The Bund, Zhujiajiao and The Pearl Tower...

After riding bikes, we all climbed into the mini-van for the ride to the Bund in Puxi.  We ate at a Moroccan restaurant just around the corner from the Bund. It was a new experience for us but Taylor is an expert at ordering tasty dishes and we all found items we enjoyed very much.

We came out of the restaurant to see the spectacular lights of the Pearl tower and the buildings across the river.  The bund side was also lit up beautifully.  We were only able to enjoy it for a few minutes as the kids were getting tired and they had school the next day.  Steve loves to see the European architecture of the Bund and think about his father walking past those same buildings when he was in Shanghai at the end of World War II.   The high-rise buildings across the river were built much more recently so that area is almost all newer buildings.

Here is one of the dinner cruise ships that cruise the river in the evenings. Below is the Bund side.

You can see the famous Pearl Tower across the river.

The next day after the driver had delivered Taylor to work and the kids to school, we left Jen with the scooter for transportation and we stole her driver for the day.  The driver took us to Zhujiiaojiao or watertown.  It is one of several ancient villages that used a canal system to transport goods and people back and forth between towns.  We were able to travel each direction in about an hour which was truly amazing.  When we went there with Jen and Britton last year, it took us two hours each way.

Tanner claimed a lot of attention in China.  Often girls would stop and ask to take selfie pictures with him.  In water town these women asked him to hold someone's baby so they could take pictures.  It was kind of fun being with a celebrity.  I think his light reddish hair and skin were unique.  The girls especially loved him.

One small section of the market area had a very modern style shops and restaurants including this chocolate shop and a Starbucks.  It was cleaner and nicer and of course, pricey.   We brought our lunch snacks so we weren't tempted to eat anything in water town.

Many shops sold BBQ meat and these food items wrapped in leaves and tied with strips from a plant. Most of the smells weren't very appetizing to us but it was interesting to see.  Most of the people in the market seemed to be Chinese.  As we were leaving, we saw a few more caucasion visitors.

The majority of the vehicles you see are old, rusty and dilapidated looking.  This little truck was so shiny and new looking.  We were really surprised to see a bumper sticker for the famous Wall Drug in South Dakota.  That made us chuckle.

He is a lady making those leaf wrap things.  It appeared that she was putting cooked wheat or rice, some spices and a little bit of pork in each one and wrapping it in the leaf.  She didn't not wear gloves and she tied them up with her teeth.  Then I think that they are steamed.

I liked this photo because of the pagoda in the background.  Steve liked it because of the toilet sign.  Most of the public toilets are squatters which were very challenging for me to use.  No more information required there.

Because we made such good time traveling out to Zhujiaojiao, we were able to stop back by the Pearl Tower.  The line for the elevator was relatively short which we appreciated.

The views of the city, especially the Bund, were impressive even though it wasn't a very clear day.

It was fun to walk on the the see through floors in the middle level.  Even Steve stood on them this time.

Across the street from the Pearl Tower is an elevated circular walkway that connects a couple of malls and allows foot traffic to navigate the city and get to the train station.  It also allows for beautiful views and picture taking opportunities.  We took advantage.

This coca cola motorcycle and side car were in a shop we passed by.  It was fun to see but I don't think that it was working as the shop had only 1 or 2 patrons.  It looked like it belonged in Vegas.

The plaza was beautiful.  Notice all the bikes and scooters parked nearby.

By the time we finished with the Pearl Tower area, we were ready for our foot massages.  We had Taylor give the driver instructions and he dropped us off at Taylor & Jen's favorite massage place.  Tanner and I opted for the foot massage.  Steve had the full body massage.  After all the walking we had done, it was nice to have our feet pounded, rubbed and oiled.

June loves working on her "homework" workbook pages that Jen's buys for her to practice her English skills.  Will and June attend Chinese school so Jen reads a lot with them and helps them with their English.  One of Will's front teeth came out while we were there.  He was very happy about it.

He and Jen spent quite a bit of time beta testing the latest Brick 'em Young creation of the Provo City Center Temple.  The company is owned by some friends of theirs.  Jen completes the new structure and then tells them which pieces they are missing and shows them if there are any extra.  Jen and Will do this with only pictures to guide them.  The pieces are not separated by section nor are there detailed instructions.  Steve and I were really amazed that Will and Jen could assemble this so quickly.

When I compare this temple with the famous Pearl Tower, the temple is far more beautiful and impressive to me.  Of course, it helps that we have now been inside of both buildings and the Provo City Center Temple is exquisite.  The best thing about the Pearl Tower is the view of the surrounding city.  That is spectacular.