Shanghai by night

If you thought this city was impressive during the day, you won't believe how magical it is at night.  On our last night we did a similar walk as the first day along The Bund.   We made sure to enjoy the temperature (which was significantly warmer than Toronto) and took in the famous skyline one last time.  After wandering the streets we headed back to the hostel where we had a few drinks before calling it a night.

Danielle, me, Morgan

The next day before catching our flight we made an important stop at the grocery store where we got tons of goodies for our friends and loved ones back home. I want to thank Maja for being such a great friend and making this trip possible :) and Morgan and Danielle for adding to the fun!

China, you were incredible. I will be back!

The more traditional side

What I love about cities like Shanghai is that although they are modernizing and moving extremely quickly, you can still find the traditional aspects. We began our day at the Jade Buddha Temple, which was incredibly beautiful.  One of my favorite courses in university was World Religions, and getting to see a place of worship like this one is an experience I truly appreciate.

Next we went to "Old Shanghai" which reminded me of the Hutongs from Beijing.  However it was a bit too crowded and touristy for me.  I would still recommend going, because it does reflect what this city once looked like!

Next post: Last day in China :(

Good Morning Shanghai!

We arrived bright and early in Shanghai and went directly to our hostel to freshen up. Right away the air felt different than in Beijing, maybe it was just because it was warmer or maybe because after everything from the previous day it was just nice to finally be here!

After a quick shower, we headed out to the financial district which is also right by the TV tower.  As soon as we stepped out of the subway we were blown away by this futuristic city, we snapped endless photos from every angle of the TV tower.  Next we walked to the waterfront. We wanted to get to the other side of the river to walk along the Bund, which is where you get a view of that famous Shanghai skyline. We ended up walking much further than we needed to but this turned out to be a good thing because we got to take the ferry across, which made for another awesome experience.  

This city is incredible, the vibe is so modern and futuristic with pieces of Europe and traditional China. I loved it!! 

Me, Morgan, and Danielle on the ferry

Panoramic view from The Bund

Next post: Traditional Shanghai....

A little work out - Beijing to Shanghai Edition

The 24 hours leading up to our arrival in Shanghai were action packed to say the least...

That morning as I previously mentioned we walked around some of Beijing's hutongs.  Before lunch we went to a supermarket so Maja could get goodies to bring back to Canada, we then rushed to eat something before heading to the airport.  I'd say the best way to describe the following events would be by calling it a work out? We dragged our luggage through the subway (which lacked in elevators and escalators) to get to the airport and then our last minute plan of going to Shanghai meant figuring out a train that left that night. Just a side note- the chaos and last minute is what I love about travelling so this did not bother me at all, instead I knew a great story was in the midst of being created! At the airport after Maja was checked in, we went to the train counter to figure out our options. In what turned into lost in translation/hoping somewhere in there we understood each other, we booked an overnight train.

At the Beijing Airport!
Morgan, me, Maja, Danielle

After a hard goodbye (I hate saying bye, especially because this one meant Maja wasn't joining us) we went back to the subway to go to the train station. Now I know many of you are familiar with the term rush hour, but until you've seen rush hour in China in the subway, you just haven't experienced it.  We were at a transfer point, just 3 stops away when we realized we wouldn't make it on a train. So plan b, we'd grab a cab or find out if walking was an option.  I asked a police officer if it was far and if it would be possible to walk, you must know the people of China were very friendly and always so helpful, but in this situation both I and the cop were convinced we understood each other, which is what led to the next event... Three stops turned into about a 45 minute (maybe more) walk. We just hadn't realized the distance between each stop and dragging our luggage of course slowed us down. Thank god we are all positive people so our spirits remained high throughout the ordeal. Finally we made it to the train station, Hallelujah!!! BUT the story does not end here haha

The most beautiful thing we could see after an hour of walking

After eating something quickly and hydrating, it was time for boarding. This train station was bigger than most airports, people began crowding the boarding area and then all of the sudden shouting and pushing happened, it turned into a small riot, and we stood to the side completely lost by what was happening as we just didn't understand what anyone was saying.  Finally a girl tells me that people with fake tickets were trying to get on, which led to fighting between them and the guards (the issue here is much deeper as the girl was trying to explain to me however I cannot say I am educated enough on socio-political issues in China to make any commentary).  We needed to get on that train, we were drained, we had no other options. Danielle and Morgan just started pushing their way through, I followed. Guards took notice and surrounded us to help us navigate and get through the gate. Finally we made it through, when suddenly I lost hold of my suitcase and was swarmed by people, the guards again took charge and helped me and my luggage through. We quickly found our cabin sat down and the locked the door. We just starred at each other in disbelief and exhaustion of what had happened in the previous hours.  Again I am so grateful these girls are so positive, we ended up laughing it off, remarking that all that walking and lugging around definitely counted for at least a week in the gym and in the morning we'd be in Shanghai!

Everything on Shanghai tomorrow....