Shanghai update
On Monday (18 September) afternoon I took the metro across (well, technically 'under') the Huangpu River that bisects Shanghai to the area known as the Pudong New Area. Apparently 20 years ago there was nothing here, but now it is packed with the buildings and sky scrapers that make up the world famous Shanghai skyline. It was crazy to see all the new buildings being built as well as the existing buildings. The fourth tallest building in the world, and the tallest building in China, called Jinmao Tower was really impressive to see. As was the very unique Oriental Pearl Tower. You can go up in both for views over Shanghai, but both seemed overpriced for China so I didn't. I hung out in a park there for a while and generally just walked around in awe. Then at sunset I walked along the water front on that side of the river and watched the sun set over the Bund on the opposite bank. I took the metro back to the hostel and went for dinner (did I mention food is substainally more expensive in Shanghai?). Then I read in the hostel lobby for a while, as that is the closest thing the hostel had to a commen area, before going to sleep pretty early. I guess I was tired from the sightseeing that started at 8 in the morning but I seem to be over my 'mystery fatigue' that hit me several days in a row in Beijing.
On Thursday (19 September) morning the first thing I did was change hostels. I couldn't stand the one I stayed in that first night in Shanghai. It was called Captain's Hostel and was really overpriced and not that great. The 10-bed dorm room was noisy from road traffic and from the lobby. I was also really unimpressed with the showers and toilets. So I checked into Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel not to far away which was cheaper and had a much better hostel feel.
Then I walked up the pedestrain-only shopping street of Nanjing Donglu to Renmin Square. As I discovered on my walk down this street the previous day, this street is packed with tourists and with touts (i.e. people selling stuff). The touts come up to you, quite literally, every minute trying to get you to buy "rolex, sunglass, shoes, cd, dvd?" (and towards evening "lady, massage?") It gets annoying very quickly and they definitely target westerners. But what is even more annoying are the english speaking 'student scammers'. These are typically young, english speaking, 'art students' who want you to come and look, and of course buy, their artwork. They are very slick because they will come up and start talking to you in english asking you where you are from and saying they want to practice english with you. Then it eventually comes back to them inviting you to see their artwork. There are a number of other scammers you have to look out for too including the people who ask you to a 'tea ceremony' or the pretty Chinese girls that ask you to coffee so they can practice their english with you. All these scenerios - if you fall for them - end with you being separated from your money. But I am always suspicious, even when the people are geniune, so it would be pretty tough to scam me.
When I was walking around Renmin Park and Square I must have had at least 3 or 4 different groups of young people come up wanting to practice their english with me. I was happy to do so once I was able to tell they weren't scammers. Then I went to the amazing Shanghai Museum. The museum was great and it felt like a museum in New York or Paris (neither city of which I have been too, by the way....). You really forgot that you were in China. That pretty much goes for Shanghai in general though as it feels like a modern, western metropolis. Then I went for a sunset walk along the Bund (which also contains its fair share of touts, but few scammers) before returning to my hostel.
After cleaning up I went for dinner and then for an night-time stroll along the Bund to see the city all lit up. And what an amazing sight it was to see. Shanghai at night looks incredible!! My pictures won't do it justice. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so as the Bund was packed with tourists; perhaps more tourists than during the day! When I returned to the hostel there were lots of travelers there hanging out, so I made some friends (which was impossible to do at the other hostel) and stayed up late chatting.
On Wednesday (20 September) morning, after much internal debate the previous 2 days, I decided on my next destination: Chengdu, China. On a map it looks only slightly further away than Beijing so I figured I should just hop on an overnight train to Chengdu, which is a city I really want to see but didn't think I was going to be able to squeeze in right now. So I went to a train ticket office annex right around the corner from my hostel and booked a 'hard sleeper' departing tomorrow (Thursday, 21 September) evening. It was just as expensive as my 'soft sleeper' ticket from Beijing to Shanghai and I knew not why. When I got back to the hostel I asked the girls there and they informed me that it was a 2-night train ride!! Oops, I wasn't expecting that! So I won't arrive into Chengdu until Saturday (23 September) morning at 11 am. Still it was only $60 for a 40-hour train ride. I'll have a few days in Chengdu before I need to head back up to Xi'an to meet Sui. I hope that is only a 1-night train ride from Chengdu to Xi'an!
On Thursday (19 September) morning the first thing I did was change hostels. I couldn't stand the one I stayed in that first night in Shanghai. It was called Captain's Hostel and was really overpriced and not that great. The 10-bed dorm room was noisy from road traffic and from the lobby. I was also really unimpressed with the showers and toilets. So I checked into Mingtown Hiker Youth Hostel not to far away which was cheaper and had a much better hostel feel.
Then I walked up the pedestrain-only shopping street of Nanjing Donglu to Renmin Square. As I discovered on my walk down this street the previous day, this street is packed with tourists and with touts (i.e. people selling stuff). The touts come up to you, quite literally, every minute trying to get you to buy "rolex, sunglass, shoes, cd, dvd?" (and towards evening "lady, massage?") It gets annoying very quickly and they definitely target westerners. But what is even more annoying are the english speaking 'student scammers'. These are typically young, english speaking, 'art students' who want you to come and look, and of course buy, their artwork. They are very slick because they will come up and start talking to you in english asking you where you are from and saying they want to practice english with you. Then it eventually comes back to them inviting you to see their artwork. There are a number of other scammers you have to look out for too including the people who ask you to a 'tea ceremony' or the pretty Chinese girls that ask you to coffee so they can practice their english with you. All these scenerios - if you fall for them - end with you being separated from your money. But I am always suspicious, even when the people are geniune, so it would be pretty tough to scam me.
When I was walking around Renmin Park and Square I must have had at least 3 or 4 different groups of young people come up wanting to practice their english with me. I was happy to do so once I was able to tell they weren't scammers. Then I went to the amazing Shanghai Museum. The museum was great and it felt like a museum in New York or Paris (neither city of which I have been too, by the way....). You really forgot that you were in China. That pretty much goes for Shanghai in general though as it feels like a modern, western metropolis. Then I went for a sunset walk along the Bund (which also contains its fair share of touts, but few scammers) before returning to my hostel.
After cleaning up I went for dinner and then for an night-time stroll along the Bund to see the city all lit up. And what an amazing sight it was to see. Shanghai at night looks incredible!! My pictures won't do it justice. Apparently I'm not the only one who thinks so as the Bund was packed with tourists; perhaps more tourists than during the day! When I returned to the hostel there were lots of travelers there hanging out, so I made some friends (which was impossible to do at the other hostel) and stayed up late chatting.
On Wednesday (20 September) morning, after much internal debate the previous 2 days, I decided on my next destination: Chengdu, China. On a map it looks only slightly further away than Beijing so I figured I should just hop on an overnight train to Chengdu, which is a city I really want to see but didn't think I was going to be able to squeeze in right now. So I went to a train ticket office annex right around the corner from my hostel and booked a 'hard sleeper' departing tomorrow (Thursday, 21 September) evening. It was just as expensive as my 'soft sleeper' ticket from Beijing to Shanghai and I knew not why. When I got back to the hostel I asked the girls there and they informed me that it was a 2-night train ride!! Oops, I wasn't expecting that! So I won't arrive into Chengdu until Saturday (23 September) morning at 11 am. Still it was only $60 for a 40-hour train ride. I'll have a few days in Chengdu before I need to head back up to Xi'an to meet Sui. I hope that is only a 1-night train ride from Chengdu to Xi'an!
posted by Dustin at 9:34 PM
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