Day 61 At Sea

Today, as expected, was cold, windy, rainy …. you get the picture. It turned out to be a pretty good day overall. I worked on my next photo book for part of the day and visited with friends. In the afternoon I did go to the Q&A session with Stein Kruse & staff and I was right on in my prediction…. Some people asked petty questions that were better handled by the ship’s crew. Oh well, what can you do. This evening we had a special party, the Asian Marketplace…. It was a great party with great food, drink and entertainers. I took lot’s of people pictures and I’ll share a few…. Tomorrow morning at 0600 we will be docking in Shanghai, China. We will remain overnight. It is going to be very cold (at least for me). I will be layered to the hilt. The first day I will be taking a HAL tour. This one has another one of those “shopping” opportunities I love so much. I can’t tell you how many silk factories I have been taken to…. Yippee. Here is a description of the tour: Scenic Suzhou
A town of great scenic beauty, Suzhou was founded in the 5th century BC and inspired
the famous Chinese proverb: "In heaven there is paradise; on earth Suzhou and Hangzhou."
By coach you will travel 1 1/2 hours through China's countryside. One of China's most
famous gardens is the "Humble Administrator's Garden" which occupies an area of ten acres. The garden's name comes from the proverb which says, "To cultivate a garden for a living is really the politics of a humble man." About two thirds of the garden is made up of lakes with islands dotted throughout. A boat ride on the Grand Canal reveals the beauty of Suzhou—whitewashed houses with gray tile roofs, old stone bridges spanning a spiderweb of waterways, women washing clothes in the river, and children playing nearby. After lunch at a local hotel, stop at the Silk Embroidery Research Institute to learn more of this region's important contribution to the silk and textile industry.Return to the ship by motor coach.