Einstein stayed here? That's good enough for me

  Shanghai, China
Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Travel only with thy equals or thy betters; if there are none, travel alone
- The Dhammapada

Soft Sleeper - Travelling in Style
Make no mistake; Soft Sleeper class is the way to travel in China, if you can afford it of course. When buying my train ticket, some days earlier in Beijing, I found it impossible to buy anything but a Soft Sleeper class ticket for the overnight trip to Shanghai. It cost a bit, a lot more than I expected (about €45) but it was well worth it. Of course I hadn't travelled on any Chinese trains before so I wasn't familiar with the differing levels of comfort that the different classes provide. But I had been told, by more than one person, that Hard Sleeper, the level below Soft Sleeper, was more than adequate, especially when you're on a budget; it's just a little less comfortable and doesn't offer as much privacy as Soft Sleeper. Well, I'll comment on the differences of the two if and when I do get to travel Hard Sleeper. But for now I'm singing the prises of Soft Sleeper class, which is a closed compartment (hence it's quiet, private and offers more security, and space, for your luggage) with 4 large, comfortable berths (2 up, 2 down).

What Do I do Now?
Having made it to Shanghai I was faced with a bit of dilemma, and that was what to do next. I found myself alone on the concourse of a massive train station, in a strange city, with hundreds of people going this way and that and I had no desire to move. I was, if I'm being honest, a tad scared. I realised I was travelling, for the first time ever, on my own and I didn't want to do anything but sit on my bags and watch the world go by. So I did, until such a time as I realised I couldn't sit there forever. Having pre-decided what hotel/hostel I was going to try and stay at I eventually drummed up the courage to approach a taxi, show him the Chinese script of the Hotel name (Rough Guides are great for this... but I'm sure LP is as well) and we were off. Just like that. Easy. Nothing to it. And once the taxi was moving I assumed he'd bring me to the right location, which he did.

RMB100 For this? You Kidding?
So after getting the taxi from the train station I had

07 The Astor House Hotel

secured a RBM100 (about €10) bed at the gorgeous Astor House Hotel (also known as The Pujiang). This place oozes history and it's hard to believe they have beds, which they do, or at least they did, for RMB100. The hotel was built in 1846 to cater for Shanghais foreign traders. It was then called Richards Hotel and it was the first western style hotel in China. But the firsts don't stop there: in 1882 it housed Chinas the first electric lamps, the first phone call in Shanghai was made from here in 1901 and Chinas first motion picture was shown here in 1908. The walls of the hotel show the pictures of the many famous people who have stayed here over the years, including Albert Einstein (in 1922) and Charlie Chaplin (in 1931 & 1936). Quite a place. If at all possible I'd recommend a stay here.

Shanghai

06 Oriential Pearl TV Tower

While Beijing may be the political, educational, and cultural centre of China, it's here in Shanghai and Hong Kong (see the next entry) where all the money is made. Originally a sleepy fishing town, Shanghai grew, through foreign trade, to become China's most important city and by the late 19th century it was the largest commercial city in the Far East. At one point it was the third largest financial centre in the world, behind New York City and London. It languished after the communist takeover of 1949 but today, thanks to a 1992 market-economic redevelopment, it is once again driving the Chinese economy, evident by the legions of futuristic looking skyscrapers dotting the cityscape.

I spent a few days looking round the city (3 actually), at the end of which I concluded Shanghai

01 The Bund

isn't too dissimilar to Beijing. The rate of construction is just as frenzied, with new skyscrapers seemingly going up daily, and you don't have to wander too far off the tourist trail to witness the chronic wealth gap of the cities residents. Again it's best to look at the accompanying pictures for the full story of my time here. There was, or is, plenty to see and do in Shanghai and I tried to see as much as possible. It's quite easy

05 Ship Building and Cargo

to do when you travel alone. Regardless of what sights I saw however the highlight for me, once I got used to be alone,

03 Contrasts

was staying in the aforementioned Astor House Hotel; reason alone, in my opinion, to go back to Shanghai. Some day. But my immediate plans saw me spending the best part of my birthday on another overnight train, this one going to Hong Kong. Again I had difficulty (poor me) securing a Hard Sleeper berth and was forced to travel in the comfort of Soft Sleeper class. But that's okay. It was my birthday and I'm allowed to treat myself, aren't I?