28th-29th of August 2010
I managed to finish a week earlier my internship and catch the opportunity to go to Shanghai (which for the 4 months spent in China was my 3rd and last destination). For me it was also important to go as it was the World Universal Exhibition (Expo 2010) which was happening there and it would have been my first one.
It was a weekend trip and it was the first time I was going for a weekend trip somewhere alone. My biggest mistake was to book a hotel and not a hostel... my lucky star shined and on the same weekend Mr Picca (my coworker and mate from Beijing was in Shanghai) so my plan was visits during the day and going out with Mr Picca in the night.
First impressions:
As soon as arrived in the hotel there was a desk for the Expo 2010. Young guys with quite a good English were there to explain how to reach it, how much it costs and give you some tips. I checked in and in the early afternoon I was in the Expo parc.
How best to describe it: "WOOOW!". It was a huge place where a human being feels really small. The parc had a pavilion for each country and the most impressive ones where of course the ones of the richest or economically important countries at this moment just like the Chinese, the Saudi Arabian, the French, the Spanish, the Turkish, the EU-Belgian... the Bulgarian one was something quite small for instance. And of course the most famous pavilions were the ones with huge queues... as I didn't have a lot of time and i have heard that you can get into the VIP entrance if you are national of a country...
I tried this option: I went for the French one I got into the VIP entrance pretending that I have forgotten my ID in the hotel and got in for less than 5 minutes. It was quite interesting inside... it is like a huge show room which represents the country by brands: luxury, cars prototypes, wine industry, Parisian looking corridors... a good way to make Chinese people dream about Paris and confirm the image France has in their minds.
For Belgium I was pretending that Belgium and Bulgaria are very good friends and are both in the EU... bla bla and I got in :). This pavilion was of course about chocolate and other Belgium made products. I pretty much liked the European part which was sharing the same pavilion ... indeed, everything has been made to feel proud as an European (showing all the brands which are in the top 100 in the world, all the European achievements, the cultural and language diversities which were overcame to form the largest world economy)... it is the first time, maybe, that I was proud... really proud of being European...
For the Bulgarian one... well there was not any queue :). But my biggest surprise was a Bulgarian restaurant just nearby in which I spent 2h talking with the people and enjoying a Bulgarian dish.
In the end I went for a fast look on the Chinese pavilion but it was impossible to visit everything as a specific pass was needed for the different floors.
In the night I went to visit the downtown... well here we go for another: "WOOW". The downtown was as shining as New York... while walking there I was thinking that Shanghai is definitely the place where you can see the success in the recent years of the Chinese economy.
I managed to have a look in the Bar Rouge which everybody was talking about with an amazing view over the Bund of Shanghai ! A lot of French expats over there too.
I finished the line by meeting Mr Picca in a jazz bar nearby where we had a drink.
It was a weekend trip and it was the first time I was going for a weekend trip somewhere alone. My biggest mistake was to book a hotel and not a hostel... my lucky star shined and on the same weekend Mr Picca (my coworker and mate from Beijing was in Shanghai) so my plan was visits during the day and going out with Mr Picca in the night.
First impressions:
- Huge city! Before leaving and when checking for hotel I managed to see that the city was bigger than Beijing (20 vs 25 million inhabitants). I took a hotel which seemed close to the airport but it took me an 40min to reach it by taxi (I also believe that the driver cheated me ... a detail:) )
- Expensive city! Well still abordable for an European but for sure much above the Middle Chinese standards wide above cities like Sofia or Eastern Europe.
The taxi fairs in Shanghai were also more expensive than Beijing. As well the transportation (especially the subway one) was bigger but also more expensive. There was a ticket system which was depending on the distance you were doing (something which has been installed in Beijing only in 2015 i.e 5 years later). - Humidity: this is something I was able to feel since I have left the plane. Indeed, the city is on the coast so the humidity in the summer increases just like in South East Asia.
As soon as arrived in the hotel there was a desk for the Expo 2010. Young guys with quite a good English were there to explain how to reach it, how much it costs and give you some tips. I checked in and in the early afternoon I was in the Expo parc.
