Well landed and then directly to Customs Control for the 144h transit visa which is usually issued directly at the Airport.

Tip: It's the > blue < form! On the plane you only get the yellow papers that you can ignore if you haven't applied for a longer visa before. The blue  "short-term " form are available at the Airport. After handing all existing fingerprints and a face scan at a small terminal, as well as the completed blue papers, you step in front of a somewhat grimly customs officer with number plates as name of the one then (hopefully) allows you after extensive testing . Since we are travelling in a tour group we had to wait until all this customs control got behind them. Unfortunately, a couple of our tour group is really unlucky and we automatically with them - right in front of them someone is arrested, which stopped the whole controlls - so we waited a total of 2 hours until finally everyone is together. This makes it late afternoon when we finally arrive at our hotel in Beijing. First of all, make fresh and then there will be dinner from the buffet for us.

There is plenty of choice there, even Beijing duck. This one is served in a dough with vegetables and further delicacies. Yes, there were also strange dishes for us, such as black eggs. Also due to the fact that in China the food is cooked with bones is new for us (especially if you don't expect it and bite on a bone splinter- yieks). IIt is already late, we go after the meal a bit around our hotel, looking for a SevenEleven - but lightly jetlagged - we better go to sleep because tomorrow we will start early.

Oh yes, that you also saw us once. We meet you the next pictures more often. 
(￢‿￢ )* who needs a SelfieStick when you have Kimball with You *

Kies, Fosel, Marina, Kristof and you already know us, Kimball and Geni aka Monster7

I like the many details of the buildings, especially the little figures on the yellow roofs. The yellow roof color symbolizes that the emperor lived here. The emperor had cut all the trees for protection in the area, except in his guarded garden, to make sure nobody was watching him. Back then, women were only allowed to enter the forbidden city via the back entrance and not into the whole city. Good that times changed.

From there, after a good meal, we continue to the Great Wall, goal two of my list for Beijing!
And there she is! Long, very long, about 8850km/5500miles and extends over some provinces and countries. Of course, we are not walking the whole wall, but we walk down a few towers. We climb up to the third tower because it is not as easy as expected. The staircase levels are sometimes very high, sometimes very low and directly behind each other. But that only partially stops us. When we finally arrived at the top, the boys showed up with two beers, what else did we expect? The howling of the horn of a train makes us look to the opposite mountain range, it is the Trans-Siberian railway strolling through the hills. We did not expect to see this, but the way they continue we also continue.

For the evening is a small tour to a food market planned, but then we have somehow not eaten there .... I can not explain why ..... scorpions, millipedes or a mutton spit with indefinable smell, including several warnings from our tour guide Hoang then let us visit a noodle shop next to the hotel as well as Fosel and Kimball are not so good either.

It's the smog. I was expecting it might smell like fumes or musty, but that's not true. It's just fine dust that makes the air "thick" and does not really smell. I can barely breathe that night - that smog and that dreadfully dry air drives me crazy. Beijing is struggling with dryness at this time of year, in addition to the environmental impact of the local industry and the ever-increasing traffic. The scooters that are there in large numbers, are mostly already electric and there are already driving restrictions for cars, buses and trucks.
I had recently read a blog of a German who lived here for 2 years and then came back, one of the reasons was this smog. When I read that, I thought to myself, "Well, he exaggerates - it can not be that bad" - I take everything back! I do not want to imagine how it is at an even higher load as at this time. It confirms then also on the view of the weatherapp of Fosel.

>> I quote: 13 ° C cloudy / overcast - a little unhealthy. <<

Day 4
In the morning we head straight to Japan, more precisely directly to Tokyo Haneda. So back through the chinese customs control after a 2 hour flight and 1 hour time shift again through the japanese customs control to get a 90-day visa. This is much faster and less complicated in Japan. Although you fill in there again a form, but we quickly realize that the people here are very courteous and much friendlier than in China. That feels good. Now fast a "harmony break".

