Friday : sunny

We just got another good breakfast in before the buffet closed.

Then we hit the pavement around 11am to get some kilometers under our belt. Very different looking sky today compared to yesterday, a lot more smog unfortunately. We went to a train ticket office conveniently next to the hotel and bought fast train tickets to Beijing for tomorrow. Easy buy too the lady spoke English well, glad we were able to get them today rather than at the station, and possibly have the same problems as last time.

We then headed for people's park and people's square. It took about 2-3 hours to walk there, we passed through a big shopping road like pitt street. I called it shop highway! It was full of shops and large TV's everywhere hanging from buildings. We stopped into a few shops that caught our eye but nothing caught our eye enough to make the purchase.

We got to the park and it was a nice park very well kept. First one so far with large open grass fields. Still the grass was barricaded and not to be used. The park even had a small amusement park. We stopped and watched a girl on a ride, she was the only person on the ride and she was terrified and crying. Poor girl.

Once out if the park we were standing on the other side of the road opposite people's square. We had no way across the road above ground, the road was fence off. We had to find signs telling us to go down into the subway to cross the street. There was a maze of shops down there too, we had a look at a few stores, but again no buys. We found an exit to people's square and popped out to people flying kites, people feeding flocks of pigeons and people sleeping, a lot of people sleep in suits on park benches here.

We found Shanghai museum too, it was why we walked this far to get here. After the silly security check that made no sense what so ever. It turned out not to be the type of museum we were after. We wanted a history museum, this museum was ancient artifacts like porcelain pots and plates, Chinese scrolls, paintings and traditional clothing stuff like that. The paintings and clothing displays were interesting, but we needed a history lesson not a pottery class.

After we visited all the areas we got back onto the street and were greeted by a crazy homeless man, screaming gibberish. Kim kept telling me not to make eye contact, but they're so funny the crazy people yelling out the front of government buildings.

We had a quick read of the guide to try and find a history museum on an empty bench. Lucky us there is a museum in the wacky pearl tower, that's where we were going to head next.

We made tracks back through the shopping highway, and got to the tourist tunnel at the bund. It's a tram tunnel that goes under the river to the other side. It was nice to sit down again, but I didn't understand what the lights and voices were all about along the journey very strange.

We got up to the surface and made our way to the tower entrance, but were lead away by signs advertising restaurants near by. We were quite hungry and a good meal would be good before a history lesson.

The restaurant was great very quiet and relaxing. They had booths setup with lounge chairs. Not quite as empty, there were people there eating, but it was so quiet other people were able to sleep. It's weird people sleep anywhere they can here.

After some good food and coffee, we went back to the tower entrance. Got our museum tickets and went in.

Very interesting it was like half wax museum, half timber models, great detailed displays inside. Telling us the story of how the city was before/during/after other countries showed interest in Shanghai. What other countries brought, and how they changed Shanghai. Kim says they conveniently left out facts that may embarrass them though. It was a good 2.5 hour stroll through the museum which is in the basement of the tower.

We wanted to go up and tour the rest of the tower, but it wasn't a very picturesque day in Shanghai today. Quite polluted, we barely had the camera out at all today, and we thought the view up there wouldn't be very nice anyways.

It was getting dark when we left and time to go back to our area and pickup our laundry.

Back into the trippy tunnel, for a walk back along the bund just as the buildings lights all turn on. We kept walking past the hotel to the laundry shop. Three big bags are waiting for us, all wrapped up separately into colours. She did well, we paid her and walked back to the hotel. We put the clothes in our room and went back outside to go get a small feed.

There were quite a few options on the same block as the hotel. Just around the corner was small lounge bar alley. We picked one and ordered a pizza and beers. Soon there were more beers, than the cocktails flowed. It was a fun bar. the bar tender was very nice, the music was good, a good last night in Shanghai.

Well it was getting late, we left the bar. We still had the task of putting our laundry away, and then pack up. Early breakfast and departure for the fast train to Beijing tomorrow.