While posts here usually run a week or so behind our actual travel, today was such a crazy day I felt compelled to write about it right away, so here it goes. Sometimes the travel gods seem out to frustrate and befuddle you at every turn, and today was one of those days for us in Shanghai. We left our hostel this morning with a great plan and a long list of sights to hit during a full day of sightseeing. Little did we know it was not to be. Nevertheless we still had a great adventure in this amazing city. Below is a list of our intended destinations and the end result.
- Souzhou, a smaller town outside of Shanghai known as the “Venice of the East” because of its many canals and gardens. Our original plan for the entire day, we tried buying train tickets yesterday, but apparently all trains for the next few days are fully booked. So instead we headed on the metro to the crowded ancient town of Qibao for a short boat ride on a canal right here in the city.
- Art Scene China, an art gallery in a trendy neighborhood. We never got there due to a wrong address in Lonely Planet (though we did disturb some poor man who answered the nondescript door we knocked on). Instead we went to the Xuhui Art Museum that had an interesting exhibit featuring two Chinese artists with their initial sketches along side the finished works. All in all it was a nice substitute for the intend destination.
- Charterhouse Booksellers, looking for an English language Japan guidebook in preparation for our next destination. Again, with Lonely Planet’s guidance deception, we were led astray. There is no Charterhouse in Pudong’s massive Super Brand Mall, and according to the woman who answered their phone, there never has been. There was, however, a totally different bookstore on the top floor where a nice man pointed us in the direction of the foreign language bookstore on Fuxong Street back across the river.
- Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, a pedestrian tunnel/ride that connects the Bund with the Pudong area. It crosses under the Huangpu River. When we first got to the Pudong area, the tunnel was closed, but after our unsuccessful search in the Super Brand Mall we found the tunnel re-opened. While we were triumphant in getting through the tunnel, I was left really wanting my $7 back for the ridiculous 5 minute ride that consisted of a seeing a couple of flashing lights in a dark tunnel while riding in a driver-less capsule that smelled like it would benefit from a good cleaning with strong bleach.
- Foreign Language Bookstore, while not on the original list, it was attempt #3 at finding a Japan guide book, preferably not a Lonely Planet since they had been the source of two of our denials so far. Fate struck again and no English language Japan guidebooks were to be found. Exhausted, we staggered out in defeat.
- Bookstore #4, across the street from the Foreign Language Bookstore. Finally a success, as it had two Japan options, Insight and Lonely Planet. After 20 minutes of debate we went with Lonely Plant, despite the let downs earlier in the day. If there had been a Rough Guide we would have gone with that, but beggars can’t be choosers.
Despite the frustration we did walk through some beautiful sections of Shanghai and met some very friendly Chinese. Accepting what comes is a vital skill on a long trip and one we patiently practiced all day long.
Ever had a day when the gods seemed out to get you (or just mess with you)? Let us know in the comments below.
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