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Published: December 22nd 2005
Nanjing Road
Looks more impressive at night but you get the ideaGot to the airport in Xi'an abolutely fine but when I got there the flight said it was going to Pudong - fook! Checked my stuff in thinking the hostel surely couldn't have made that much of a mistake but within 20 minutes I was fully reassured I was going to the right place thanks to Lonely Planet (Pudong is the name of the airport you see). The fliught was possibly the worst I've ever had - internal flights in China fly quite low you see so you get a LOT of turbulence plus the pilot of the plane was as bad at flying as most of the Chinese are at driving so it must be generic (you have to see the roads out here to understand). Still here to tell the tale anyway so then I got off to the hostel recommended to me by a Brummie couple I met in Beijing.
Found the Hiker Youth Hostel just off the Bund really easily so I was happy and as soon as I was sorted with my stuff I got a beer in the hostel bar where I met an Aussie girl called Narottami who is an Australian law student that
The Tourist Tunnel
Ridiculously bad but so bloody funny it's actually worth it! was doing a bit of work experience (or whatever you call it at uni - internship maybe?), at a Shanghai law firm for 3 weeks. I got a bloody gardening job at a nursing home when I did that at school - there's o justice I tell ya! Anyway, we decided to go out for a few beers somewhere so went to one of the bar streets and watched some random Chinese band play songs I couldn't understand, some really cheesy r'n'b club DJ make a prick of himself and finally got to the last place whre they sold Southern Comfort so we played a bit of pool there and I was happy (first SC and coke I'd had in 3 weeks ffs!).
Next morning I got up and just walked out of the door and headed for the tallest building I could see to try and find the Bund. This plan sort of worked but not really coz it took me 45 minutes whereas it shoulda taken me only 15 but I got there all the same so never mind.
When I got to the bund all I wanted to do was get across the river to the Pudong
Pearl Oriental Tower
See, you can just imagine that lined up next to a Rampant Rabbit can't you?! lol side (Bund and Pudong are just different areas on the river in Shanghai), so I decided the easiest way to cross it was to go through the rourist tunnel. Which muppet thought of that contraption then? It's basically a long tunnel under the river with a slow train that takes you from one end to the other but instead of it being like the Underground they decided you could do 5mph and filled the bloody thing full of lights; coz that's what all tourists want now isn't it?! Think Blackpool but worse and you're about there but it ended up it was that bad it was good coz I laughed for the entire trip me! On the way to the Pudong I was on my own so it was OK but on the way back I was with 10 Japanese tourists who just stared at me the entire journey coz I was creasing up with the stupod voicovers and sheer tackiness of it all - "molten magma" and some red lights go off with a bit of rumbling thrown in for good measure; class! :o)
Anyway, finally got to the Pudong side of the river and headed straight for the
Me, Gallad and Ian on my birthday
I was verrrrry, verrrrry drunk by then... Pearl Oriental Tower. In short, it looks like what a small child would draw if you gave them a pen and paper and told them to draw a futuristic building, either that or some dodgy sorta sex toy. lol. I don't suppose you could ever class it as a beautiful building in the slightest but when you're stood underneath it it's just that strange and impressive that you've just gotta love it! Went right to the top ball of the tower which was bloody high but slightly disappointing coz the smof over Shanghai is that bad you can't really see that far but still glad I did it.
Back in the hostel that night I bumped into Ian who I'd met in Xi'an a couple of days ago so sorted out going out for food with him, Liam (an Aussie lad that was Narottami's mate), and David (a Swedish lad that was at the hostel too). We found some random Chinese restaurant on Nanjing Road (the main shopping road in Shanghai), and went for a really nice meal. You can but bottles of JD for less than the shots are and all so we abused that fact that night and
Narottami doing some exercise
The parks in Shanghai seem to have brightly coloured excercise machines in them for some reason which all the old people go on - no wonder people here live so long! all - cushtie! Had a few more beers at the hostel and crashe dout in bed absolutely ruined.
F--ing nasty hangover to deal with the next morning - great way to start your bloody birthday eh?! 4pm by the time I woke up and all, not a good start to the day at all! Got straight to the bar and sorted some food and a beer by 4:30pm (it was my birthday wannit?!), and got on the go again. I managed to get about 6 x 650ml bottles down me by the time we set off to Windows Too with Gallad (sp?) who was an Israeli lad I met, Ian, Liam and David. The place was the equivalent of the SU back home, cheap beer and a lot of people getting ruined for not a lot of cash - just my sorta place! They played r'n'b which I hate but once we got a bottle of JD for our table I was happy. The most amusing part of the night was all the Chinese 50 Cent wannabe's - it was hilarious! To be fair they looked more like Ali G than 50 but each to their own eh?! Got to
Us lot having teppanyaki
From left to right it's Gallad, David, the chef, Ian, Liam, some Chinese lad who I didn't know, Kieren and Barry bed at god knows when coz I can't remember owt from 3am onwards but that usually means a good night when bits are missing so never mind.
