Pacific Odyssey - Leg 5

We are nearing the mouth of the Yangtze River: we are amazed at how broad this river is and at the amount of industrialization along its banks.  It is overwhelming.  We woke up to an absolutely beautiful day: we enjoyed sitting in its warmth for a good part of our trip downriver.  Once the sun started to go down though, the air became chilly and now it is very cold: we are bundled in all our layers again.  Last night Jordan, Joel, Elske and Bec went shoe and belt shopping with Tony the tailor to the ´knock-out market.´ there are hundreds of stalls selling anything you can imagine, all products claiming to be ´top name brands´ i.e. calvin klein, gucci, armani, diesel etc. but in actual fact, they are all fake.  the Chinese seem to have no reservation in putting any label onto their products in order to sell them.  Tony the tailor bargained hard and intensely with the shop owners, getting beautiful leather belts and shoes for Jordan at bargain prices.  In fact, Jordan got twice the amount of leather he bargained for, an even better deal, because when he returned to the ship and was showing off his new purchases, he realized that he had not thought to check the diameter of the belts he was interested in, and thus ended up buying 2 belts with waist size 52inches.  We all had a good laugh together in the after cabin that night, jordan included.  Everyone returned to the ship by 0900hrs this morning.  It feels good to have everyone back: for those who have spent most of their time in shanghai in a hotel, it is a bit of an adjustment moving back into their bunk.  We spent the morning using up our final ´yuan,´ arranging our bunks, finding places for our purchases and generally just getting ready to go out to sea again.  The pilot boarded at 1200hrs and we have had a wonderful meander down the river, making pretty good time thanks to the out-going tide.  There is no wind thus the engine is keeping us warm and moving: we hope to reach the ocean in an hour.  Katie made delicious lasagna for supper.  We are all in very high spirits.  Shanghai has been a wonderful visit: everyone is very satisfied with their time there.  We made some very good friends.  We are all looking forward to returning to Japan, to the friendly people, the sing-song voices, the cleanliness and of course, the bathhouses.  Caley would like to wish her sister Erin a wonderful day on her birthday, February 28th.  Happy birthday Erin, from Caley.  Until tomorrow, good-night, Bonice.