Trip to Ningbo in 2013/Sept

Since my paternal ancestral homeland is rumored to be in Jijiang, I have done my first root finding mission in 2011.
This summer, our high school pals in H. K. reunion has organized in four days trip in a hotel resort in SABA, Malaysia, in the last week of Sept, before the Golden Week in the Chinese Travelling Industry, that is, the whole country’s mobile work force will travel home or travel aborad to visit, sightseeing or plan R and R.
I booked my Air Canada Flight to Shanghai two months ahead, I am plesantly surprised that it cost only $ 875 Return. The Plan is to criss cross China a bit, to HK, Malaysia, back to China, and go home to Vancouver in late October.
Arrived Shanghai Pudong International on 17th of Sept, around 2:30pm. The whole 14 hours on the seat was uneventful, food offered were adequate, the crew was pleasant, one steward – a French Canadian chap even did a magic trick to make the creamo for my coffee disappeared in his hand. It is a rarity, and cheered up the road weary travellers considerably. Watched “Skyfall”, “Dark Zero” something or the other, and Tom Cruise’s “something Reacher”. Watching movies is a great pass time during air travels besides sipping coffee/tea/beer or wine. I have found myself very displined in decling offers for alcoholic drinks during this trip from the flight crew. No booze, less trips to the bath room. A Win Win situation!
Anyway, I broke down the 14 hours flight time in segments and Pudong Int’l like magic appeared in the horizon at the end of the road. We lost one day flying east, so it was Tuesday, afternoon, Sept the 17th, temperature was 29C, humidity was likely 80% or higher. Breezing through Customs, picked up my luggagues. My pal and his driver showed up with a big smile on their faces, and I was just as glad to see them.
I am always impressed with the highway infrastructure in China, it operates on a pay toll system, vechiles will come across toll booths on the average of every two hours. Gasoline price is at par with Vancouver. To coin a phase – You pay as you go!
Anyways, three hours later I arrived Ningbo. As always the humanity and traffic are always present. I will spend the next five weeks in Asia, will write and report more to share.