God I was rough the next morning - not at all happy (self induced I know!). Got some brekky and a brew then went for a wander round People's Square for a bit. Had some noodles and all which were quite nice (can just about use chopsticks too thank f*ck!). Got home later in the afternoon and went for a meal at some dodgy arsed restaurant 2 doors down form the hostel where the chefs were wearing aprons that hadn't been washed in 20 years and were brown as anything - wrong as you like if you ask me! I lived anyway so can't complain. Got back to the hostel after that and mamnaged to catch the first Man U game I'd got since I'd been away - yey! We won 2-0 and all against Villa so it''s all good.
Couldn't sleep that night so wasn't in the best of moods the next morning really so went off for a wander round the Bund on my own. When I got back to the
Yuyuan Gardens
Every bit of it just interlinks with other bits - proper mad place but really nice too! hostel I bumped into Liam and Narottami who were off to the antique market and fake designer goods market over in the French Concession so tagged along with them to that. Fair play, I know women like their shopping and that but come on, 3 pairs of boots bought already on this trip and Narottami goes and buys another pair at the market when I'm there? You can't even wear them in Oz till it goes cold in 6 months time anyway! Ah well, she was happy anyway. By the end of that mission I was getting decidedly pissed with the "hello? watch? DVD? bag?" hawkers so was starting to snap considerably at the slightest thing but I managed to not kill anyone. Subway was unbelievably busy on the way home and all, sardines doesn't do it justice I'm afraid - if you're claustrophobic on there you're screwed!
That night we decided to get a load of us out for teppenyaki for tea which is a sort of Japanese grill thing where the chef cooks the food for you on the grill at your table - it was fooking amazing! Best meal I've had since I've been here by far!
Live turtles and fish in the supermarket
Imagine if Tesco did this back home - they'd be screwed royally! You pay 170yuan (about 12 quid), for all you can eat and drink for as long as you're there and considering there was 8 of us and we were there about 3 hours in total we definitely got our money's worth! Played a bit of pool when I got back to the hostel, watched Chelsea beat Arsenal (not often I'm rooting for Arsenal I tell ya!), then crashed out on bed.
Next morning I went looking for Yuyuan Gardens and bazaar. Took a while to find the actual garden but it was well worth it. Went for a wander round the Pudong after that and ended up going round a supermarket under the Super Brand Mall over there where they were selling live crabs, fish, eels and bloody turtles to eat - wtf?! The turtles looked paggered and all so I felt well tight!
That night we went for an Italian at a place on the 4th floor of the same mall that looked nice and had stunning views but the portions were a bit small and I was trying not to spend too much so wasn't too happy. I lamb kebab off one of the street meat stalls soon
See, fast innit?!
Had to take a pic to prove it, looked a complete muppet doing so though! sorted that though (not a normal one like back home mind you, they're well tasty!). Played a bit Texas Hold'em when I got back to the hostel with a few of the lads there coz this French lad had some chips and that so it was easy enough. He wanted to play for cash but anyone who carries poker chips round with them when they're travelling has gotta be a bit of a shark in my opinion so just played for fun (went and bloody won though - sod's law eh?!).
Finally sorted my Xi'an blog the next morning after putting it off for a week nearly then went for a wander to the Shanghai Museum on People's Square. Museum was a bit dull I'm afraid, it'd been recommended to me by Lonely Planet and a couple of people so I thought I'd give it a go anyway but I'm obviously not cultured enough I reckon. lol. They had precious stones exhibit there for a few months though and that was ace so it was worth it in the end. There was this bright green toad sat on a brown piece of wood that was all one stone but carved so exactly that it fit perfectly - sounds really sad me saying this but it was mint! Went home after that and watched Van Helsing and It's All Gone Pete Tong (bought it for 40poff a hawker) which I thought was ace film. Got leathered while doing that, playing pool and this Chinese game wher you have to get 5 in a row in either black or white pieces then crashed out about 3am.
Next day felt pretty rough but checked out by 11am, went to the French Concession for abit with Ian and 2 Oxford graduates called Will and James but came back pretty early coz it was bitterly cold that day!
Set off from the hostel at about 4pm, got the underground to the Maglev Station and got a ride on that to Pudong Airport. The Maglev is a sort of monorail thing that floats on magnets on the track and has a top speed of 430kmh so it's pretty quick! It was mint but far louder than I expected and it wobbled far too much for my liking and all. got to the airport safe and sound anyway, sorted my stuff out and jumped on my plain to Guilin.
Gotta say, Shanghai is my favourite city in China so far easily, I reckon mainly coz it's so Western. If you go backpacking in Shanghai then make sure you stay in Hiker Youth Hostel - best hostel I've stayed in on my trip I reckon so well impressed with the place. Anyway, I'll tell you some more stuff when I get to Guilin yeah? Laters...
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non-member comment
Sounds wicked
I dont even know you buddy but was very entertained by your journal. Sounds like you making the most of an amazing trip. Hope you enjoy the rest of your time travelling, blessings