Shanghai in 9 hours

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Although I am a fan of airport shopping and never seem to get tired of looking at the same thing in multiple shops, I decided that with a 9 hour stop over in Shanghai I should at least try to be more productive. So, when I arrived bright and early on the morning of the 22nd I cleared airport customs and gathered my courage to face the crazy city of Shanghai on my own. Traveling from Pudong Int'l Airport to the city center is an adventure in itself. There is a magnetic levitation train called the Maglev which reaches 431 km/h! To travel the 30 km from the airport to city centre the trip takes a mere 8 minutes! By the time I had gotten on and taken some pictures it was already time to get off... crazy, crazy!

Once in the city of Shanghai I was completely overwhelmed. I had no idea where I was in the city, nor did I have a map. (LOL, minor details!) After asking a few tourists for some directions I somehow made my way to the 3.4-mile-long Nanjing Road, also known as China's premier shopping street. Nanjing Road is a place which has a little something for everyone. From high-end clothing stores to local farmers' markets it is easy to find what you are looking for... and even easier to stumble upon things you did not want to see (check picture of pig's head). I wandered around here for about an hour before catching a cab to the more historic part of the city, where I visited Yuyuan Garden. After reading about this garden, which was built in 1577, I was really looking forward to taking some really pretty "Chinese" pictures, but unfortunately the entire time I was there it was rainy and the lighting in all of my pics rather sucks. That aside, Yuyuan Garden was worth walking through the rain for. Immediately upon entering the gardens I was struck by the beauty of the landscaping. Everywhere you look there are rocks, trees and shrubbery surrounding small ponds, which are all enclosed by magnificent pavilions and halls. The architecture of the buildings within the garden is traditional Chinese, so my visit here really made me feel like I had been to China... even if only for 9 hours. After exploring the gardens and their surrounding areas I decided to head back to the city center for a quick visit to the Shanghai Urban Planning Centre and then for a late lunch before heading back to the airport for check-in.

Next stop... MALAYSIA!!

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Photos

Would you consider this a delicacy?
This smushed pig's head was found in the market hanging just beside the dead ducks. Someone once told me that the Chinese will eat anything... but I thought this was going a bit too far. What can I say... cultural differences?

The Coca-Cola Charm
I needed a little pep-pep before my Shanghai adventure.

The Fine Interior of the Maglev
My adventure begins - riding the 431 km/h magnetic levitation passenger train!

The Maglev
Reaching top speed - 431 km/h!!

Rainy Shanghai
Walking down Nanjing Road.

"We take pride in serving you!"
Unless you are prepared to eat this meal deal borrowed from Fear Factor, I suggest you stay away from China Eastern Airlines. We were unable to identify this still-bleeding-meat, and the egg produced a rather loud gagging noise from me when Jenna dared me to smell the inside. I wish I could say the cabbage was good, but that too had to be spit out!

Comments

[Mom]

Yep - it does look like a meal from Fear Factor ! And the pigs head - I hate to tell you but head cheese is reallly tasty (as long as you're not looking at this picture). xoxo

[Jessica]

Yikes
That pig head looks unreal! That would have been enough for me in 9 hours! An adventure in itself! Hope all is well!

[Tim O'G]

Polkaroo!
Hey! Japan, China, Malaysia..where will you go next? I fly out on Saturday to start my own ESL career. Send me an e-mail so I have your address, I've lost it, and maybe we'll be able to get together sometime in the future if you're still buzzing around Asia. Best of luck!

[Naomi]

Hi! I visited your blog for the first time!! Really interesting:) I was surprised at the speed of the Maglev!! So fast! Amazing!! v_nTLò‰ŒfD‹
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[Larry]

At least the pig died with a smile :)