World Expo, Part III

On our third and last day of the Expo, we decided to visit the European Square even though we were warned of the enormous crowds. On the way there we saw the Malaysia Pavilion and made a pit stop there since the line there was moving rapidly.

However, at 9 AM the pavilion was basically filled to capacity! There was almost no room to stand and enjoy the exhibits because people were rushing in every direction.

Because my little cousin was born in New Zealand, we had to see its pavilion as well.

Then we arrived in Europe! It was a gorgeous day, albeit extremely hot and sunny.

We first went to see the Denmark Pavilion. They focused on the environment. For example, they had bikes that one could ride throughout the pavilion. Also, this pavilion was probably one of the only that was not air-conditioned.

There were so many unique and gorgeous designs for the pavilions. Too bad each one of them had a huge line! I would have loved to visit Switzerland, Germany, France, etc., but I didn't want to wait in the sun for 3+ hours. Seriously, the lines snaked in and around the pavilion and out towards the restrooms and walkways.

My uncle really wanted to visit Spain, which is pictured below. We were pretty lucky - we were told that the wait time was 2-3 hours but somehow the line went fast and we only waited about 1 hour.

One part of Spain's exhibit was this giant interactive baby. This was strange - there was no explanation at all. I must say it was quite an ugly baby - at least compared to my cute little cousins.

Then it was time for lunch! I found a really good place full of Shanghai style snacks. Basically you can pick up whatever food you want from several stations and then you pay at the end, cafeteria style.

My cousin and I both tried a Shanghai specialty, this steamed bun filled with hot soup inside. I also tried tea eggs! They were good, but one of the eggs was rotten inside.

Then we saw the USA pavilion! It was another popular destination for the tourists.

We did not go in but we did stop by this fun little exhibit on the outside.

It was scorching hot so we decided to take cover in one of the larger pavilions, the Central and South America Pavilion. These large pavilions are nice as there usually are no lines because of their enormous size. Then we went to the Africa Pavilion because we heard that it was not as crowded.

It seemed like everyone had the same idea! No matter where you go, you cannot escape the crowds at the Expo.

As it cooled off a bit in the late afternoon, we wandered around and saw the outsides of more pavilions, such as the UK Pavilion.

Also the Netherlands Pavilion.

Then we were tired and lazy, so we paid 10 Yuan each to ride this little sightseeing car around the Expo.

We were dropped off right at a gate next to the USA pavilion. I felt a little nostalgic as we left the Expo, both for the fun times I had during the past few days and for home in the United States.

Overall, the Expo was a great experience! We managed to avoid most of the lines and still see some very creative and unique displays. Still, it would have been nice to have time to slowly observe and enjoy each pavilion and exhibit. I guess that's also the larger story of China - mostly hustle and bustle, crowds and crowds of eager people, and never enough time.