Shanghai Diary

Ever hear the expression “Shanghai’ed or Chaing Kai’d”? The correct expression is “Shanghai’d.” It was coined to describe what happened when drunken sailors in the port of Shanghai passed out, were kidnapped, thrown into the brig of a merchant ship, and put into slave labor– more or less.

I sort of got Shanghai’d for a day because the weather was so bad the port was closed, and we had to stay in Shanghai an extra day. And because there were no bus tours we hung our with our new friends from Boston. We had a blast, walked around for miles, did lots of shopping, and ended up at the bar at the Peninsula hotel where we had three Lychee-tinis each! Slept like Ayer’s Rock (oops that was the Australia trip) but IF someone wanted to “Shanghai” us it would have been NO PROBLEM.

Never had such bad weather on a vacation before. It’s miserable to go sightseeing in freezing rain. But we’re having a blast on board where we eat, drink, read and make merry, play bridge, eat and drink, and did I mention eat and drink? There’s a gym, which we have not spent one minute in, and a spa, which we have spent very little time in.

Tomorrow at sea then back in Japan where communicating is forbidden .