Since Mom flew home on Tuesday, I've moved from 4 star hotels to 4-6 bed dorm rooms in hostels. Instead of delicious meals at nice restaurants, I'm back to eating soup out of a bag or dumplings made out of questionable meat (read: cheap). I miss having a traveling companion too!
I am not too sure what all the fuss is about over Shanghai. Aside from a lot of buildings with interesting architecture and creative lighting to look at, there's not much to do here besides eat and shop! All of the historical buildings were either torn down during the Cultural Revolution (thanks Mao) or have been replaced by massive skyscrapers.
Despite the process to get it the way it is, the skyline of Shanghai is impressive. Mom and I went to Cloud 88 bar on the top floor of the JinMao Tower to watch the sunset over the city and to have cocktails which cost more than the next week of my living expenses! We spent another afternoon walking along Nanjing Road which is the oldest, most famous shopping street in Asia. The little blue guy in the picture is the very classy mascot that Shanghai chose to represent the World Expo which begins here in May. Unfortunately, you can't walk around the Expo sites yet because they are still frantically building all kinds of infrastructure to prepare for it! I said goodbye to Mom at the airport on Tuesday...she was more than happy to be boarding a plane headed for Chance (our dog), Grandma, Gerad and her own bed and bathroom!
I had one of the best meals so far in China at Lost Heaven, an upscale Yunnan Province restaurant in the French Concession District with Julie, a friend of Michael's, and some of her Danish friends. We had coconut chicken soup, eggplant, spinach, a beef dish and a chicken dish, all of which were superb. The restaurant has consistently been voted Shanghai's best restaurant for a date...I can see why. Too bad I had no one to take me there! ;)
It's been cloudy and raining off and on the last couple of days, so I've spent some time wandering around the Moganshan 50 Art District. There has to be over 100 art galleries...I got tired after visiting 30 of them! The graffiti in the picture is on a street within the Art District. I love that they think pandas are cool to spray on a building! On my way to a quaint, over-priced shopping area this morning, I passed a hospital where all of the staff were outside playing tug of war (why?!?). It was hilarious because a lot of patients were looking down on their doctors and nurses working up a sweat on the street. Maybe Obama should try that with Congress to try and get the Health Bill moving in one direction or another? Now, I'm spending a rainy afternoon in a cute coffee shop researching what in the world I am going to do with my time for the next few months!
I am meeting up with Julie again tonight to try out a well-known Italian restaurant and then we'll hook up with some of her friends to try out a few bars/clubs in Shanghai. The night life here is supposed to go all night...I just need to be sure I'm back in time to get my bag and head to the airport! Flying to Guilin in southern China tomorrow morning. After that, I have no idea where I'm headed. Any suggestions!?
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