Well, this last post is a day late…
There were a total of 3 delays to my flight back to
Guangzhou, so I didn’t arrive until very late (or early in the morning should I
say).
So it was quite a stressful end to what was otherwise quite
a relaxed day, if you exclude the rain. There wasn’t really much more I could
do as I had visited all the key places in Shanghai, therefore I decided to take
a long walking route through the city to see what I could see along the way;
starting from my hotel and spanning across all 3 island sections of Shanghai.
9am – Breakfast at the Bund
I know I’ve visited this place far too many times, but I never
get tired of it. So for my last day I thought it could be great to start my day
here with a big hearty breakfast.
As I needed a place to end up on my trail I used my camera
to zoom in as far as I could see, where I noticed this Starbucks located on a
rather pleasant spot. So I decided my task for the day was to walk the entire
city and end at that spot for a nice cup of coffee.
12pm – Another Antique
Paradise!
I was checking out a rather ordinary part of the city when I
glimpsed an alleyway packed with people, so I thought I’d check it out.
It turns out it was a market displaying goods from all around
China! There I found a Tibetan stall where I recognised a Tibetan Singing Bowl.
I had always wanted one of these! The woman on the stall showed me how to use
it (I still need a lot of practice) and said it was hand crafted around 1930 in
Tibet (I know this could be a lie, but I had read about them before and can
identify that it has at least been hand crafted). I offered 200 Kuai, which he
gladly accepted!
Here’s a sample of my attempt…
I also found a stall selling antiques from the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1912) where I spotted this great incense burner.
I think when I return to the UK my room will resemble a
miniature Buddhist temple!
3pm – Jing’an Temple
I’d appeared to have made it to a rather modern area of the
city, with many uninteresting malls and street stores blasting out the terrible
cheesy dance music all the taxi drivers in China seem to listen to…
I never expected to see a huge temple, but I spotted from afar
a golden roof with Dragons and so decided to take a gander.
It’s currently under repairs so much of the place was cornered
off, with quite a bit of background noise.
I know in this blog I’ve posted a lot of photos from
visiting temples, many of which appear quite the same in picture form - However
I never cease to become bored with visiting them. Whether large or small, full
of tourists of practically empty, they always serve as tranquil escapes from
the chaotic streets of China. It’s always like entering a place where people
seem to have gotten their life together – spending their days in a relaxing
setting (and getting paid) and at the end of the day hopping onto the metro to
go back to their cosy homes like the rest of us.
They’re an elaborately decorated entrance to another world,
always welcoming you with the glow of gold and red interiors, the scent of
incense leaking out into the surrounding streets – it’s especially enticing on
a rainy day such as this.
What makes Jing’an Temple rather unique however, its setting
– its right in the city centre! Walking along the corridors of gold overlooking
a bustling centre of skyscrapers and beeping cars was quite an odd clash of
worlds.
5pm – Coffee!
I made it! I’m at the Starbucks after an 8 hour walk in the
rain, so this coffee feels especially pleasant. The views from this side of the
river are certainly different, it’s more like looking over a Western city – one
building even looks like the empire state from here!
5:30pm – My plane sets off when?!
Well, when I booked my flights I had to do it through Yinzi’s
details, so I never received the flight time myself. However Yinzi informed me
yesterday that my flight was not until 8:55pm, leaving plenty of time for
chilling!
Just now though while in Starbucks Yinzi contacted me to
inform me that my flight is at 7:55…I’m at least 1 ½ hours away from the
airport…s**t!
So now I’m on the sardine tin which is Shanghai Metro at
rush hour, hoping that I don’t miss this flight…
6:30pm – False alarm...
It turns out that my flight WAS 7:55, but Yinzi had read
correctly that it was 8:55 as there was a 1 hour delay…phew! So I guess all I can
do now is get to the airport and chill for a few hours.
8:55pm – A delayed delay…
Another 1 hour delay now, meaning that when I arrive in
Guangzhou the metro will have shut – meaning somehow trying to converse with a
taxi driver to attempt to get me home…
2am – Phew, a bus!
Well, I managed to catch a bus instead! I’m pretty tired
after all that running in the rain with a 15kg bag full of antiques to get what
I thought was going to be an on-time flight.
Nevermind, I am now bed-bound! Besides, it’s a good time to
reflect on my journey to Shanghai.
I absolutely adore Shanghai. It’s like the New York of the
Eastern world – Rich with cultural history whilst epitomising the concept of a modern
city. There’s not much I can dislike about the city, other than slightly higher
food and metro prices! The city has it all!
As for my first experience travelling to an unknown part of
China by myself, it’s been such an illuminating experience. Sure, at times it
was pretty damn difficult, but poor navigation skills aside I’d say I handled
it all pretty well! Travelling with friends or family is one experience, but
being just you with your thoughts from start to finish is completely different –
which I think in some respects made me appreciate the sites a lot more! It was
almost like having no distractions, no other things to consider other than ‘I’ll
go here because I want to, and then I’ll go there because I want to’ and ‘I’m
hungry now, so I will get food now’. Maybe after this experience I’ll try travelling
by myself more often!
So to conclude – If you’re ever in China, don’t miss Shanghai!
Zai’jian!
