First, here's where we're staying. It's a hostel and it's really great. We love it. It's tucked in a quiet ally- quiet is just about impossible to find here. It's very eclectic and geared towards westerners. The decorations are funky and lots of couches and tables to hang out at. We feel very chic staying here. LOL
We're getting used to the metro subway system that we tried last night. I'd much rather navigate Shanghai on this well organized, air conditioned and cheap system than put our money and our wallets at the mercy of a taxi driver.
We took the metro to Nanjing Road, a pedestrian street that is all "haute couture" and international shopping. Shops like GAP. Oooohh. We laughed so hard at the GAP store. A colossal 2 story affair with a huge picture of this girl modeling the clothes that can be purchased at the GAP. Perhaps they think that GAP is literally a gap in the teeth and is considered American perfection and beauty??
Overall, we didn't like Nanjing road. It was overcrowded and it felt like an assault of scams and thieves with people constantly coming up to us to offer to take us somewhere- scam or inexplicably, walking up to us and saying "Bag Watch" or "Watch Bag". We got a bit paranoid and decided they were talking about Brent's backpack so I tried to walk behind him and keep a close eye on it.
Nangjing Road ends at The Bund, a site I wanted to see in Shanghai. In it's heyday in the 20's it was where all the expats lived and worked right along the river port that accesses the ocean. The Bund is lined with turn of the century western architecture that once were banks, consulates and other buildings of commerce from long ago. Across the river is modern Shanghai with a great view of it's famous Oriental Pearl tower.
I saw a few sites that warmed my heart. On The Bund, I saw a family with a young girl with Downs Syndrome posing for pictures. So many of those children end up in orphanages, it was wonderful that a family saw the value in their child and kept her. We ate dinner at a KFC and a beggar boy with a cane and nothing on but a pair of shorts snuck in to the restaurant and hid behind a wall next to us while we were eating. It looked like he had 2 clubbed feet. The staff quickly found him and ushered him out but they were smiling and laughing and gently patting him on the shoulder like they were saying, "now you know you can't come in here, go on now." When they got him outside a lady that was eating in the restaurant got up and ran outside and put her arm around him and gave him a burger. Later he came back inside with his half eaten burger and impishly sat next to Brent, smiled at us finished his sandwhich and left. When we left KCF he had a few people around him chuckling and handing him bills and one man was laughing and leading him across the street. He seemed to be quite the charmer. It was just refreshing to see the disabled to be more accepted than I remember last time I was here.
Here's the boy:
It has taken over an hour to upload these pictures, our connection is very slow and it's high time I get to bed, goodnight.
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