Day 17 - Shanghai, China

Day 17 – His

So, we are in Shanghai. The area of China with the most European influence. It took only half an hour to get here but then that was by bullet train which is supposed to travel at over 200 miles an hour. The station is more like an airport than a train station but masses of travellers make it feel a bit like a coach park. A most curious mix then again we didn’t stay there long. Most of the hotels we have stayed in have been pretty well chosen and aren’t too far from the tourist attractions the guide books tell us we want to see. Indeed, when we do go to see them they, in fact, turn out to be the places we want to see. So it is in Shanghai. The hotel is 15 minutes walk from the main market and 10 minutes from the Bund, both of which we went to see today.

 Thankfully by the main pedestrian market was a traditional Chinese garden, supposedly the biggest in China. It wasn’t the oldest, but it was pretty impressive – basically a jumble of pavilions stone walkway, bridges and carp pools surrounded by walls and kept as a quiet oasis from the rest of the city. Not so quiet and not such an oasis anymore as it is open as a tourist attraction and there are a lot of tourists in Shanghai.

This is the first time we have seen so many European faces. Shanghai is clearly a destination. It’s kind of cool – it means that not so many little Chinese children try to touch us. Did i mention this? Everywhere we have been so far the local people stare and the braver of the children come up to touch us. Just light touches on the arm or leg. It’s very odd – i can’t decide if they are daring each other to touch the white devils or it’s some kind of lucky charm thing or even if they just want to do it because they can’t believe we are for real. Whatever the reason we have been touched quite a lot in our travels – except here. It’s sort of a relief to be honest.

 The most impressive thing about the Bund, well in my opinion, is the closeness to the sea. When we were down there we looked at the obligatory row of European buildings which were pretty enough but just by the towering blocks and old European buildings was a cruise liner. It was so odd to see it sitting there. A huge palace of glass and steel – but then thinking about it –not so strange when you consider what the rest of Shanghai looks like. It is a modern city and is clearly the pride of the south china seas. Though as you approach it the whole place is less than human in its scale and it is only when you get down amongst the city that it becomes more liveable.

 After the city tour we went out for a goodbye dinner with everybody as tomorrow is the last day we are together and we went for a stroll to the people’s square and then back to the hotel.

 

Day 17 -  Hers

If you’d like to visit China without the culture shock – and you are a fan of modern skyscrapers – then Shanghai is the place for you. Shanghai is China free of its oppressive past – a very modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan city.  You can have your coffee at Starbucks, lunch at the New York Deli, dinner at a top class restaurant – Western or any type of Asian you can think of – and presumably dance the night away at a nightclub (though we haven’t looked into that one yet....)  - Note to Steph: You can even shop at Zara... -  The tourist area with its alleys of shops built in traditional style (all pristine and gleaming – a bit Disneyland to my taste) and restored gardens are crammed with tourists.  The Bund is a very pleasant stroll along the Yangtze River to admire European colonial architecture to the left and ‘I can build it higher’ glass and steel to the right.  The People’s Park in the centre of People’s Square is lit green in the evening – paths winding through conifers – and, unlike in most cities, a safe place to wander, past skateboarders and photographers using tripods and long exposure to capture the magical light. 

 We had our farewell dinner in a famous noodle bar – apparently in existence on the same corner in the Bund area for over 100 years – and Rob gave the traditional Gecko ‘end of trip’ thank you speech.  We all discussed our highlights and where we are going from here: Michael to Thailand, Tory to visit her brother here in Shanghai and then back to Xi’an to finish her master’s in linguistics and Irfan back to Korea and his computer PhD. (Aren’t we the well-educated group...)