Bits and pieces
Some random tidbits that I've gathered on this trip so far:
- When a country has this many people (eg. 13 million + in Shanghai), it means that it's permanently crowded and there are line-ups everywhere. It also means that someone's always ready to cut the queue or push you out of the line in order to get to the cash register/bathroom/information booth/elevator/escalator first.
- I love the Shanghai metro. It's cheap, efficient and so modern. Its glide is super smooth, too. I didn't have the chance to try out the Maglev though, so I will have to do that next time when I'm in town. (Whenever that will be...)
- The most lit buildings, the ones you see on pictures of the nighttime skyline, are either hotels or restaurants or both. (Notable exceptions are some of the historic buildings on the Bund in Shanghai.) I guess it makes sense that it should be these commercial entities that are most visible at night, but it's quite a noted change from having lit up office skyscrapers dominate the skyline.
- Inter-city bus fares are ridiculously affordable. A ticket from Shanghai to Suzhou will only set you back 38 RMB (about 6 CAD). But the taxi from the bus station to your house will cost you at least another 45 RMB (about 7 CAD). Of course, put in perspective, taxi fares are pretty darn affordable too. Yay for the strong Canadian dollar!
- Actually everything's pretty darn affordable once you divide everything by about 6.5 (the current Canadian to RMB exchange rate). The 200 RMB feast of a supper that you just had only adds up to some 30 dollars and the 500 RMB/night hotel means that you're only actually paying under 100 bucks a night. Not bad.
- ALWAYS BRING TOILET PAPER WITH YOU TO THE BATHROOM. Also, prepare to be ready to squat and/or pee into a hole in the ground. Even fancy malls sometimes don't have a seat-style toilet.
I'm currently at my dad's place in Suzhou, where it's just as beastly hot as everywhere else in the country during summer. There are beautiful gardens and architecture to be seen here, but unfortunately, the heat plus my sister's fragile constitution plus my sun/UV allergy means that I hole up all day at my dad's beautifully air conditioned apartment. We try going out at night, but it's a lot harder to sightsee when it's dark... We did however hit up "Japan Street" closeby (who knew that Suzhou had so many Japanese expats? There's even a Japanese school here!) and had the coziest, homiest and most authentic Japanese food that I've ever enjoyed in my life.
Dad also has wireless Internet here (his apartment is actually kind of awesome--I can't believe that he's hidden this gem of a place from me for this long!), so update and pictures coming up tomorrow!
- When a country has this many people (eg. 13 million + in Shanghai), it means that it's permanently crowded and there are line-ups everywhere. It also means that someone's always ready to cut the queue or push you out of the line in order to get to the cash register/bathroom/information booth/elevator/escalator first.
- I love the Shanghai metro. It's cheap, efficient and so modern. Its glide is super smooth, too. I didn't have the chance to try out the Maglev though, so I will have to do that next time when I'm in town. (Whenever that will be...)
- The most lit buildings, the ones you see on pictures of the nighttime skyline, are either hotels or restaurants or both. (Notable exceptions are some of the historic buildings on the Bund in Shanghai.) I guess it makes sense that it should be these commercial entities that are most visible at night, but it's quite a noted change from having lit up office skyscrapers dominate the skyline.
- Inter-city bus fares are ridiculously affordable. A ticket from Shanghai to Suzhou will only set you back 38 RMB (about 6 CAD). But the taxi from the bus station to your house will cost you at least another 45 RMB (about 7 CAD). Of course, put in perspective, taxi fares are pretty darn affordable too. Yay for the strong Canadian dollar!
- Actually everything's pretty darn affordable once you divide everything by about 6.5 (the current Canadian to RMB exchange rate). The 200 RMB feast of a supper that you just had only adds up to some 30 dollars and the 500 RMB/night hotel means that you're only actually paying under 100 bucks a night. Not bad.
- ALWAYS BRING TOILET PAPER WITH YOU TO THE BATHROOM. Also, prepare to be ready to squat and/or pee into a hole in the ground. Even fancy malls sometimes don't have a seat-style toilet.
I'm currently at my dad's place in Suzhou, where it's just as beastly hot as everywhere else in the country during summer. There are beautiful gardens and architecture to be seen here, but unfortunately, the heat plus my sister's fragile constitution plus my sun/UV allergy means that I hole up all day at my dad's beautifully air conditioned apartment. We try going out at night, but it's a lot harder to sightsee when it's dark... We did however hit up "Japan Street" closeby (who knew that Suzhou had so many Japanese expats? There's even a Japanese school here!) and had the coziest, homiest and most authentic Japanese food that I've ever enjoyed in my life.
Dad also has wireless Internet here (his apartment is actually kind of awesome--I can't believe that he's hidden this gem of a place from me for this long!), so update and pictures coming up tomorrow!