Weekend in Shanghai

Our hostel for two nights!

 Our small group of adventurers spent the weekend in the grand city of Shanghai. This city is HUGE! There are so many sights and people. I mean, an incredible amount of people! We left Friday morning, grabbing a bus to the train station. From the train station we took the fast train to Shanghai, which took approximately an hour. If you were to take a bus from Hangzhou to Shanghai it would take three hours. Once in Shanghai we made our way to the hostel via metro. Our main theme with any adventure is knowing the general area of our destination,

Bar/chilling area in the hostel

but not being able to find it right away. So, after walking back and forth down a street and asking for directions once or twice we found our weekend home. The hostel was very cool and chill. We spent our evenings relaxing in the bar/restaurant area. The best part about hostels, in my opinion, is the mix of different travelers. We ended up making friends with two Australian folks, and there were some other Americans there. The place had a nice set up and was situated down a quiet alley off the beaten path.

City sights outside the metro.

After finding our rooms and dropping off our bags we made our way back to the metro. Squishing back on the train,we headed to the Pearl Tower. When we came up from the metro, mouths dropped and eyes were opened wide. The spectacle before us was mind blowing. It is one thing to look at a picture and see one of the worlds largest cities, but to witness it with your own eyes is beyond words. The buildings were captivating with their intricate designs and colors. Shanghai has western architectural influences producing minimal traditional Chinese buildings. Before heading over to the tower we needed a quick food break. We stopped at a bakery full of delicious pastries and breads. So, we all sat outside and ate our delicious snacks. It was a marvelous time :)

Boat ride view

View from the Pearl

We then found a tour company and bought a ticket for a boat ride, going up the Pearl Tower, and a ride on the underground light tunnel that took you to the other side of the canal. First, it was off to the boat where we saw the city coast in all its glory. There were some neat looking buildings, such as that cool world and the Pearl Tower. Some of us bought a ticket to go to the upper deck of the boat. There we took a bunch of fun and random pictures while enjoying the view of the city. Next, we went to the Pearl Tower (it is the tall pink tower in the picture). There we squeezed into an elevator and went to the round ball near the top. At the top is a sightseeing platform with a glass floor allowing people to look down and see the city below their feet. Many more pictures ensued and the view was breath taking. All you could see for miles was the city, with its end nowhere in sight, except for the ocean, you could actually see the ocean. But if you looked the other way it was city for days! :)

Shanghai at night

Off we went to the tunnel that took you under the canal to the other side of the city. It was like a theme park ride and the tunnel had various lights and pictures moving on the wall. What awaited us on the other side we did not know. Actually we did not know that the tunnel went under the canal. It was a pleasant surprise to come out to a view of the city lit up. It was a stunning sight, and I could have sat there for hours soaking up the view. While we were there some of the people in the group made friends with an elderly Chinese gentleman, who spoke fairly good English. In Shanghai we found many Chinese people who were eager to ask where we were from and how we liked China. It was fun to interact with these people and see how interested they were in us. 

Red Panda

Before heading back to Hangzhou we went to the zoo. This zoo is gigantic, with more space for people to relax than for the actual animals. All of the birds were free range without any cages with their living areas looking more like their natural habitat. Many of the animal's fur was matted down and they looked kind of rough. People were also feeding the animals, which they are not supposed to do, so there was garbage in some of the habitat areas. So, after the zoo we headed back to the train station to come back to Hangzhou. I had a remarkable time in Shanghai and would need months to see everything there is to see. So, there were some of the major happenings of our weekend in Shanghai and this weekend we are off to Beijing. I am over the top excited and cannot wait for this adventure!

And with that my friends I must say goodnight! I will see you when I see you. Much love :)