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Maglev
Only 300 kph Shanghai-ending on a high for one of us anyway!! Despite a very arduous journey we wanted to try the Maglev and it was certainly speedy. 306km per hour and a journey time of 7 minutes. Then afterwards was the subway slog with the bags. We eventually got to the hostel very late dumped the bags and headed to the bar for a couple of beers. Next day Chris wasn’t feeling too god, his sinus and chest problems recurring and after a very fitful night he decided to just stay in bed. I had a lovely day in Shanghai on my own, first I went to Tianzifang which is a little rabbit warren of small shops. Didn’t buy anything but nice to wander but did have the most expensive cup of tea..........ordered green tea expecting leaves and it was a Lipton’s tea bag and the cost was 49Yuan-over £5. Afterwards I got the metro to Qibao and older part of Shanghai with the original canal. Lunch was some fabulous dumplings; dumplings are to Shanghai what Peking duck is
to Beijing. It was a tiny little place and the little basket of dumplings was delicious. Chris had managed to get some rest and valiantly decided he was fit enough to go out in the evening. We went to the Bund and the architecture of Shanghai is something else. It had a real buzz, even though it was absolutely mobbed. Found a little place full of locals and had beef and noodles. Saturday he was too ill so I went out to the People’s square via the People’s park to enjoy the greenery. I then headed for the Shanghai museum not before I had to avoid the Shanghai tea scam. English speaking young Chinese girls get you talking and they told me there was a 2 hour wait for the museum and they had given up waiting and instead were going for tea and would I like to come. I said no I was going to the square anyway and if there really was a long queue I would change my plans. Guess what, there was a five minute queue and that was just the security check. Once you got to a tea house
you end up with a huge bill!! The museum was amazing, wonderfully laid out in different collections but if I am honest just a bit too much as I eventually get to overload. Did have a fabulous pot of green tea in the museum. I then wandered past the theatre and spotted a dumpling place, not as good as the day before but tasty. Chris was still grotty so we went out to eat locally and had barbeque food which only afterwards we realise had masses of MSG and you could taste it. Sunday he rallied a bit and we went to Qiboa, which was mobbed and really grubby and then to one of the famous Shanghai fake markets. We bought some stuff as pressies and had a quick snack of dumplings and pork buns and that was enough for him. We again ate locally but it was pretty mediocre. Our last day and Chris has spent most of it in bed, it is a good job this is a nice hostel with a large and fairly quiet room with good internet.
I ventured off to Yaong gardens but ended up in a tatty awful market, mobbed with Chinese tourists and after a bit of a wander on the Bund went back to check on the invalid. We flew from Shanghai at 00.05 to Dubai and had our final experience of a Chinese tour group on the flight. We arrived back in Newcastle at 11.35, having flown for 16 hours. Chris will be glad to be back home and get to the doctors to sort out whatever it is that is ailing him. Mega man-flu?? So time to reflect on China, and you have to go to places to see what it is like and how it feels to you. The Terracotta Army and the Great Wall are well worth seeing. I will not miss
• the masses of humanity and the urban life they are adopting at the expense of their heritage and rural lifestyle
• the constant use of smart phones which restricts their view to six inches in front of their faces
• the
spitting and the smoking
• the hard beds and half-hearted cleaning
• the polluted cities
• squat toilets and putting paper in a bin
• Chinese tour groups
• The great Chinese firewall
I will miss · The wonderfully efficient train and metro systems which are also cheap · The fabulous food · The fabulous scenery of Guilin province · The smiling children So that was China, postponed from last year and added to my Jubilee year, it has been fascinating but neither the people nor the country have found a place in my heart. Till next time Norma xx
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John
non-member comment
Been There ? Not I
But you have and thanks for sharing your expert observations. Hope himself better soon xx