Pearl of the Orient... and our last stop in China!!
By this time, it is probably quite evident how much we love the train in China. So, when we found out that the train to Shanghai had only 'hard sleeper' seats left, in a non-air conditioned car (for a 15 hr train ride), we did not hesitate to opt for the 1-hr... cushy plane ride. What a great decision!!
We arrived in Shanghai refreshed and ready to take on the big city. We were definitely looking forward to a dose of city life, a Shanghai did not fail to deliver.
Bright lights, big malls, lots of funky side streets, cool boutiques and cafes aplenty! We spent 3 days just wandering the streets of Shanghai, checking out all the neighborhoods. Everything from the French Concession - with its colonial architecture, grand villas and sidewalk vendors selling the latest US movie releases to the 'Old Town' - a dose of 'real' China within the modern metropolis of Shanghai, and it is truly a different world. As you walk past shiny condos and name brand shops, you eventually cross into a maze of unmarked streets with market stalls, street side barbers and all kinds of life being lived out in the street. Fascinating that in one day, within one city you can pass through two such extremes.
while in Shanghai we saw a performance by the Shanghai Acrobatic troupe, which was truly amazing. Even though we had seen certain elements performed in other venues back home... nothing prepared us for this. The way these people used their bodies.. not just in terms of flexibility, but also in terms of balance, strength, coordination and sheer fearlessness was truly amazing. Many of us have I am sure seen the Ringling Brothers Circus act with the motorcycle in the Sphere of Death... well, these guys had 4, yes FOUR motorcycles whizzing around a sphere half the size of the circus. It truly was death defying... there is no room for error, their practice runs must be rather hairy.
We also saw the Saholin Monks perform, which was great timing as we had just left Shaolin, and they were just starting their run in Shanghai. Though, truth be told, it was far more impressive seeing it at the monastery and watching the kids practice at the camp. The one feat which did not fail to impress us again was where the monk throws a regular needle, like a dart through a pain of glass to pop a balloon on the other side. The force and precision behind that throw is superhuman.
It is hard to believe that our time in China has come to an end... we have had some truly amazing experiences here and have met some wonderful people. While we will miss China, we can't wait for the next leg of our trip to Japan. We are especially looking forward to a change in diet.... a good piece of meat or fish with no bones to navigate through will certainly be welcome!!
With that, we close this chapter of our trip and board our plane bound for Kyoto!
