Chiiina Part Two

First stop the following day is the Silk Factory, where again, it is very quiet, as 8 cocoons are soaked and wound together as a thread on this amazing machine.Those that have 2 pupae in, and are therefore un-entanglable, are soaked, stretched over a frame, then a larger one, before being pulled out by hand to create the many layers of a silk quilt. 

Soaking cocoons being spun into silk threads

Double pupae cocoons being soaked then stretched.

Stretching them out into layers for quilts

The quilt layers do not get stitched into cubes, as they grip the cotton cover.

Note the change on the 46th day.......

 The Shanghai Museum was next, after a half hour queuing, as the holiday crowds were keen. Four floors of traditional painting, furniture, calligraphy, coinage and costume - not to everyone's taste, but I particularly enjoyed the costume and the furniture. Particularly a salmon skin suit! Gigglez at dear Summer's pronunciation of escalator (sounds more like Axelator, and I immediately visualise some kind of bizarre superhero!!)

Incredible carved furniture

Salmon suit

 
  After lunch, we travel to a highrise to view the city - again reminding me of my New York experience - this time, the Empire State Building. Not only was there a view outside, but inside we could look down into the foyer of the Grand Hyatt Hotel.

 The afternoon was spent at Yu Garden, a very busy tourist trap, where after getting hassled quite a lot, I ripped out my Chinese for 'no thanks', which worked a treat! (It was here that I discovered the stinky tofu stall and recognised the horrendous smell.)

Ermergheerd - STINKY TOFU!!

After dinner, Summer tells us the plan for the next day, including her packing us 'snacks for the plane' - which sounds an awful lot like 'snakes on a plane'! Including 'sneakers', which is actually 'snickers'. Next day, off to Summer's home town, Xi'an.