Shanghai

     So, after over a year of avoiding the BIG city of Shanghai, I finally went to see it.  My oh my, was I surprised.  You see, I avoided this huge city (one of the ten biggest in the world) of more than 18 million inhabitants.  I didn't want my impression of China challenged by the impersonal, ruthless life of all large cities.  My New York City roots were showing.

     Normally, I take the three hour journey to Shanghai by private car or public transportation bus.  About half way through the trip there’s a rest stop where I use a typical Chinese bathroom (that means there are his and her separated squat toilets and a communal sink).  After that I get food, real Chinese fast food.  I don’t much cotton to the local favorite of meat on a stick, but the chicken soup and sticky rice triangles with fruit or meat in the middle are delicious.  This is followed by another hour and a half of sitting and watching the world go round.  The private car drops me at the Continental Airlines section of the Pu Dong Airport international terminal.  The bus stops in downtown Shanghai.

     Downtown Shanghai always seemed rough to me because there are lots of cab drivers screaming in my face as if that would cause me to utilize their services, rather aggressive beggars who are generally filthy and male, and extraordinarily busy Chinese executives and business people who look disdainfully upon me for any of a number of reasons (I look so different, I dress so differently, I ride public transportation, I don’t speak Chinese, I’m impeding their progress, whatever).  It’s crowded, congested and not welcoming at all.  It wasn’t even welcoming when Expo was going on.  So, I wasn’t all that interested in touring or doing the tourist thing in Shanghai.

     After my arrival at the bus station, I could either take a cab to the airport or take one to the subway that goes to the airport.  There’s also a high speed rail that goes to the airport in about eight minutes.  I’ve done all three, and I must say that I much prefer the subway ride to the airport.  The subways are clean, clearly marked and quite convenient.  It’s also the least expensive way to go.  I rode the Maglite (high speed train) once thinking that it would be fabulous.  I’ve always wanted to ride one.  It turned out to not be such a big deal after all.  My curiosity about transportation in Shanghai was slacked, and I wasn’t overly interested in seeing the “real” Shanghai.

     It therefore came as a great surprise to see a wonderfully personal city when I was finally convinced to do a bit of sightseeing.  I was greatly pleased by the multitude of flowers, trees and flora on the streets.  There were little bits of countryside beauty in every glance.  And the amount of building going on was way less than in my hamlet of Beilun.  I was able to walk for blocks without seeing a crane, cement truck or other heavy equipment.  It was breathtakingly calm for such a giant city.