Shanghai

22-26th January 2010

Days One and Two
After a suprisingly comfortable ten hour train journey (if only trains in the UK were as efficient and comfortable), we arrived in Shanghai naively and optimistically expecting to be greeted by the sparkling skyline depicted on postcards, and determined to fall in love with it. Not even the fact that we seemed to be visiting at the worst time of year for smog and just a few weeks after the entire city transformed into a roaring and dust-filled construction site in preparation for the 2010 World Expo could dampen our spirits (well not completely anyway)! Decided out first port of call should be the Bund, the best point in the city for the spectacular view across to Pudong. Closed. Sparkling skyline out of the window then. Ok, the sightseeing tunnel? Closed. We could feel our Shanghai experience rolling rapidly downhill.

Luckily, there was still plenty to keep us busy. We spent an afternoon ambling through Old Shanghai, weaving through the maze of narrow streets lined with traditional Chinese-style architecture and browsing in the many souvenir shops. We visited the Yuyuan Gardens, a beautiful refuge from the bustling city centre complete with ornate pagodas, blossom trees (unfortunately not blooming in January!), rockeries and ponds teeming with carp.

Day Three
Ticked off People's Square, Renmin Park and Nanjing East Road today (which we passed through quickly in our cash-strapped state to avoid temptation). Found a great restaurant for lunch though - the How Way Restaurant. So far, finding food has proved somewhat tricky in China; we seem to encounter some form of difficulty at every mealtime. On our first night in Shanghai, we found ourselves in a restaurant with formica tables and strip lighting where we ate distinctly average vegetable noodles while the proprietess shaved meat off an unidentifiable piece of bone at the next table. Not particularly appetising. On this particular occasion, we spent fifteen minutes perusing the monumentally large menu, only to be told by the waitress who came to take our order that there was now a new menu and thus price list. We then laboriously cross-referenced our order with the new (purely Chinese) menu only to arrive at the conclusion that everything was still available and at exactly the same price. We forgave them once the food arrived though - the spare ribs were some of the best I have ever eaten, falling off the bone and covered not with the usual sticky gloop but with a fiery dressing of chillies, black beans and peanuts.

That evening we treated ourselves to a Mojito in Cloud 9, the bar on the 87th floor of the Jinmao Tower, to catch the sunset - as much as was possible through the smog anyway. We watched darkness fall on the illuminated silhouette of the city and the view was incredible. Came away feeling we had experienced the Shanghai we came for - I often think cities are more attractive and inviting at night when the litter and graffiti fades away and you are just left with the buzz of the city.

Took the Metro home which we are finding the easiest, quickest and cheapest way of getting around in China. It costs around 4 Yuan (40 pence) per journey, regardless of how far you have to travel, and all signs and announcements are in English. Once on the train, there is even a little green light on the map to show you which stop you are at and the direction in which you are headed. Anyway, we were sitting on the train minding our own business when we heard a telltale clicking sound. We looked over to the man sitting opposite; he may have been discreetly looking everywhere but at us but unfortunately the camera phone he was pointing at us betrayed him! This is becoming a regular feature of our trip. Whilst sitting in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, we were approached by a young girl requesting a photo with us. We nodded, exchanging bewildered glances, and she plonked herself down in the middle whilst her friend starting merrily clicking away. No sooner had he finished than she held up a finger, asked us to "wait a minute" and gestured to six people queuing up to take her place! So we sat patiently while they took their turns and their 'photographer' paced round us, clicking frantically like a member of the papparazzi! Seems we are causing something of a stir in China!

Day Four
For our final day in Shanghai, we went to the French Concession, an area spanning several districts but defined by its tree-lined avenues and European-inspired architecture. It is a beautiful part of the city and one of the few places where you can wander around soaking up the atmosphere without living in fear of being mowed down every time you step off the pavement. For lunch, we had the best meal of the trip so far in a modest, but spotlessly clean, restaurant crammed with locals where we ate crisp panfried red mullet served whole with soy sauce and shredded spring onion and stir-fried satay beef with Chinese broccoli. It was delicious, so wholesome and simple yet packed with flavour.

That evening, we went to see the Yun Feng Acrobats . It was so impressive it gave me goosebumps! Daring, dangerous, exhilirating - we were on the edge of our seats the entire time! There was plate-spinning, trick cycling, contortionism, hoop jumping and a hula hoop act where several girls turned themselves into human slinkies! The highlight for me had to be an interpretation of the Titanic scene using the silk trapeze and the grand finale which involved motorbikes and a huge metal sphere.It wasn't completely polished - in fact there were a few minor slips - but for me, this only added to its charm and made the incredible feats all the more so by contrast. We came away on such a high, we bought six doughnuts and ate them all at once. The perfect end to our Shanghai experience.