Weblog Shanghai

As our favorite travel book suggested we took the bus 911/926 from HuaiHua Rd., 10 min from our apartment. Entering the zoo we got yelled at with a microphone that we should take the little bus, otherwise getting around the zoo would take us four hours. Being used to walking we just walked by. In the next 3 ½ hours there were lots of animals to see. If you care for the concept of zoos it will take you around the world quite far. Don’t miss the strange looking fish and the red panda.

And for all visitors who can’t read or understand signs “feeding and teasing not allowed”, practicing this sentence in a couple of foreign languages would make the life for the animals more worth living.

The moon festival or also named mid-autumn festival. Historians have different ways to explain it. The one, most appealing for me is that it is equivalent to Thanksgiving (Erntedankfest). It is a time when families get together, the subway is crammed, you see parades, fireworks and getting one of the 40.000 taxies is out of question. Nevertheless weeks before the full moon on Sunday, getting moon cakes (picture) was very easy. Sold everywhere they are filled with bean paste, vegetables, fruit or lotus seed paste. After trying about ten different ones we found that all are very sweet, very nice to look at and always worth a surprise tasting.

This temple is  definitely worth seeing. When there is no time for Suzhou combine this with the botanical garden (close by) and you get a good half day of sightseeing. For only Y10 you get four themples and a pagoda. There were a lot of Chinese there which probably was due to the moon festival. The pictures will say the rest. For traditional China the best place in Shanghai so far.

The weekend had blue sky and temperatures in the mid 90s (~35C). Once again a perfect day to escape the city tumult and head for some grass and trees. Located in the south the garden features several different smaller attractions (Y40 get you access to everything); on the picture one can see parts of the tropical greenhouse (bottom), the cactus greenhouse and the bonsai garden. The numerous magnolia trees have to be pointed out; when in season it should be overwhelming, so time your stay carefully.

Last weekend the plan was to leave the metropolis mist for the picturesque city of Suzhou, just located 45 min west of Shanghai. The quest was to find a quiet spot with no traffic or construction going on. The gardens and pagodas are said to be that kind of place.

After the first hike to “The Garden of the Humble Administrator” [Y70, Pictures 1] we were not sure of there was to find tranquility in a Chinese garden, it was filled with masses of tourists. So for the next six sites we took taxis not to be stressed out just by getting there, it was a very hot and sunny day. The next garden was “The Master-of-Nets Garden” [Y30, Picture 2] definitely worth stopping by when in town. After two gardens we were up to some pagodas so with the “Twin Pagodas” [Y30, Picture 3] we thought we got two for one; but one was seemingly under construction. Once again a place to go for pure harmony. “The Confucius Temple” was our next stop [Y0, not jet open, Picture 4] very monumental from the outside and worth a look. Right across the street we also visited “Blue Wave Pavilion” [Y20, Picture 5] stop by when you around there. To finish our journey we headed a little out of the city to the “Cold Mountain Temple” [Y20, Picture 6] definitely worth the trip. Furthermore during the day we went to the Suzhou Museum [Y20] and to the Suzhou Silk Museum [Y7] the second from the two featuring live silk worms and working looms. In the evening we headed for one of the tasty Chinese restaurants where we got several times the word “enough” after ordering some dishes, truly a new experience. In spite we ate everything “eatable” (a clean table meaning bad service and not enough food provided, in China). All in all a trip full of rememberable impressions.

P.S. Y10 ~ 1€/$

Walking down Shanghais numerous food streets (Huanghe Road) this evening we just randomly picked one of the restaurants where they shouted “English menu” at us. Ordering went fine, you just have to get used to the fact that once getting the menu the waitress stands next to you until you order. The cucumber and soy sauce starter was fine, but the “mixed vegetables” were not really what we’d expected. Somehow the translation got mixed up and we got mixed innards from liver, stomach to brain topped off with grilled snake. Shanghai as the city of delicacies where every restaurant features; snake, snail, turtle, shark and everything else you can imagine...

Hearing Beethoven’s 9th "Ode to joy"/"Freude schöner Götterfunken" early truly gets you a good morning start.  Seeing it from the 32. Floor is really something. Take a look.

Being a must see in Shanghai we headed for the Museum this afternoon. After a hot day getting cooled down was only Y5 for Students (50 cent), all other get the breeze (sweater recommended) for Y20. Filled with Chinese Art the museum is splits up in several sections, Bronze, Furniture, Sculpture, Calligraphy and others. It didn’t take us ½-1 day as the “travel books” suggest, but to be honest, Chinese Art is not where I’m especially educated in. Don’t miss it when in Shanghai: Paintings and Sculptures are definitely recommended. Enough said, take a glimpse…