Day 6

So today we started early.  Left the Vizcaya at 7:30, dropped Taylor off at school and Diane a Jin Mao Tower for work.  She gave us Mr. Lo for the rest of the morning.  Our first stop was Jing'an Temple.  This is a "Working Temple" where people go to pray and is open for visitors as well.  Locals and tourists alike will stop here to say their daily prayers and give offerings of incense to Buddha.  There are several statues all of which are huge and beautifull.  You pay 20 Qui to get in (about $3) and everyone pays whether they are there to pray or look.  The don't do "offerings" as traditional churchs we are use to do so this is one way for them to get the money the need to continue operating. Next on our list was Yufo Temple.  It was a direct contrast to Jing'an  as in as soon as you walk in there is a Coke machjine on the right.  There are paper and cloth lanterns everywhere and lots of information booths.  Again, there was quite a few statues and people praying and as with Jing'an you pay 20 Qui to enter.  Unlike Jing'an there is a HUGE area where they sell everything from jewelry to statues to shirts to just about everything you can imagine.  And the stuff ain't cheap folks! This is also the home of the White Jade Buddha.  She was brought over from Burma in the nineteenth century and she is AMAZING!  You can't get close - there is a barrier between her and the public and lots of guards.  I think if you tried to get too close you would find 40 of your closest new friends pinning you to the ground.  There are five different types of Jade in here.  I would have taken a picture but they are VERY adiment about NO PICTURES!  She is amazing though.  But here's the kicker:  Remember what i said earlier about "they spend money where they know they can make money"?  Well, you pay to get into the temple and of course unless you are going there to pray you go there to see the White Jade Buddha.  But if you want to see her you have to pay an additional 10 Qui.  It's all about the dollar folks. It was just amazing the difference between the two.  Almost complete oppisites.  One was very spiritual and although the other was spiritual it was difenatally comercial as well. So after that we picked up Diane and all went to the Silk Market and looked around.  Diane is having a really nice jacket custom made.  We got to see about four little old chinese ladies get really pissed at each other and start to go at it.  I mean REALLY go at it.  Apparetnally one was thinking another was copying her design.,  Anyway, security got called and we thought it best we left. After a quick stop at McDonalds (yes, Diane - my Diane - had her french fry fix) we dropped off Diane at Jin Mao and then Mr. Lo took us to Xin Xang Yong Market where Diane and I got attacked by every vendor there 'cause they weren't very busy.  It was fun though and we spent a lot of Yuan.. Then home and we thought we'd go for a walk but about thirty-two miles down the street it started to rain so we came back and I decided to catch up on this.  In about twenty minutes we are going to go to dinner at the Blue Frog. Again, remember what I said eariler about the Chinese naming things for a reason?  Let's hope not......... After that, Diane and Diane are gong to get their hair washed, dried and straightned.  That runs about 50 Qui - seven bucks. I think I'll get a neck/back massage.........