Can you think of many countries where it's a four and a half plane ride from one side to the other? That's how long it was from Urumqi to Shanghai, and Urumqi's not even right on the western border! Crazy. Boring too though. Still, I was going to Shanghai!!
I really liked Shanghai. It's another of those cities whose reputation precedes it. I'd wondered for a long time what it'd be like, and whether I'd like it in the end, but it was easy to get around, with plenty to see and do, and nicely westernised. It was a bit of comfort after being on the road for so long. The nightlife was decent too. I finally found a good bar!! I'd almost given up all hope of finding one, and nearly didn't bother going as I had really caught the sun during the day (It was cloudy at first, thought I'd chance it without sunscreen - factor 30 every single day and lotion stains round all your collars gets a bit irritating) and was 'radiant', but there were a few near the cinema I'd been to so I couldn't not. Very glad I did as I met some very nice people who gave me a few tips on Shanghai and where else to go. It was a good night. I did meet an Italian exchange student there who really did my nut though. He's studying Oriental Business and was on the first of a few trips to China for study. He'd only been here six weeks and already couldn't stand the place. He kept complaining about everything, saying it was all 'too Chinese'. As if. It's barely recognisable as a specifically Chinese city, and only Hong Kong can offer you more of the west than this. All this moaning right in front of the other Chinese people. Moron. His Chinese was really awful too. Mine's much better. Ha!
My time in Shanghai was split up by a couple of days out in nearby cities so I was only in town for one day at first. I spent this just wandering around the main centre along the Nanjing Road down to the Bund. This is the waterfront alongside the Huangpu river. Shanghai is still very much a port city and there were ships passing by all the time. The Bund is famous for its architecture, mostly enormous 20s and 30s style former head offices of big financial corporations and the like. The weirdly futuristic Pudong area on the opposite shore couldn't be more different if it tried.
I also took a river cruise along the river here which was ok. A decent view but not hugely different from that you got from the bank and it really didn't travel very far at all. Nevermind.
Can you think of many countries where it's a four and a half plane ride from one side to the other? That's how long it was from Urumqi to Shanghai, and Urumqi's not even right on the western border! Crazy. Boring too though. Still, I was going to Shanghai!!
I really liked Shanghai. It's another of those cities whose reputation precedes it. I'd wondered for a long time what it'd be like, and whether I'd like it in the end, but it was easy to get around, with plenty to see and do, and nicely westernised. It was a bit of comfort after being on the road for so long. The nightlife was decent too. I finally found a good bar!! I'd almost given up all hope of finding one, and nearly didn't bother going as I had really caught the sun during the day (It was cloudy at first, thought I'd chance it without sunscreen - factor 30 every single day and lotion stains round all your collars gets a bit irritating) and was 'radiant', but there were a few near the cinema I'd been to so I couldn't not. Very glad I did as I met some very nice people who gave me a few tips on Shanghai and where else to go. It was a good night. I did meet an Italian exchange student there who really did my nut though. He's studying Oriental Business and was on the first of a few trips to China for study. He'd only been here six weeks and already couldn't stand the place. He kept complaining about everything, saying it was all 'too Chinese'. As if. It's barely recognisable as a specifically Chinese city, and only Hong Kong can offer you more of the west than this. All this moaning right in front of the other Chinese people. Moron. His Chinese was really awful too. Mine's much better. Ha!
My time in Shanghai was split up by a couple of days out in nearby cities so I was only in town for one day at first. I spent this just wandering around the main centre along the Nanjing Road down to the Bund. This is the waterfront alongside the Huangpu river. Shanghai is still very much a port city and there were ships passing by all the time. The Bund is famous for its architecture, mostly enormous 20s and 30s style former head offices of big financial corporations and the like. The weirdly futuristic Pudong area on the opposite shore couldn't be more different if it tried. 
I also took a river cruise along the river here which was ok. A decent view but not hugely different from that you got from the bank and it really didn't travel very far at all. Nevermind.
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