Hi all from Shanghai - my final stop! This trip is going far too fast.
Last night after I posted we caught the metro to the Shantang section of Suzhou's Grand Canal. This part is 7 miles long and very picturesque. We caught a boat along the canal as the sun was setting and the light was fantastic. We could see people fishing, washing and living along the canal. Based on how grubby the water was I don't think I would be doing any of those!!!
Afterwards we walked through the market. It was really lovely with street music, lanterns and cute stalls. I bought a lovely handmade necklace for $6 Australian and of course a magnet. Then we went to dinner and Howard once again ordered us a delicious feast.
After taking in the sights, sounds and smells of the market we went to a karaoke bar. We were all pretty apprehensive at first, but once we got started it was lots of fun. I sang 'Bad Blood' by Taylor Swift with Emma and Maria and was happy when the group said I did a good job! I actually really enjoy singing, I just reserve it for in the shower and in my car - not for in public!!
We had an hour of hilarious acts - Howard singing 'A Whole New World' from "Aladdin" was a highlight, as was Jack practically screaming the words to 'Livin La Vida Loca'. Then we caught the train home and I slept really well in what was my comfiest bed in China.
This morning we headed to Suzhou's train station and caught a bullet train to Shanghai which took half an hour. Compared to the overnight trains we've been on, this felt like an absolute luxury. It went up to 225km/h!
Once we arrived we checked into our hotel and went walking. We had lunch then first headed to the French Concession Area. After the second opium war in 1855 many French people and people of other nationalities came here and occupied parts of the city. This area is beautiful and I'll have more info on it later in the week as I'll be moving to a hostel over this way then.
We went to the building that the first meeting of the National Communist Party occurred at. Unfortunately we only had 20 minutes here and I could have spent an hour. But Brenton is a history teacher and gave us all a crash course on China's history over the last hundred or so years. I'm so exhausted tonight that I'll detail this in a later post.
We hopped back on the metro and went to Yuyuan Garden and markets - a very busy area full of tourists that had lovely buildings and a bridge. A lady cut me off in the toilet queue and I cut her off right back saying "NO!" - I'm finally getting used to the way over here! Lol.
Then we walked to the Bund. At this stage most of the tour group split off to go back to the hotel then to an acrobatics show, but Brenton, Emma, Sam, Maria, Damon and I decided to stay in this area and wander around. I've loved the tour but it was great going at our own pace.
Oh my god it was hot - excruciatingly hot! Bund is a German word that refers to the riverbank. During the 1920s and 30s in colonial times, lots of beautiful buildings cropped up here. We checked out the views on the boardwalk and then decided we needed to freshen up before continuing. We went into the Glam bar at M on the Bund and each had a drink and shared some French fries. I had a Singapore Sling - it was absolutely amazing and much needed. The view was beautiful and the toilets were incredible haha!!
We continued walking and checked out a few of the 22 buildings, going inside the Peace Hotel which was stunning. Then the buildings started to light up so we decided to head over to Pudong. Seeing a sign for a 'sightseeing tunnel', we bought a one way ticket and boarded a tram. Unknowingly we boarded a hilarious tram involving lots of lights. It was actually pretty cool!!
When we emerged from the tunnel we walked past the Shanghai Pearl Tower and admired all of its lights. Then we headed to the Shanghai World Financial Centre. When this was being built the construction stopped and started multiple times due to budget issues and the original design possibly resembling the Japanese flag. By the time the building was built, the Shanghai Tower had begun being built and now dwarfs it, nullifying the original objective of the Financial tower to be the tallest building in Shanghai.
We got the lift up and the view with all the coloured lights was absolutely amazing. Unfortunately the windows were a bit smeary but we were still able to take it all in and enjoy it.
Then we got the metro back across the river. By this time I was so tired I was actually in pain due to my back, so we got a quick noodle dinner (which was interesting to say the least!) and then walked back to the hotel.
Now I'm in bed posting this and tomorrow I'll be saying goodbye to lots of my tour friends and moving hostels. I can't believe how quickly this week has gone - time flies when you're having fun! I've attached some group photos of us that Howard sent through.
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
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