Shanghai, China
We are basically adjusted to the time. (My thanks to whatever celestial being created those wonderful little blue pieces of heaven: Imovane).
I got up at 5:00 and had a nice walk along Nanjing Lu. I was basically the only person on the street. That is something that doesn’t happen too often around here.
Breakfast was eaten at the restaurant in the lobby. It was a massive buffet with anything anyone could possibly want for breakfast (from sushi to yoghurt). I think I overdosed on the congee condiments – preserved vegetables and ‘flossed’ meat. I chugged 2 bottles of water as soon as I got back to the room.
We walked along the Nanjing Lu pedestrian mall to the Bund. (I must still look very uptight because I have never been asked if I needed a massage so many times before…) We picked up a few tins of tea at The Bund Tea Company. The shop is a throwback to the English colonial days that sells a small selection of fine teas (that don’t have the high tannins the Brits seem to love so much).
We got a chance to practice a little Mandarin with a cute Chinese couple who were happy to practice a little English with us. The girl was on vacation from the country side around Shanghai and had hired a guide to take her around for the day.
As it was so overcast, we decided against having lunch on the patio at “M on the Bund” and grabbed a cab to Spin ceramics instead. The store is owned by a Tawainese restauranteur (People 7, People 8…) who couldn’t find any plates for his restaurants so he created his own ceramic business They sell gorgeous, extremely simple, Asian-inspired ceramics We arranged to have a few vases and other assorted pieces shipped home.
Unfortunately, that was the point that I realized my bank card was missing…..I had left it in the bank machine earlier thing this morning. We spent the next 2 hours trying to contact the bank. They have suspended my card AND my ability to do any online banking. The next 2 weeks should be fun – I now have to call the bank for every transaction. What is this the 80’s?????
We are about to head to the bar for the official start of the trip. As the bus leaves the hotel at 05:30 tomorrow morning, that’s all for now.
2GuysTravel 