Shanghai
Trip Start
May 08, 2008
1
3
4
Trip End
May 30, 2008
Shanghai,
Shanghai,
China
Monday, May 19, 2008
Junamatka Honkkarista Shanghaihin kesti siis 20tuntia. Alku naytti aika pelottavalta, paljon aanekkaita kiinalaisia juna taynna ja kaikilla oli kiire omaan punkkaansa. ;D Juna oli yllattavan hieno, oon kuullu kauhutarinoita paikallisista junista ja niiden kunnosta mutta taa oli oikeen kiva ja makuuvaunut muistutti pitkalti meian risteilijoiden hytteja. Meian "hytissa" oli siis nelja kiinalaista ja me kaks. Mulla oli ylasanky varattu ja Raffilla keskimmainen, tosin kiinalainen mies oli paattany ettei se nuku toisessa ylasangyssa vaan halus nimenomaan Raffin sangyn vaikka me maksettiin siita vahan enemman. Loppujen lopuks nukuttiin molemmat ylasangyissa ja ilman sita isoa untuvapeittoa siel ois kuollu hypotermiaan. Heh. Lahettiin kolmen maissa ja luettiin ensiks, myohemmin kaytiin syomassa. Raffille oli sanottu asemalla et Hong Kongin dollarit kay junassa joten ei nahty vaivaa niitten vaihtamisessa viela ja loppujen lopuks junassa kavikin vaan yuanit valuuttana.. Onneks mun edelliselt Pekingin reissulta oli jaany yuaneja ja saatiin maksettua.
Yo meni hyvin ja koko hytti oli nukkumassa jo ysilta. Puol kuudelta aamulla meian hytin rouvat olikin sit jo hereilla ja puheliaalla tuulella.. Yheltatoista oltiin Shanghain juna-asemalla.
Pienen seikkailun, ja metro-seka taksimatkan jalkeen, oltiin vihdoin White Mansion-hotellissa. Varattiin se jo aikasemmin ja maksettiin 22euroa yolta. Hieno hotelli ja viela hienompi huone 11:ssa kerroksessa. Tietty mun kuvissa se ei nayta niin makeelta jos ihmettelette ;D
Loppupaiva meni niissa hoodseissa kavellessa ja tutustuessa.
Bunch of cables in the hoods
Seuraavana paivana oltiin taas tarmokkaita ja suunnattiin kohti French Concessionia, joka on ranskalaisvaikutteinen korttelialue Shanghaissa putiikkeineen ja lehmuksineen. Se oli aika kivannakosta aluetta ja huomattiin muutenkin et Shanghaissa on paljon puistoja, kukkaistutuksia ja viheralueita. Lopuks kaveltiin viela West Nanjing Roadia kohti Renmin Squarea ja siina vaiheessa jalat olikin jo levon tarpeessa.
Meil oli tarkkaan suunniteltu aikataulu ja silti tuntu et aika ei riita kaikkeen. Jatettiin siis suosiolla Shanghain viereiset pikkukylat seuraavaan kertaan ja keskityttiin nahtavyyksiin kaupungissa. Jatkettiin siis keskiviikkona East Nanjing Roadia mika on virallinen shoppailukatu. Sen lopussa tuli joki ja Bund-kaupunginosa vastaan ja kaytiin siina valissa ostamassa seuraavat junatiketit Pekingiin. Nahtiin myos Pearl Tower joen toisella puolella mika on yks Shanghain kuuluisuus.
Ja kun me lopulta loydettiin kaupungista nettikahvila mita ei ollu suljettu tai ei muuten vaan loytyny (muutamat Lonely Planetin suosittelemat siis..) vietettiin siella parisen tuntia. Tarkotus oli netin jalkeen jatkaa viela Pudongiin mutta mulle tuli akillinen sairaskohtaus (alkaa huolestuko, nyt kaikki jo hyvin;)) ja halusin mahdollisimman pian hotellille takas. Tietenkaan taksit ei suostunu ajamaan sinne jostain syysta ja metrot kesti niin kauan ja mul oli pienta tuskan hikea. Mut metrolla piti kuitenkin menna ja nahtavyydet riitti siell paivalle.
