

I wander around the park

These guys are football crazy


There is an amusement park and a normal park with a huge Buddha.
Attachment 140582

I keep trying to take pics but too many people posing.

"Old man sayee, waitee and time will comee"

And it does and I get a pic or two

The path going down has statues of different animals from the Chinese New Year


I then spot a bell. I cannot resist a push to invoke God, trouble, anything.

[ajmat]

I look around the garden and decide to walk back to the hotel. I got to review some papers.





I then passed through a market

Reached Zhongshan Square. This is a big square. 10 different roads merge into it. The government buildings built by the Japanese surround it. Some perspectives of old + new can be observed. The square is used for cultural performances, live bands etc.















Walk past my hotel to the docks. This model ship sits as part of the "furniture"


Was taken by the facade of this building

[rjstyles69]

ajmat made for an excellent read and please don't be a miser, post larger pictures for the benefit of lesser mortals like us.

Also whats with the last picture,you seem to be holding onto something dear (pun intended) .

[ajmat]

Get to the hotel. Feel restless so pick up laptop and work from a Starbucks.

Evening comes - gorge on a lovely buffet courtesy of the hotel who subsidies it since I completed a survey.

Time for a walk to Friendship Square to see the Ball lit up. It is a challenge trying to catch the pixels. Watch the fun!

[ajmat]

Need to visit the plant in the Dalian Development Area - 40km away. I plan to move to a hotel over there

Take a cab to the Inn Fine Hotel - a chintzy Chinese/ Jap hotel



Room is not ready so I tell the bell boy to leave my baggage in the room and go to our new factory coming up



It looks gorgeous. Walk in and wow. This is happening (sorry about the lack of flash but did not want to make a big thing about my camera so used the mobile)









Went in for a series of meetings. Finished a little early so time to get home

Go to reception

"Could you call a taxi please?

"No, we can't!"

"Eh"

"We are not supposed to"

"How do I get home? "

"Take the shuttle bus at 5.30"

"Where do they go?"

"We don't know!"

"What do I do!"

they laugh...it ain't funny. One of them comes out with me and flags one of China's equivalent of a maxicab. She is about to tell them where to make me get off when a girl from Intel, gets on the bus. She offers take care.

20 min later (was like on a Chinese KSRTC bus including stopping to check coolant!). We stop at a junction. She hails a cab and I get to the hotel!

Whew! ...and I need to go to office again tomorrow and also catch a flight. I can't take the hit and miss chance. So I decide to leave earlier for Shanghai (instead of 6pm, work from Hotel leave around 12). However, the airlines office are closed so I don't know what to do as check oout is tomorrow 12. I realise - China is shut for the day but not India. I get on IM with my admin and she gets the travel agent to sort my flight out. I get email confirmation and relieved. I postpone tomorrow meetings to the next week which I can close on phone.

Now time to destress!

[ajmat]

Destress - I seek relief and find this in the bathroom







Unfortunately all instructions are in Chinese or Japanese. I press buttons, nothing happens. Feb up, I sit down and the buttons work. Some proximity sensor seems to activate things.

I discover that it has His and Her water jets, temp control and jet intensity, so one has options of going to the moon or to heaven..or something like that

Decide to go for a work out in the gym located in a health club next door.

Return to find a "ladee offering massaj" lurking in the corridor.

no thanks, I have the water jets

Grab dinner and time to crash