Already at the airport we meet the well-known "luxury" toilets. Approximately 70% of households have such a toilet from Toto with heated seat, noise princess and water flush for the butt and blower. Everything is really clean, but we have the note from Fosel in the head told us that in Japan on the toilets often are no soap and no way to dry your hands - we brought small mini-towels and a small soap tubules with us.

My plans for Japan
⫸ cherry blossoms !!!!
⫸ Maid Cafe !!!!
⫸ see Tokyo Tower !!!
⫸ see Fuji (hopefully it will work with the weather) !!!
⫸ subway in Tokyo
⫸ Akihabara
⫸ Pokémon Center (Tokyo or Kyoto)
⫸ Digital Arts Museum
⫸ Hachiko statue
⫸ Onsen - a shared bath // will be hard, more on that later
⫸ being in the highest city hall in the world on the visitor platform (wishful thinking) // has just been renovated
⫸ see the shrine with many gates (wishful thinking)
⫸ see deer at the other shrine (wishful thinking)
⫸ in Osaka, lying on the beach (wishful thinking) // according to our itinerary, time would not be enough for that

I confess in advance: Since we were traveling in a planned tour group, I was very reliant on the local tour guide what they have planned for us on sightseeing tours. I was really busy the last few weeks with other things and only one blink later there was already the start of journey. Sometimes I did not even know where we will drive to. ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭ *me = stupid *
And here I want to say a big thank you to Megumi again! You are awesome and such a lovely tour guide! And I hope nobody tells you that it's not "Handgebäck" instead of "Handgepäck". One letter makes in german sometimes a funny difference, Megumi accidentally said "hand biscuits" instead of "hand luggage". Oh! When we are talking about pastry - it was also so nice that you have always gave us regional sweets at almost every stop!
And to my personal travel guide also a big thank you! Fosel, without you we would have been so hopelessly lost! (っ ˘з (˘⌣˘) ♡

I felt totally in good hands.
 
Fosel added the to-do plan list
⫸ Karaoke !!

⫸ Harajuku

Otherwise we have the same top themes. Let's go! Japan here we are!

Tokyo - more precisely in Sunshine City! I can hardly describe how excited I am! This view from our room, I can hardly get enough. Our hotel is great, it has a FamilyMart and is directly connected to a shopping mall and a short walk to the subway. The surprise comes - in this mall is the Pokémon Center!

So you know where we're going first. RIGHT! (≧ ▽ ≦) Right to the Digital Arts Museum or teamLab Borderless in Palette Town!
Because this is the farthest away from our destinations and probably will take the most time. We need to go to the other end of Tokyo - so to the subway. Fosel explains how to buy a Passmo card - in the end I lovingly named it "MULTIPASS". Not only can you travel by subway with this card, no, you can also pay on many vending machines and in Akihabara on many slot machines - but more on that later. Meanwhile, I continue to struggle with the coughing and runny nose from Beijing - nose cleaning in the public is super rude here, but what to do? Secretly in protection of the group or when no one was there - like a ninja! Megumi later explained to us, when Kies asked if ninjas or samurai would be better, that the ninjas were not as great as they told us in Europe.  Alright!

From Palette Town you have a good view of the fair grounds with Tokyo Big Sight - who does not know this building ?!
To visit a con in Japan, that would be something to put on the list for next time!
(Back at our hotel I found out that there will be AnimeCon in Tokyo soon - we are 2 weeks too early - priceless).

But now to the Digital Arts Museum. Please! Go in there! It is awesome!

This museum acts with you! Touch the walls! Butterflies are brought to life on your body, which then fly through the rooms, water flows around you, create your own world, annoy little dwarves and let you drift in the net.
Follow the parade of animals passing you and just immerse yourself in this color and sound world.
Do not forget to drink a cup of tea, even that will be an experience.

Do you see how the water flows around us and flowers are formed? I'm blown away! ° ˖✧◝ (⁰▿⁰) ◜✧˖ ° I could have stayed here much longer, but the time flies there and we still want to drive the Palette Town Ferris wheel.

And again, this city is catching me - we did not manage to capture this sea of lights with our cameras. I have already seen the Tokyo Tower on the way to the hotel and there it is now brightly lit, just like the Rainbow Bridge.
On the way back to the hotel we use the monorail whose route leads exactly over this bridge, we could sit in the front. From there we also got a glimpse to the Gundam Cafe. But it's time for bed - tomorrow is again much planned.