Torstai-aamuna paasin jalleen kerran tutustumaan paikalliseen laakariin/sairaalaan.
Cutipie in the zoo
Mua vahan jannitti miten kommunikaatio sujuu kun englantia ei tunnu oikeen kukaan puhuvan. Mutta iltapaivalla oltiin jo elaintarhaa ettimassa kun lekurikeikka meni hyvin. Shanghain elaintarha oli ihan kiva paivaretkipaikka vaikka sisaankaynnin loytaminen olikin tyon takana... kierrettiin koko elaintarha ympari ennen kun oltiin oikeella portilla. Argh! Ja kyltteja ei ollu missaan...Eilen paastiin lopultakin Pudongiin, joen toiselle puolelle. Sita ennen kaytiin kuitenkin Yuyuan puutarhassa ja bazaarilla. Puutarha oli aika hienosti rakennettu ja koko alue oli kiinalaistyylista miinus jarkyttavat maarat turisteja. Sen jalkeen kaveltiin jokibulevardia kohti maanalasta tunnelia josta paasee toiselle puolelle. Ite tunneli oli melko hyvin piilotettu tai sit oltiin vaan tyhmia turisteja. ;)
Se kyyti oli hauska gondoli-tyylinen hissi joka kuljettaa sut siel tunnelissa toiselle puolelle ja siel on erilaisia teemoja tehty valoilla.
Pudongissa kaytiin China Sex Culture museossa, jossain merimaailmassa ja Superbrand kauppakeskuksessa.
Ja tietty uutisista nahtiin illalla et oltiin missattu olympiasoihtu muutamalla tunnilla Bundilla!!
Siina se Shanghai mita me ehittiin naha. Ma tykkaan et taal on paljon vihreeta niinkun jo aikasemmin mainitsin ja se ranskalaisuus nakyy joissain rakennuksissa mitka nekin on hienoja ja erityisesti ne kadut joita reunustaa lehmukset. Telkkarista ei paljon lansimaalaisia ohjelmia tuu, on nahny ehka yhen elainaiheisen ohjelman englanninkielella.
Old and new meet
Vaikka eihan tanne tolloa tultu kattomaan ;D Tosi hankala loytaa paikkoja taalla. Ma en tiia onks se puute kylteissa vai ollaanks me vaan daijuja..hahah.. meil on kuitenkin kaks karttaa ja kiinankieliset merkitkin niissa.
Toinen asia mika mua hairitsee on naisten vessat. Sanotaan et noin kuus kymmenesta naisten vessasta on vetamatta aina! Ma en vaan ymmarra sita eika se oo pelkastaan Kiinan ongelma, muissakin Aasian maissa sama juttu. Se on vaan meille lansimaalaisille itseestaanselvyys, eiko??
Niin ja se kiire paasta ekana hissiin, metroon, bussiin, mihin vaan... hohhoi.. ;) Mut se on myos meilla kotona, ainakin M-junassa.
Palaan raportoimaan viela Pekingista. Stop.
Nora
PS. Niin ja fotot laitan taas Macaolta asti kunhan loydan sen sallivan tietokoneen Kiinasta :)
English pals:
Nii hao from Shanghai!
Train from HK to Shanghai took 20hrs like mentioned in last entry. The beginning looked scary; lot of noisy Chinese runnin around to find their bunk first. The train was actually nice. I had my prejudices again after hearing stories but this was realy nice and the sleeping cabins reminded me of our cruisers'. There were four Chinese in our cabin and us, six sleepers altogether. I had the upper bed and Raffi middle one reserved. The one Chinese guy had though decided to own the middle one even though Raffi had paid more for it. In the end we both slept in the upper beds and without the big fluffy duvet we would've died of hypothermia, so efficient was the aircon.