How best to describe it: "WOOOW!". It was a huge place where a human being feels really small. The parc had a pavilion for each country and the most impressive ones where of course the ones of the richest or economically important countries at this moment just like the Chinese, the Saudi Arabian, the French, the Spanish, the Turkish, the EU-Belgian... the Bulgarian one was something quite small for instance. And of course the most famous pavilions were the ones with huge queues... as I didn't have a lot of time and i have heard that you can get into the VIP entrance if you are national of a country...
I tried this option: I went for the French one I got into the VIP entrance pretending that I have forgotten my ID in the hotel and got in for less than 5 minutes. It was quite interesting inside... it is like a huge show room which represents the country by brands: luxury, cars prototypes, wine industry, Parisian looking corridors... a good way to make Chinese people dream about Paris and confirm the image France has in their minds.
For Belgium I was pretending that Belgium and Bulgaria are very good friends and are both in the EU... bla bla and I got in :). This pavilion was of course about chocolate and other Belgium made products. I pretty much liked the European part which was sharing the same pavilion ... indeed, everything has been made to feel proud as an European (showing all the brands which are in the top 100 in the world, all the European achievements, the cultural and language diversities which were overcame to form the largest world economy)... it is the first time, maybe, that I was proud... really proud of being European...
For the Bulgarian one... well there was not any queue :). But my biggest surprise was a Bulgarian restaurant just nearby in which I spent 2h talking with the people and enjoying a Bulgarian dish.
In the end I went for a fast look on the Chinese pavilion but it was impossible to visit everything as a specific pass was needed for the different floors.
In the night I went to visit the downtown... well here we go for another: "WOOW". The downtown was as shining as New York... while walking there I was thinking that Shanghai is definitely the place where you can see the success in the recent years of the Chinese economy.
I managed to have a look in the Bar Rouge which everybody was talking about with an amazing view over the Bund of Shanghai ! A lot of French expats over there too.
I finished the line by meeting Mr Picca in a jazz bar nearby where we had a drink.
The day after I was leaving for Beijing in the night so I still had some time to visit monuments in the morning... so I went for the Oriental Pearl (The ball tower)... I have waited for 3h in a changing weather - rainy, then very humid, then sunny but most of all very hot... in the end I managed to get up... I landed in the middle "ball" which around 260m from where a beautiful panorama has been offered over the city ... a bit like the the Eiffel tour offers over Paris... my first thoughts: "it is good but doesn't worth 3h waiting"... then I was about to go down there was a second floor down from where I needed to get the elevator ... this floor was offering again a panorama view but this time with a glass floor ... "Damn! That's awesome" but in the meantime I was so afraid... I was especially terrified by the small children jumping on the glass, smiling... I was afraid that one of them can break it ... Well, It took me 15min before walking on it ... my legs didn't want to walk... and when I managed to move I was walking and trying to be close to the metal bases (in my head my thoughts were telling me that if it breaks then I can catch my self on one of it... bullshit ... with the height and the wind no way I can do that ... I think my brain was totally disconnected to reality at this time)...
Anyway, this maybe was one of my best emotional experience in Shanghai.
I went down and went to visit around, took a coffee and went back to the airport.
While I was walking I started to love Beijing... indeed slowly Shanghai was loosing his authenticity by replacing the old buildings by new skyscrapers whereas Beijing was still preserving the cultural and architectural heritage (even if there was some scandals).
For sure I can truly agree that if you are looking for the New York equivalent in China or for amazing European style night life you should go to Shanghai.
For two years in China I didn't manage and didn't really want to go back to Shanghai because I preferred to visit more authentically places in the country. But maybe one day I will back again... who knows !? :)
Anyway, this maybe was one of my best emotional experience in Shanghai.
I went down and went to visit around, took a coffee and went back to the airport.
While I was walking I started to love Beijing... indeed slowly Shanghai was loosing his authenticity by replacing the old buildings by new skyscrapers whereas Beijing was still preserving the cultural and architectural heritage (even if there was some scandals).
For sure I can truly agree that if you are looking for the New York equivalent in China or for amazing European style night life you should go to Shanghai.
For two years in China I didn't manage and didn't really want to go back to Shanghai because I preferred to visit more authentically places in the country. But maybe one day I will back again... who knows !? :)