Well, another tip. Always have a small garbage bag in your bag. Do not worry - once bought something and you have a usable bag, because in Japan there are hardly any public trash can. The bins were often overcrowded and the dirt was then around. Consequence: no more public trash cans - please take your trash home with you.
I feel really comfortable here. The stations are also all clean, no urine smell, no cigarette butts. Great.

Day 5
The day starts well! As mentioned yesterday the Pokémon Center is right next to our hotel, first (Poké-) Stop! Previously, we played a round of Pokémon Go at our hotel and caught a Porenta first. At the Pokémon Center we spent some Pokédollar uh ... yen.

I caught a Slowbro and a Lapras! I also have a nice new glasses case and a new wallet with Eveeve on it! (♡ ° ▽ ° ♡) So sweet!

Next stop: Akihabara and I am fangirling pretty hard. I am in Akihabara!
First to Acos to admire the cosplays there, then continue walking through a few shops. So many figures and more mangas - I have to learn more! I have to learn Japanese better! (Q_Q) I want to understand what's written there!

So well strengthened it goes into the Ueno Park which is not far away from here. We all have one goal - to see the cherry blossom!

And as you can see, we will not be disappointed!

Day 6
Today we are on the road again with our whole travel group.
It goes into the National Park to Fuji Hakone with a visit to the Hakone shrine and a boat trip on the lake Ashinoko.

.. because it is windy and there he is - the Fuji-san and so we have best weather. Often mount Fuji is very shy and hides in thick clouds, mainly at noon, he veils himself. But not on this day, it is windy and therefore the view is perfect.

I really enjoy the boat trip, I love to be on the water and not without reason I have my thick jacket with fur hood on. We're on a ferry, but there are also boats that look like sailless pirate ships.

In the evening we are back in our hotel in Tokyo. We've been walking so much the last few days and our legs are still telling us the history of the Great Wall of China - yet it does not stop us at the hotel for long and we head to Shibuya, we still want to cross the big known crossing. Kristof and Marina wanted to stay at the Sunshine Mall for shopping.

Subway - RushHour - first stepped back into the train, there is still room - a short stop in Harajuku, there eat a waffle and plunder a 100 yen store. I confess - I love such shops. Finally I have new chopsticks.

Shibuya is a huge train station, it has so many exits and of course we catch a wrong one. We walk a little detour and a nice young man shows us the right way. Things I've learned: Japanese people are extremely helpful AND Hachiko and the big crossing are right next to each other. Speaking of Hachiko! Who of you saw the movie ?! I cried so much, this brave dog! The story touched me so I was so happy to see him!

The famous crossing of Shibuya is already big and we spy people up over us. A department store at the crossing has a viewing platform on the 7th floor which you can even enter free of charge - Shibuya crossing also seen from above - check!

Kies and Fosel are still motivated and want to try out a few bars and pubs, while Kimball and I then said goodbye. Back at the hotel, I realize that I am not fit.

Day 7
Halftime! From today we realize that it really is a round trip. We spend some time in the bus (and I love to sleep that time).

First, we are in Nikko to see the Toshogu shrine. He is pretty boastful and pompous! However, this exact gate is not finished and never will be. At a white pillar, a motif is not finished: because once you're done, then you will get lazy. I like this idea a lot, in my opinion that is completely true. But this shrine was also known for the carvings on the former sacred stable with the story of life. First of all, at the beginning of life, are the three known monkeys who "hear no evil", "say no evil" and "see no evil".
I miss only the fourth monkey who "does no evil".
If you follow this shrine further up some stone steps through a beautiful forest you reach the grave Ieyasus.
We bravely climb the steps. Up here, the sleeping cat is shown while two birds are playing on the other side. Peacefully it is here - yes that's it.

Our way leads us to Matsumoto we stayed overnight, and we explore the surroundings of our hotel. We quickly realize that we are getting closer and closer to the Japanese Alps - it starts to snow in the evening.

