Hi there from Shanghai
Im travelling as a solo bum this year, courtesy of Qantas and One World. Hopefully I will not get offlaoded anywhere I dont wish to be. Excuse the spelling, as the letters are quite different.
I arrived here last Saturday 29th May, and managed to make my way to my litte Magnolia Bed and Breakfast on the Megeve train,speed 450mph to outer suburbs, and then Subway to Changshu Rd station. What a culture shock, but I was helped along by some students from Beijing who even managed a little english.
I found Shanghai to be a city of many contrasts (and perhaps contradictions too), although much beauty to be found around the place!
Start with the good bits. The lovely panorama of the "Bund" over the river is spectacular, the buildings a lovely array of shapes and pastel metallic colours over the river, reflecting against water and sky. The flower beds and baskets line the entire embankment of the Bund and give vibrant colour to the waterfront. It would look great to frame the city of Perth. I guess this sort of development will be part of our future. But it is also eerie to suddenly see a future filled with super highways, super skyscrapers (Dubai is merely a small sister town in comparison) and pedestrian overpasses across 6 lanes in each direction (multiple escalators on many of the overpasses), huge stadium size metroplitan subway stations with so many exits and entries you need a Tom Tom to guide you around inside them. So frustrating to get lost in, you could literally walk miles trying to work our how you missed the exit, or the subway entry.
A contradiction - perhaps - because the people themselves seem to be still immersed in their culture of previous centuries (which I preferred to their fast lane) with their colourful antics in the parks every morning (lots of sword and flag waving, hand clapping, back and head tapping,acupressure points being stimulated, and Tai Chi exercise groups) and their many beautiful temples and places of worship. Some chinese appear to be lost in the pace of their own city, many unable to read simple maps or even familiar with the english terms for famous places like the "Bund" even though english is written on signs everwhere - they seem not to be able to read them.I was told its because many have poor eyesight, and no healthcare system that assists them with glasses for the vision impaired.
I loved watching the pedigree pets being walked in the mornings, one little fellow with soccer boots on his little paws -the lovely bonsai and the abundance of flower baskets and embankments of flower beds. It made a real show for the Expo tourists.
I also really enjoyed the oriental massage (particularly the foot massage, a very complex procdure that involved more than massaging the feet!. Hot towels were placed behind my neck and on my stomach, and my neck arms and back massaged as well. Wow, give me more. of this.So I did, I had one every day (at least) 25 dollars 60 minutes..My little bed and breakfast in the French Concession, with its pretty chinese silk cushions and gentle hospitality was a quiet haven to return too.Loved the silk markets!
But I didn't like the queues, the traffic and the populations density. I didn't bother with the Expo when people reported up to 5 hour queues to get into a Pavillion (and there were lots of them).Thats after queueing to get in. Nope, had enough of other queues! Shanghai main train station was a nightmare of people and queues. No more for me. Traffic was nasty - green pedestrian lights ignored by the drivers - making it very hazardous to cross streets if there were no overpasses. Off to Budapest via London.
Hopefully no queues in sight. My tip on Shanghai (and maybe all China)is to go on a 5 star plus tour, and stick with the tour guide!
Cheerio
Marcelle
