Don't be alarmed
Trip Start
Jul 01, 2008
1
8
15
Trip End
Ongoing
Shanghai,
Shanghai,
China
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Our hostel was ok. It was pretty good in fact, we however had to plump for a 4 man dorm with no windows as it was the only room left and it was very late when we checked in. We met a number of young travellers there which you might think was an obvious thing to happen in a youth hostel, but up to this point we'd not really spoken to anyone else. I don't know if that's because I'm an anti social judgemental shit stain, a lack of young travellers or the fact that everyone we had seen of a similar age was a complete dick stain. I fucking hate backpackers. A bunch of self important know all wankers. To be totally honest people that similar to me really piss me off. This place was different though, we met some really nice guys. I think they were mostly nice because they weren't British, Australian or American. They were in fact Swedish, Finish and Swiss. So me being the clever guy I am named them Sweden Finland and Switzerland. I couldn't be arsed asking them their names. I'm not sure what it is about foreigners who speak English to an exceptional degree but I find it immediately commands my respect. It's the same with the Dutch. I just love them.
We went to the Shanghai version of the silk markets after being advised to do so by Miles. We got loads of bargains. I got some flip flops (which are now broken) some shorts, a belt, a watch (now broken) and various other items for considerably less than we had paid in Beijing. We were an awesome duo when it came to bartering for clothes bouncing off each other and refusing to pay their stupidly high prices, I mean come on who pays more than 68p for a pair of “D&G” boxers? I got lots of pants and sock. I was a very happy boy. Sarah got 4 now dresses and a real leather belt. The way they prove anything is real here is by holding a lighter to it. I guess it's good we didn't buy anything silk.
We decided that as we were in Shanghai we'd now take the plunge and have a big night out. We had befriended a guy from Middlesbrough, bless him and he told us of a few good places to go. He eventually decided that we were a bit too cool not to go out with. So we went to a bar where every drink was 10 rmb. For those not up with the conversion rates that's about 68p. So Sarah was bang on the tequila and I was drinking more girly shots which tasted good and got me just as drunk. After an hour in this bar drinking far too many drinks and waiting for the pool table to be free we decided to move onto a different bar where some friends of Kevin were playing a little gig that night. I have to admit the girl was a really really good singer. Sarah however, more than a little tipsy by now, decided that this woman was the greatest artist of all time and decided to tell her this by gushing over the young ladies performance as if she had just given us a show worthy of Wembley Stadium. Like I said she was good but I think Sarah may have actually fallen in love with her. Shortly after her performance Kevin got up and played some fairly depressing songs that made us want to leave. By all rights I should have taken Sarah home but she insisted she go to the next bar. As soon as we arrived she decided it was time to go home because she wanted to vomit..
When we got back to the hostel she did just that. After putting her to bed I went for the obligatory poo, when I returned she had vanished. I went looking for her and found her eventually slumped on the toilet floor with her head half way down the toilet groaning and retching. I put her back in my bunk and let her pass out. I was forced to clamber up into the top bunk. Something I found extremely difficult as I was also slightly beyond tipsy by this point.
The next morning brought about perhaps the most surreal wake up call I have ever experienced. Prior to opening my eyes I heard a commotion in the hall way, with people shouting and banging on doors. Obviously I ignored this because it was 10:00 and I was sleeping off my first hangover, after my first night out in a long time. The banging continued with shouts of “Get out, get out” again I thought it was just some c*nt waking us poor souls from our slumber. Eventually the girl sharing the room with us said: “do you smell fire?” we did.
We jumped up and got panicked for a bit, Sarah running round in circles crying telling me to get her some clothes as she was in a complete state of panic and confusion. I couldn't find what she was wearing the night before so I unlocked our locker and took out a new dress for her. I threw some clothes on and thought, “if there's a fire I don't want all of my stuff burning, I'd better get my bag!” So I picked up my bag helped Sarah out, gave her my shirt to cover her mouth from the smoke and then put my bag back in the locker and ensured I picked up my key card so I could get back in. I have no idea where this idiotic thought process came from but it happened and as soon as I got out side I realised I had taken my bag out packed it then put it back in there to burn. All Sarah could talk about was her GHD's.
When we got into the street we were greeted by the sight of 3 fire trucks and many many hungover westerners. One of whom had clearly been so worried about the fire that he had run outside in just his boxers. Which really made us laugh a lot. The cause of the fire had been a gas tank in the kitchen.
After an hour or so of waiting in the baking heat of the street we were taken to a nearby hotel. Whilst sat in the hotel we all laughed about how we were woken up. Not by a fire alarm but by a whole bunch of workers screaming at us to get out. Sweden told us that the guy who had come into his room had pointed out of his third story window at the crowds outside. In his tired state Sweden had assumed the guy meant jump out of the window. So he grabbed his passport and headed for it. As he was about to jump he was pulled back by the workers and guided down stairs. By this point Kevin had joined us and told us he was woken by a fireman shaking him to get him up. Now I'm not sure about protocol with the fire service in China but I'm pretty sure that in most other countries when someone has passed out in a gas fire they are normally carried out of the building by a fireman, not just shaken a bit. I'll have to ask Dano about this. Then again a hostel with over 100 guests would tend to have a fire alarm in case of such emergencies. When we asked why there was no alarm we were told: “there are a lot of guests, we didn't want to wake them up.”
Again I apologise if I am being ignorant but is that not what a fire alarm was designed for, to wake people up when there is a fire. My email of complaint is on it's way to HI.
After a couple of hours we were allowed back in the hostel. By this point my hangover had really kicked in and I was a walking zombie when Sarah went to get food. I refused her offers of pizza and just went for 6 poos in 3 hours instead.
That night we went and did the tourist thing looking at the Bund, a pretty skyline and ate some wikid good egg friend rice from the street. When we got back we went to bed Sarah, after seeing one of our room mates in the lobby, decided it would be funny to imitate what had happened earlier that day by banging on the door and screaming get out. Sadly she had forgotten an older gentleman had checked in that afternoon and 23:45 was probably past his bed time. By the time I had opened the door, he was sat up in bed with a frightened look on his face. I just removed Sarah and apologised on her behalf saying she had thought she had lost her key card. It was no surprise that when he left at 07:00 the next day he did it in the noisiest way possible waking us both up. I don't blame him, it's what I would have done none the less I wouldn't be upset to find out if he was injured in a freak accident.
We left Shanghai for Guilin that day, a 25 hour train journey. On the way to the train station Sarah decided to misuse her subway ticket and put it in, and turn the turnstile without her self in it. Thus wasting a ticket. She just pulled that face when she does something really dumb and the conductor guy just let her through. Sucker.
Right I'm back off to class now. Just one more update after this one of our travels around China then you're left with our interesting life here in Xiaolan for the next 3 months, Joy.
Big Love
Harry and Sarah.
