The Bund of Shanghai

With the metro and the airport express it was no problem to get to the airport. Also terminal 1 was easy to be found in the end. Second station of the airport express (exit Terminal 2) and then walk forever. Since I had time and was in already in better shape after a month of traveling (to the day 1 month ago I left Vienna), no problem.

Around noon I arrived in Shanghai. Since I looked up the information on how to get to the hostel I was searching for a bus. After a while I gave up, a bus with the number 925 was not to be found. Since I had downloaded the whole information I took the metro then. Worked quite well especially when I figured out the the numbers they gave me for the station were actually meant as exits from below to the street. This was really helpful since my station ‘People’s Square’ had around 18 different exits. Some more than one km away from each other. With the right exit then the Mingtown Etour Youth hostel was just a step away.

I checked in, showered and made my way to The Bund. At the corner of my hostel I also saw the first Wifi Telephone cell. Loved it!

The direct way for me to get to the Bund was by walking through Nanjing Street. I think this must be the biggest shopping street in Shanghai. And right away I noticed that Shanghai is not for the backpacker. Too many shops, too much to buy. This is definitely a city where you arrive with an empty suitcase and buy a second one as well.

In the hostel I had looked up online on what to see in Shanghai and found an amazing 10 points list from Time magazine. I tried my best to do some of the things suggested.

Finally I arrived at the Bund with a stop at one mall. Here are almost no public toilets, but every mall provides one. The Bund was full of people, always a good chance to ask someone to take a picture.

A really impressive view wherever I looked and I walked it up and down.

I found these two buildings side by side and they reminded me of two other communist countries. They left on looks like a building in Havana and the right one like a smaller version of one of the seven sisters in Moscow. That was probably the intent, no?

By now I was rather cold though. After 30 degrees in Being the 22 in Shanghai felt cool in my skirt. Therefore I decided against the drink at the Vue Bar (number 10 on the Time list) but rather headed back in the direction of the hostel. In one of the food (in which they serve no food but only sell specialties) I found a Dim Sum place in the back. And since it was on the list of to do things I stopped for dinner.

I still don’t know what to think about these. There’s a lot of juice inside. I tried the famous crab stuffed ones (the ones in the steamer) and the others were with pork. Both were juicy but from the second dim sum on I knew to take a small bite first, suck out all the juice and then eat the rest. Easier said then done when they were best eaten while still hot.

I managed though and since I was as tired as on any other traveling day, I went for a hot chocolate to Starbucks and then headed back to the hostel.

There I found out that I shared my room with two Korean girls (who didn’t understand Chinese as well. Felt good to know).  Yours, Pollybert