Last trip In China

Greetings,

I have found a new home! This last week I went to Shanghai for 3 days and then I went to Suzhou again for one day.

Shanghai was just as I remembered it, bustling metropolis. It is by far the most international city I have been in while in China. There are so many foreigners and also many venues that cater to foreign guests. Such as at the Ritz-Carlton there is a Tony Roma’s Ribs, and a Carl’s Junior is down the street! But even with all these foreign things you still feel and can see you are still in mainland China, which is awesome. This is definitely a city I could see myself living in.

My last trip was very short to Shanghai so this time I actually got to do a lot more.

On my first day I walked the whole length on Nanjing Lu (Nanjing Lu in English is Nanjing Street.). It is the major road that runs west to east in the heart of the city. Luckily I did my research so the hostel I stayed at was actually one block away from the middle of Nanjing Lu, the perfect place. This street is home to some of the best hotels and shopping malls in Shanghai. Within a 5 block section on the west side of the road there is a Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt, Le Meridian, and a J.W. Marriott. The shopping on this street is amazing. There is everything from Ferrari dealerships to knock off markets, from pearl wholesalers to Gucci and LV. I spent a lot of my time in Shanghai either there or passing through.

After Nanjing Lu I went to the bund, which is an old historical area of shanghai. It is right on the river and is very beautiful in the day and at night. The buildings are all circa 19th-20th century and defiantly European in style. The only other city I have seen have such a big foreign influence was Qingdao.

That first night i wen to the Shanghai Expo for the second time. It was a very cold and windy night so there were very few people at the expo. Last time I spent most of my time in the european and "special" sections of the expo, so this time I went to the Asian section. Some of the pavillions were really nice. But as it should be the China pavilion was the best. It was 4 floors of sensory overload. Definately worth the wait in the cold weather. However, the USA pavilion was one of the worst I went to. Lets just say that even Kazakstan had a better pavilion.

If you know me at all you know I traveled around the city from end to end. I used the subway system so much I was thinking on buying a pass like a local. But there are two places that I went to that really stood out to me. They were Xintandi and The SWFC.

Xintandi is an old section of shanghai that has been renovated into a hip and trendy area. It is kind of like what tribeca and soho is to New York. The buildings have retained their old grey stone exteriors but instead of being small shops and home s the contents are now high end foreign cafes, boutique shops and teahouses. This is quite possibly one of my favorite places in Shanghai.

Finally there is the SWFC (Shanghai World Financial City). It is currently the 3rd tallest building in the world. It boasts the world’s highest hotel (the Park Hyatt on the 84-94 Floors) and the world’s highest observatory. The observatory is spread out on 3 levels, with the first on the 94th floor being a café and meeting area. The 97th floor is a glass enclosed walkway that spans the length of the building and has a glass roof. And the finally and most impressive is the 100th floor which is suspended above the 97th floor and has a glass floor so you can see down into the city. I went at night so I could see how vast shanghai really was. The views from this observation deck where unforgettable.

I am sad that I have taken my last trip while in China but looking back at it I am so glad that I took the initiative to see what this country had to offer other than Nanjing. I think that it has given me a better perspective than I would have gotten otherwise, and it was fun! Plus now I know this will not be my last trip to China because I have vowed to myself to come back someday.

Best wishes,
Kyle