We found a shop called Book Off Super Bazar in a mall near our hotel. The store has made us poor, they have very reduced figures, plushies, books, and much more. - Plushie from Rowlet, in the PokémonCenter for about 15 € to buy, there for about 3 € ....

Suddenly I saw her out of the corner, my missing K-ON figure of Ritsu in the Juliet form for incredible 3 €, but FINALLY my set is complete. (ノ ◕ ヮ ◕) ノ *: · ゚ ✧ Wohooo! *joy* . We are then in a restaurant and have eaten well - with a half-readable menu for us (I must learn to read japanese better!) We then saw that sake was on offer. We asked the waiter what he would recommend, as we could not read the card properly anyway. The sake he suggested was delicious - and we had to refill Marina several times until she finally agreed with us to go sing karaoke. It was planned only one hour - it was 3.5 hours. Again, we encountered here the Japanese friendliness in person. The karaoke bar employee saw that we were having a hard time translating the map, it was again only available in japanese - Kristof and I can already decipher Hiragana and Kanakana and a few Kanji, the translator on Fosels phone did the rest - but he came a short time later with a completely handwritten translated menu! HE JUST TRANSLATED THE COMPLETE MENU! Why is tipping not allowed in Japan? Later, when we asked him how long the karaoke bar will be open, he said that they had been around normally closed half an hour before, but so he opened longer for six of us because he saw we had so much fun and he didn't want to stop us (Q_Q). This man is too good for this world! But we leave now- back to the hotel! What an evening!

Day 8
In Matsumoto is the beautifully preserved black castle, the crow castle. In Germany there are so many beautiful and well-preserved castles and we are surprised how beautiful this castle is here in Matsumoto and yet totally different than our castles.
The steep stairs up, in spite of muscle soreness, we climb quickly to enjoy the beautiful view from the castle over the city.

Take a look up here under the roof - there is a small shrine hidden.

Lets go to Takayama and it gets colder! I doze off on the bus a bit and every time I open my eyes it gets whiter and whiter.

Arrived we look at the former administration building Takayama Jinya. This is mostly original with complete decor and frosty little roommates at this time of the year.

The historic district of Sanmachi Suji is also worth a stroll. This is located near the previously visited administration building. Follow the road over a pretty bridge. If you have enough time, you can also join in sake-tasting tours. Unfortunately, we are traveling with a larger group and not time is left. Sad, because the sake here in Japan tastes quite good.

And our lovely tour guide told us all the time that our next hotels have onsen ....
Yes, but now we encounter a problem for young participants, we are all more or less tattooed.

>> Yakuza ALERT! Of course we are bad guys because we are tattooed, the ink is known to criminally alone from looking at it - after all, we have this holiday alone on extorted protection funds financed - quite clear! << # irony off
So no onsen for us. . · (> ﹏ <) · ゚.  To-do for next time: finding an onsen with a small "family area" - there you can visit some onsen also with tattoos because you are there among your own group.

>> So a gang among themselves! * sets on the smoky voice the godfather* Haaah ... Familia ... <<

But we are instead visiting in the city - the hotel has its own shuttle service with a grim-looking driver - I love that the drivers there all wear white gloves. That looks so professional.
The region here is known for its good beef - the Hida beef. Similar to the Kobe beef very tender and with good taste - we need a comparison and find a nice little traditional restaurant. Conclusion - both very delicious!

Day 9
Takayama has a morning market that we visit together. Many small booths, also from local farmers.

Fruits are expensive .... very expensive in Japan .... Kimball has bought one (!) apple for 2 €. The nice market woman even cut the apple for him. The strawberry prices have also shocked us. Just before the holiday Kimball bought for 4 € a staircase with really big strawberries found about 25 pieces, here you get 8 pieces for about 6 € (~ 650Yen) or even about 14 € (~ 1700Yen).

Nevertheless, "Delicious!" we said as we six ate togehter this one apple.

