Today we checked out in advance of an overnight train trip to Yangshuo. Well, we didn’t actually check out until midday. First we went and enjoyed yet another free breakfast (and yet again filled our plates with noodles and veges and other goodies). Then we pottered around packing our bags, enjoying the last of our free internet, and finally taking our bags to Lilian’s room to stay in storage because we weren’t due to leave for the train station until 4pm.
After this we wandered back to The Bund. We did a complete lap along it (had our photos taken with Chinese tourists a couple of times), and then settled into a café for more overpriced and average tea and coffee.
Today the crowds on The Bund has dissipated as it was the last day of the seven day golden holiday period. So it was actually a really nice opportunity to wander around. However, the ‘fog’ was horrific. We could hardly see across The Bund to the buildings on the other side. And it stayed like this all day.
There were three or four things which he had wanted to do in Shanghai; have a look at The Bund and Nanjing Rd, find the French Concession and the Temple Markets, walk in the Yuyuan gardens, and that was about it. We’d done some of those things, and we had a suspicion that we drove past the Yuyuan gardens on the way back from the Temple Markets, but we weren’t going to have time to do the rest. So we just walked here and there, watching the kites and advising the locals that we did not wish to buy watches, DVDs, bags, etc, and after one lap it was time for lunch. There was only one place to go; the vegetarian restaurant (it was very good) – with chilli green beans, sweet and sour fake pork ribs, and rice to fill our gobs with, we were feeling quite good about the day.
That left plenty of time to buy train food, but by that stage I couldn’t stand the thought of having to eat another 2 minute pot noodle; and there was one corner store which didn’t seem to sell very much else. We bought various types of buns and some bananas and I can’t remember what else, and shuffled our bags down to the lobby. The bus trip to the West Station in Shanghai was far more civilised, faster and more comfortable than in Beijing, and when we arrived at the clean modern glass station we could just walk straight in. Our hopes of posting some more journals or pictures or something were dashed, though, because the station offered multiple wireless networks but it seemed like you had to pay for them. Or be a member of some network. Or something. Most unkind on their part.
Our parting impression of Shanghai; nice city, great fun, entertaining and all that, wonderful chopstick shop, and so much that we didn’t even get as far as exploring, but we’d be unlikely to return until they can do something about the smog. Have a look at the pictures and you might or might not be able to see why. I guess I’ll just have to get Shanghai nut cake mailed to me.
Once again we were on the top bunks, facing each other; but that was quite alright because we could put our small backpacks with handy things in them on the baggage racks and be able to reach whatever we needed. Everyone else had to reach under their bed (or someone else’s) or get their bag back down from the rack. Meanwhile my reputation (deserved or not) as a mountain goat, gained on the Great Wall, was only enhanced by inhabiting the top bunk and skipping up and down readily.
I’d love to tell you some exotic story about the romanticism of rail travel in China; but as it was we looked out the window, read books, listened to music, and after dinner had a little glass of rice wine (@38% by volume) followed by a couple of beers. Tradition was to pick one set of bunks and crowd in there for minimum disturbance, although the best seat was actually on the fold down chair in the foot-wide ‘corridor’, where it wasn’t as hot as in the bunks. Or in the mattresses, if you like. But a curious thing did happen; we were joined by a Chinese man who didn’t appear to speak any English; and with us speaking no Mandarin whatsoever all he did was sit there and observe. We could have named him U.N. but no one thought of it at the time. That was all fine and well until later in the night when some people when down to the smoking room at the end of the carriage and the mysterious Chinese man gave Adam a bit of a touch up. Or what you might call an inspection of the goods.
We thought it was quite funny but Adam wasn’t laughing.
Midnight came fast and felt later, more like dead of night with the lights on low and everyone but a few asleep, and so we joined them there.
Alice (mainly) and Greg
