I have decided again, not to cover the travel day from Hong Kong to China, simply because it is one single flight and in the darkness of night. Leaving HK the plane was delayed on the tarmac for almost 1.5 hours because of a rain storm, but the remainder of the flight was uneventful. Here are my first impressions of Shanghai China once I hit the road bright and early the next morning.
Huge
The city is absolutely massive and I quickly realize that I will only be able to explore the tiniest fraction of it. With almost 30 million people residing here, it definitely feels crowded but not as much as Hong Kong. I look at my Amap app to try and get a feeling of the layout and where my hotel is. It will be a minimum of 40 minutes walking to reach the main tourist sights like The Bund. That is not a bad thing in my books though, its these walks where I discover the real destination, finding hidden markets, street art and curious corners to explore.
Accommodation
I have quickly discovered that Apart/hotel does not mean the same here as it does in other parts of the world. 😂I booked this accommodation called Shanghai Ketangjian Apartment Hotel because it provided what looked like a kitchen and looked very chic and clean. Upon first inspection the place is dirty, furniture is worn and tired, walls bashed and linen threadbare. Next issue, it has no supplies. No stove top or electric hot plate or microwave. No dishes, not a single fork or spoon. Not even a mug or tea cup, only two small juice glasses.
At check-in, guests are provided with two toothbrushes, a comb, and a single sliver of soap. This must be used between the bathroom sink and the kitchen sink. It’s the sparsest place I think I have ever stayed in. Live and learn. And the wifi doesn’t work which quickly becomes my biggest obstacle thus far in China.
Architecture
I didn’t know what to expect but it wasn’t this. 😂 Around where my hotel is, the streets look somewhat similar to Hong Kong. Apartment buildings that are tired, but lived in, laundry strung out the windows, an authentic feel. Walking towards The Bund, I begin to see older glass and steel structures, fairly low rise. And before long, European looking architecture? I’m going to delve into a quick history lesson and figure out what is going on here. I love this type of discovery, it instantly piques my interest in a destination.
Cleanish
Definitely not as clean as Chengdu, but much more so than Kowloon in Hong Kong. There is garbage laying about, people selling piles of second-hand items and they almost look like they are living in those corners on the streets. I see men sleeping in parks with literally no belongings. Underpasses are places were homeless congregate and their belongings in piles and carts along side them.
There is definitely a different vibe here in Shanghai. Big city atmosphere with big city issues. The tourist areas are impeccably clean, full of colourful flowers and such, but stray from these spots and things take a turn to a more realistic version of the city. Nothing wrong with that at all, in fact it’s the most common feature of most big cities.