We come to Shirakawago - here is also winter! Shirakawago is a small mountain village with thatched roofs, idyllically situated in the mountains. I know thatched roof houses rather from us northern Germany - to see them now in the mountains seems strange to me. We are also allowed to visit the town hall in the village where one got an impression how it was back then. At that time one also lived here by the breed of silkworms, these were kept under the soot-black roof. In addition, we can confirm that the japanese water system (at least for this stream / meltwater channel) is very clean. These fish make a very satisfied and relaxed impression.

Back in the bus, it goes to Kanazawa. It is spring again - the snow disappears.

We visit the Kenrouen Park, which is not only very beautiful but also has a very well-known lantern in the water. We have seen them, but not photographed, here another beautiful view of one of the lakes and stone lanterns from this park. I think it's also very nice that here instead of grass it is more likely to have moss.

A pedestrian bridge leads to Kanazawa Castle from the park. The landowner had sworn allegiance to the emperor back then and to prove this he was not allowed, for example. to have embrasures in his walls. But we already realized how inventive the people were already. The bricks are covered with lead and therefore shimmer white. This served not only visual purposes, but secretly at that time for protection, in case it should come to a civil uprising or even war, he would have had enough material for lead balls for rifles. Good that it did not come to it. He followed the umbrella principle: If you have an umbrella with you, it will not rain. And he ... well ... if you have lead on the roof, the trouble stays away ...

But now to the Higashi Chaya district where geishas still live today.
There is still gold leaf and silver leaf made today - and what do you do with it - right! Everywhere with it!
Icecream? with gold leaf! Bags? with gold leaf! Bald empty storeroom? ... no kidding. They love the stuff here!

Next we go to the station, we travel with the Thunderbird to Kyoto. (I will not compare now exactly what a dirty heap the Deutsche Bahn is opposite the Japanese trains - Japan please "Teach them master"). At the train station, we stocked up with our chosen favorite food - onigiri, milk tea and melonbread - for the train ride to Kyoto. We later spent the evening together in the hotel with a few drinks from the vending machine, such a trip makes you tired.

Day 10
Kyoto here we are fit and rested. Megumi has planned great again and we have always arrived in time that we could avoid the large crowds or other tourist groups.
First we visit the Ryoanji Temple which is famous for its beautiful rock garden. I still count only 14 stones and not 15, no matter where I stand! Cool thing - in the temple there is also a small model of the garden for visually impaired people.

The Golden Pavilion Kinkakuji. We have already noticed that gold leaf is very popular - this is now confirmed again. Rooms are not enough! Let's make a whole building GOLD! He also looks very beautiful and the sun comes out and so the pavilion almost glows for us. After the tour through the park we want to see Nijo residence. The interiors are beautifully designed there. Walls? Gold leaf! And art! However, there is photography not welcome, you should come by yourself and see how beautiful this is. (^ - ^)

The associated Ninomaru Park certainly worth a visit too, but we have made only a small part, our schedule is full today.

Stopover at the Heian-jingu shrine. This is a comparatively young shrine, built in 1895. The building itself, if I remember correctly, is based on Chinese Feng Shui or its astrology with the presence of the 4 deities. If you look at the geography, the mountains are in the north (representing the black turtle), in the east a river (green dragon), in the south was once moor (red phoenix) and in the west a long road (white tiger). The garden attached here is also very well known and also reflects this attachment to the Chinese Feng Shui - but enough gardens for today!

After a break we visited the Fushimi-Inari shrine at noon. You follow a road uphill past many souvenirs and food stalls. From some it smells heavenly. Yes, I remember my wish list for Japan again and here he is.
The shrine is not only one of the oldest shrines in Kyoto, it is also the shrine with the many archways that I wanted so much to see. This is, as one can already deduce from the name Inari, dedicated to the fox (god). At the beginning of spring, foxes are often seen near the rice fields, symbolizing fertility and rice. Our photographed fox has therefore the key of a rice store in the mouth. Fox, you stole the key?
And then the archways (called Torii) lead you to the main shrine and much further. I knew they were many, but SO many ?! Thousands! Unfortunately we do not have enough time, we go so far as we can but that was not enough for us. Especially as new ones are added every year! Ooooh ~ what a pity ... ┐(︶▽︶)┌   we have to come back again. *happy*

Day 11
I thought it could not get better. First, we were allowed to attend a tea ceremony. We got a sweet wheat cake, often something sweet for tea is served. (Similar to our coffee and cake). Freshly stirred matcha tastes mild and bitter at the same time, depending on how you drink the tea and finally sip the foam. Who likes was also allowed to prepare tea under the guidance of the tea master. The boys are very diligent. You have to know that in our circle of friends Kim is our tea master. Nothing beats his teas - now he collected more experience. On which his tea will taste even BETTER.