Yuyuan gardens and bazaar
;) First we read a bit before having on board take away dinner box. They told Raffi in the station that HK$ are valid on board and we didn't bother to change any yet. In the end they only accepted yuans and luckily I had few funny notes from my previous trip with which we could pay for the food.
The night sleep was okay, our cabin was way down to sleep at nine already and at five thirty the same ladies were up and chatting. At eleven we reached Shanghai station.
After a small scale adventure and after a subway and a taxi drive we were at White Mansion Hotel. We booked it earlier and it cost 22euros per night. Very fine hotel and even nicer room up in the 11th Floor. Of course it doesnt' look that fine in my pics for some reason, if you wonder ;) The rest of the day we walked in the hoods.
The very next day we were up and running. French Concession ut was. That French-influenced block with its boutiques and lime trees. The area looked cosy and it was also something the whole Shanghai has, lot of parks, green areas and flower decorations. After F.Concession it was time for West Nanjing Rd all the way to the Temple which we didnt visit. And to Renmin Square where our legs were begging mercy.
We had specific plan what to do and where to go each day. We agreed on leaving out the small tourist towns surrounding Shanghai for the next time and concentrate on the centre itself. So much time and still so little time.. On Wednesday we continued to East Nanjing Rd which is the official (one of them..) shopping street.
Yuyuan bazaar
At the end of the street there's Bund district with its old historical buildings.And the river and the famous Pearl Tower in the opposite shore. In between we bought train tickets to Beijing from CTIS. And we finally found an internet cafe from downtown that wasnt shut or vanished! (like few mentioned in LP book..) Few hours there and we were planning to hop on the other side to Pudong. Unfortunately I got suddenly very sick (no worries, Im alright now;)) and wanted to flee back to hotel asap. Of course for some reason many taxis declined taking us there, (maybe it wasnt good money, traffic jam, dont know?) and it took ages by subway as we had to changed few times. But subway it was after hunting for a taxi for a while. Sightseeing was over ofr the day.
On Thursday morning I went to see a doc and was nervous how's the communication. But in the noon we were already searching for zoo after successful visit to doc. Shanghai zoo was nice daytrip as lonng as you find the bloody entrance. How hard can it be? It can, believe me. No signs nothing and only one entrance.
Yesterday we visited Pudong district, on the other side of the river. Before that we still had a look at the Yuyuan Gardens and Bazaar. The garden was rather impressive including the Chinese style buildingd and gazebos. Minus the terrific number of tourists.We walked back to Bund along the riverside boulevard and looked for the sightseeing underground tunnel to Pudong, as it is called.
At Yuyuan Gardens
The tunnel was very well hidden or we were just being stupid tourists... ;) The ride was on a gondola-style horizontal lift with different lights making you feel like in space. In pudong we went to China Sex Culture Museum (nothing much to mention) and some cheap look-a-like sea world next to it. And after had a dinner at Superbrand Mall. Naturally we missed the torch relay in Bund by few hours as we saw it in the eve in the news. That's our Shanghai in a nutshell. I like the fact they have lot of parks and green here like I already mentioned. And you can see the French history in many parts of the centre. The buildings are nice and so are the lime trees shadowing the streets.
You cannot see much Western programmes in the telly, which is pity.. although its not taht we came here to watch telly ;D
It's difficult to find places here, signs missing or is it just us?? We have two maps with Chinese characters too! The other thing that's bothering me is the toilet culture. At least what I've seen in women's side 6 out of 10 toilets are unflushed when I enter a public toilet (let it be public, in mall, squat, normal, anywhere, anything). And it's not just China but all over Asia.. I just don't get it coz for Westerners it's obvious, right??
Oh and the endless hurry to be first: lift, subway, bus, lines... But that's something I see back home too ;D Especially in M-train...
So I get back to you with my reports from Beijing next time. Full stop.
Nora
PS. All the pics starting from Macau will be added as soon as I find a suitable computer, in China or back home.
