CHINA 2010 SUNDAY 8th AUGUST

A cloudy day and after I had been to buy meat from the supermarket we set off to walk to the Cable Car Station by the Botanical Gardens.
We seemed to be the only ones on the ride sitting in an open car after the old man operating the system made us understand it was better than a closed in one where the old Perspex windows had become opaque. The whole ride looked dated so the first thing Keith wanted to do was look and see the last time it had had a safety check. The label said 2006, by which time we were riding over the lime green tops of the fir trees. Up here we could see the Temples we had visited in the gardens and over the summit a good view down to Xiamen University and the sea. As we reached the bottom station the operator asked if we wanted to stay on – yes we mimed. We wanted to return as we could see no reason to alight by Goose Mountain Park. A pleasant ride which Keith coped with despite his vertigo but the seats weren’t half hard!
We stopped for a drink under the shady trees by the ‘Memorial of the Revolutionary Martyrs’, a small area with many bronze soldiers in action on one side of steps leading to a tall thin monument whilst on the other side along a wall was a large frieze of people presumably important characters in the history of the Revolution.
On the move again we stopped in a little garden outside the ‘Peony Hotel’ where Keith’s knee gave way but after sitting whilst I did my photo shoot of the plants he felt able to continue our walk to ‘Zhongshan Park’. Rather than go into the park we walked along the wide footpath beside it. Passing a very ornate entrance to an underpass we entered the park to visit the Bonsai Gardens which had been closed on our last visit. A lovely area containing a building displaying root and wood carvings, as well as many pots of small colourful trees set by the large lake. We even came to a zigzag path across a small pond full of small bright yellow fish whilst under the shade of the trees on a mound of rocks partly covered by ferns and trailing strands of small pink leaved plants a group of ladies were enjoying a game of cards whilst drinking tea. Keith fancied taking a pedelo round the lake and waterways but I thought it wasn’t a good idea in view of his knee. It seems I was expected to do all the work!
Leaving the park we found ourselves walking down a street of florists with men and women working on the pavements. It looked as though the flowers had just been delivered to all the shops where already there were some lovely arrangements on show. I especially liked a red modern design of anthuriums and roses on a curvy glass pedestal that was to be delivered by car once the men carrying it had decided how he was going to get it in. We had seen one arrangement being carefully held by a girl riding pillion on an electric bike! I spotted two shops where I could buy all the sundries I wanted but I need to return without Keith!
As we came to an end of the flower shops we noticed a large bright orange sign at the end of an alley stating ‘Cafe in Central Park’. Venturing down past a brightly coloured abstract wall which had seen better days, and a water feature using a red fire hydrant and instead of plants and fish in the large trough there was an assortment of broken pots, we came to the entrance to a large building. Stepping inside we saw a wide range of seating and lighting and once we were seated, not in the posh velvet seats as they had been reserved by two ladies who followed us in, we looked at the menu. Keith wanted a beer as usual but I fancied something different and went for a fresh orange soda. Lots of people came in including a couple of Westerners with their little toddler who looked and acted as though she had just got new shoes. We also had the ‘model’ and her photographer who wanted her portrait taken everywhere. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere as most places seem to be but the service was a bit slow and the only prices on the menu were those by a couple of hot plates of food. Before we left we went out onto the patio by the lake and looking across saw we were opposite the fairground area and the small rollercoaster was operating today. When we were here before the ride looked in a state of neglect with lots of overgrown plants covering part of the rusty track but today a bright dragon created by using several ‘cars’ took the children for an exciting ride. Emerging back into the street we found another entrance into the Park and our journey home seemed so much quicker that we will use this route again as long as we can remember the way. I say it is by the BRT station where there is the lovely fish stall whereas Keith says we just have to look for the Clock Tower, cross the road and take the first road on our right.