After that we go to Nara. From now you may like to tell me - Yes little Geni ... you should have look up before exactly where it exactly goes or where you wanted to go anywhere!  (° ´  ▽ ` ) I just had my priorities - and everything else that comes along is an extra sweet.

Nara is the place with the deer. And they love cookies! There are extra cookies for the lovely deer available, 10 pieces for 150 Yen (about 1 €)! These deer are very polite and even bow to you when you give them cookies. (♡ ° ▽ ° ♡) I think that's so nice, they run around everywhere. I would have loved to spend a lot more time with the deer, but let's take a look at the 15m tall Buddha in the Todai-ji temple and the other shrine called Kasuga Taisha with its many stone lanterns - but there, too, we meet the deer cheekily behind the lanterns peep out.

At the end of the day we visited the Byodo-In Temple and the attached Hosho-kan Museum.

Back to Kyoto! We ate pizza and following the shopping street we stroll through the city. During the whole journey, one of us always had a melonbread in a pocket, Marina especially loves them. Every time we see melonbread, we make jokes about who will buy it this time - and there's a shop that just made fresh melonbreads. Marina took one, what can I say, warm and fresh it tastes again different. Like a soft cotton wool with a sweet crust. ❤ Delicious!

Day 12
Last day Japan - We are scratching our last remaining Yen together and doing another little tour in the morning. Unlike yesterday not on the main road but through the side streets. There is a "hidden" shopping street that feels no wider than 2 meters - the Nishikidori market. Here we encountered in addition various culinary specialties of Japan, such as dried fish in all variations, pickled octopus and inexpressible spice mixtures and sparrow on a spit. (Q-Q) Enough Foods and Goods - back to the main road.

Yesterday we saw that there is also the Pokémon Center Kyoto nearby - that's what we are going to do now.

Our supply of yen is coming to an end. We throw together everything we have in our wallets: 760 yen.

It would be enough to buy three fresh melonbreads - if the melonbread shop had not open yet. ٩(๑` ^´ ๑)۶ Noooo - the sweet smell and taste has been haunting us since yesterday. A SevenEleven then provides us a small supply for today, our way leads us from Kyoto to Osaka. Unfortunately this is just a pass as we have to go to the airport.

In Osaka, the plane to Shanghai is waiting for us - here we realize that our journey will soon be over.

We lost our hearts to Japan, we would really like to stay there. We have experienced so much the last days - day 12? Was it really only or already day 12? We must have been here for a longer time - our legs are burning, slain by many experiences, the people we met there, the amount of temples we saw and the fact that our dream to see Japan came true. Then our outrageous luck with the weather was added, the overall impression is perfect.

Now dear airplane, tear us away from our dream, it can not get better.

The flight was pleasant, best weather - just before Shanghai it gets gray again. All the hair on my hackles is up.
Is it smog again or just some bad weather? In Japan, we bought breathing masks, the experience has made us wise, China - this time you will not get us. Even the chinese custom control doesn't break our mood, although this takes as long as expected - too many people, too few controllers. It's late evening when we arrive in Shanghai after an hour's drive at the hotel. At least we saw the lights of the skyline.
Still - Tokyo at night ... hah ... the thoughts are not yet detached.

