Shanghai #1

I’m still tired after traveling around Sri Lanka, so I fall asleep right after arriving to the vibrant Chinese city of Shanghai. Although the opportunity to join the crew for shopping and buy some exact copy of Chanel bag is tempting, I stay in bed. The Shanghai “fake” markets are well known for their sophisticated copies of top brands. Later I am grateful for my laziness. I don’t want to support the unfair Chinese market. While some Chinese are bathing in gold, others have been hunching over handbags for days since childhood and stitching the bags for a few peanuts. Later I join our pilots and CM (Cabin Manager) for dinner.

Lost in translation

We divide into two taxis and get to the subway station, from where we can get to the city center by metro. Since the station is connected to markets and has multiple entrances, we get lost very soon. Too bad, in the second group there was a captain who wanted to take us to some nice place. So myself, CM Andrea from Romania and one copilot decide to go to the center on our own. As soon as we leave the subway, we find ourselves on one busy, lighted street full of designer shops and thousands of people. Neither of us has any idea where we should go to eat. We wander in the crowds when Andrea suddenly sees the shaved head of our tall captain: “There they are, I see them!” Would you believe that? Finding someone in this overcrowded city is like finding a needle in a haystack. However, if you want something really hard, destiny will help you. On the other hand, the big American body among the small Asians is not so inconspicuous.

The Bund

A moment later, the captain leads us down the aisles near the promenade called The Bund to one well-known Chinese restaurant. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name or address, but it is located next to a famous jazz bar. I personally do not trust Chinese cuisine and I am not soy sauces fan, which they add everywhere, but the Dim Sum, national dish must be tried. These are stuffed dumplings, which, by their taste, are similar to Slovak cuisine. After dinner, we will take a walk along the river, where we have a beautiful view of the illuminated coastline and the Shanghai Tower. While the pilots continue to the bar for a drink, Andrea and myself return to the hotel. However, Shanghai lives all night and I cannot miss one of the many massage salons nearby the hotel which are open till late night hours. Chinese are well known for their acupuncture, and people say they do excellent massages, as well. And, it’s true! One of the best massages ever! The guy who massaged me for two hours for less than 100 dirhams (25 euros) fixed my back pretty well!

Disneyland

Although we have almost all day ahead before departure the next day, I feel too tired to see the city. I repeat the massage, wander around the area to the Disneyland Gate and return to the hotel to relax. I guess Shanghai has lot of to offer, but I will have to do more exploring next time…