Plans for Shanghai
⫸ See the distinctive skyline (day and night)

In Shanghai we have the largest hotel room so far and the view is very nice. We leave the rest of our group behind the all obediently gave their passports at the front desk, we first go to eat a bit in the hotel. The new tour guide from Shanghai, a woman named Lu, said that the hotel had a very good restaurant which was not confirmed. The mood diminishes noticeably. Now it's time for us to show our passports at the hotel, the hotel has to report to the chinese custom controll that we actually arrived. However, we refuse to hand in our passports at the reception, certainly not until the next afternoon (!) So make the receptionist - visibly annoyed - a copy of our six passports. In Beijing, that was without any problems, also in Japan we had to made this - why they made such an act here in Shanghai is not clear to us. Especially since the passports of the others from our tour group are all lying directly in front of the switch at the counter, one would have taken one there, the video cameras would record that certainly, but noticed they did not! Also, the idea of staying because of a lost / stolen passport was no option for me. More on that later - do not let the mood spoil. Tomorrow is a new day. Then hopefully the mood of the others is better ... was not there harmony? (⇀‸↼ ")

Day 13
Shanghai - Megametropolis. The gray veil of the previous evening has disappeared and the sun is laughing at us.
The mood of our group is also better. Luckily, we still wear our breathing masks. You never know.....
The walk on the promenade is really fantastic! A real wow effect with the skyscrapers on the other side of the river and the more historic buildings on our side. Shanghai- that impresses a lot!

We walk to the Yu Garden through the old town. The residential area here does not look so good. Lu tells us that about 10% of the inhabitants still live in smaller housing units like these, which do not have their own bathroom or kitchen - these areas are being demolished gradually and replaced by skyscrapers or housing estates - which is just needed - the people will be relocated suitably. In China they simply build things - no long discussion. (Nevertheless - apply some math - Shanghai has about 26 million inhabitants - of which, according to Lu, about 10% do not have their own bathroom - so there are 2.6 million people! Okay- build faster!)

The "shopping district" in front of it is very crowded - Lu said only "bags forward and better buy nothing" - we understand why:
Everything fakeware!

The park is beautiful, but there were so many people here (and even more with us) that it was no fun for me. In Japan, big crowds did not mind me - I knew that nothing would happen to me. This looks different here in China, I look around and push my bag a little tighter on me.

Not only for me it was to much, we six go quickly through the garden. In a Starbucks, our agreed meeting point with the rest of the tour group, is reached quickly. The time is still enough for a coffee. We look for a place and meet there by chance on the other younger people from the tour group and we get into conversation, before it had just not revealed.

Caution- gossip mode on.
>> We all had a very similar picture of the older people in our group. They were rude, never really listened and behaved very badly. So we avoided them as much as possible, it was reassuring to hear that not only we had the same impression. I mean - you travel to a country to meet the culture and the people there - but you are not willing to stick to their traditions and regulations that have been explained to you before. "Where there is wood on the floor- shoes off", her answer to that while running over it with her wet dirty shoes: "But I just wanted to go to the bathroom ...". Just as the permanent photography where it is prohibited or not okay. (>>I always wanted to present a picture collection of Japanese cemeteries in my photo album. << # irony off). Another example of many: In Kyoto, the hotel provided us with umbrellas free of charge as it rained that day - when we came back in the afternoon and the umbrella stand had been moved away. What are the old gentlemen and woman doing? Correctly, instead of simply leaving the umbrella at the reception, the umbrellas are simply hanging somewhere in the lobby - on a shut-off cord or in the flower tub. I then collected all the umbrellas and gave them to the lady at the reception - she then thanked me a thousand times and apologized for clearing the stand. I apologized for this bad behavior of our group. Another classic: At a small buddhist shrine in Kyoto, a mill of life / swastika was shown on the top and bottom (this symbol made Hitler his logo, the swastika, it already existed long before him). I can not tell you how upset some of the elders were, what the Japanese think because, if they do not know what that means and complained to our poor tour guide how outrageous that is whether the Japanese are all dirty Nazis. Really! You think it's not stupid enough- here we go: In Nara Kies saw that a deer tried to eat plastic and then convinced this deer to eat one of our biscuits instead - next to it stood an old woman of our tour group and gave another deer to eat a paper tissue with the words "Oh look funny - that seems to taste them too". Again, to make it clear - we have certainly not done everything right - but we have adhered to the clear (house) rules. No matter - enough bitching. Sometimes you have to talk the frustration away. << gossip mode off.

Finally we continue to the temple. The temple has just been authentically restored.
The Jade Buddha looked nice, the smaller lying one too. (¬‿¬) Draw me like one of your french Buddhas.

I am watching some visitors. For information - it is a larger temple complex with many areas where you can pray at the various Buddha statues and many souvenir shops. We are in the middle of the city and it is not busy, it is a wednesday afternoon. Again and again I see these two women, one dressed very elegantly, the other slightly more casual. They are walking separately, praying here, sometimes there, sometimes at the shrine area, one goes to here, the other to there, than they pray again, meet briefly to talk and start the procedure again from the beginning.
Are that really visitors or are they employee of the temple? The question remained unanswered.

Back at the hotel we decide to go to the nearby shopping center looking for some food. Many shops, but again we notice - it is not really something going on. This beautifully designed shopping mall was full of shops where NOTHING was going on. A ghost town, i mean a ghost shopping mall - it's wednesday evening - we're in a 26 million people city! The upper floors are designed for children - with children's swimming, karate for kids and a hairdresser that has instead of chairs funny vehicles and countless clothing stores for children. If I say now that there were maybe 5 children with parents, 2 in swimming and 3 in karate then that's surprisingly little.

The restaurants are all empty, only down a Hägendasz ice cream shop is a bit more busy. We go around the corner to a burger shop. There are some people sitting inside and outside this diner, that's a good sign. The burgers are very good and the price is ok. Only the coke - that was the syrup with tap water. Only that the tap water in China is strongly chlorinated and should not be drunk. Marina and I had ordered an orange juice and a smoothie that were freshly prepared. On the way back to the hotel room we got something in a FamilyMart for a nice evening. The others from our tour group have gone on a tour at night on the bus which should take 2 hours, you could book this in addition, very nice and good Lu said. (Lu also casually mentioned that at this time it's still rush-hour - and standing in a traffic jam for 2 hours we did not feel like it - from our room we saw the enlightened city well enough).

We have some drinks, some snacks, a big room, good music and some games. The evening will end relaxed.

Day 14
I look at our plane in the foreground and the ships at the back of the horizon ... the world has become a bit smaller for me.
Not in the negative - even if the last 2 days have pulled us down a bit - but let's take a look at the big whole.

I am very happy that we have made this trip and I have seen so much, I am even happier that friends were with me (although unfortunately not all of my friends were here, a big kiss to those who stayed at home).
I am glad that we had German speaking guides for our first time in China and Japan. Through you we have learned so much more, have got to know the culture a bit differently and have tried so many new things.

But next time we will go on our own. WHAT? A next time? Yes, definitely! When? That's still open.

My to-do list for Japan is not empty yet - it's pretty empty but some new points have been added.
⫸ Osaka, lying on the beach (is still open)
⫸ Bathing in an onsen

New aims
⫸ Wearing a kimono in Japan - we had the idea, but then unfortunately we had too little time and we did not know how Japanese stand for it when we as Europeans wear their clothes. Megumi calmed us down and said it was a really nice idea. She is happy that we like her tradition and even traditinal clothing so much.
⫸ Shinkansen (becomes necessary if I look at the places on our wish list)
⫸ Go to a Maid Café again, maybe also a dog café and / or another theme café
⫸ Tokyo, visit an anime / manga fair (with or without cosplay does not matter!)

Due to the tour group we unfortunately had to visit some shrines very shortened and we would like to see a few of them completely
⫸ Kyoto, the Fushimi-Inari shrine with its many archways, we want to go through them all!
⫸ Explore Nara, the Kasuga Taisha shrine with the deer and the lanterns.
⫸ Tokyo, the city can not be experienced in 3 days, we have a few hot spots scoured, yes, but there is still a lot missing.

 We got up early this morning to reach our flight at 11.35AM without stress and fly only 11 hours instead of planned 12 hours because we have tailwind. It goes back for us 6 hours hours and that is an experience.
It is light all the time, I could see from above the foothills of the Gobi desert and white snowy Russia.