上海欢迎您 Shanghai Welcomes You!

I am currently traveling 300 km/h away from the biggest city in China, and the city with the largest population in the world: Shanghai.  I had the opportunity to spend the last three days in this marvelous city accompanied by Danny, Trevor, Izzy, James and Caroline. 

Our journey started on one of the bullet trains heading in the other direction.  These trains really are incredible.  We traveled the distance of New York to Florida (or the entire state of California, for all you west-coasters) in a perfectly reasonable 5 hours’ time.  

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Proof of how fast we were moving incase someone didn't believe me!

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Caroline, Trevor and Izzy settling in for a long trip ahead of them

Five hours later, Shanghai was a sight to behold.  A bustling city with tall, brightly light skyscrapers, unlike anything we’ve seen in Beijing.  An early rise the next morning and out to eat a Shanghai specialty- soup dumplings all day every day.  With our foodie, Danny, leading the way, we were never steered wrong.   After a quick stop at the Urban Planning Museum for a quick history lesson at a quality museum, we were on our way to Yuan Yu Park, among other locations in the city.  The park was honestly one of my favorite parts about the trip.  It’s been a cold and bitter winter in Beijing, and a day in which we only needed to wear a t-shirt to get by was much needed.  It was also incredibly refreshing to see some color in flowers and buds on trees.  Plus, those koi fish were just incredible.  It was just what I had pictured when I thought of China.  So we foreigners roamed the park, clapping at the fist to try and get their attention.

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Stopping in the park for a group picture

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Danny and Caroline watching the koi fish

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Entering a new part of the seemingly endless and beautiful park

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My favorite shot of some koi fish coming to feed on bread

Onto the world famous Oriental Pearl Tower, where we climbed… well… we took an elevator to the highest observation deck, and looked out at a 360 degree view of Shanghai. 1148 feet in the air, and with a glass floor below us, the view from one of the tallest towers in the world was by far one of the most incredible sights in my life. 

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Danny, Trevor, Izzy, James and Caroline in front of the Oriental Pearl Tower

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James and Izzy looking down through the glass floor to the city below us.

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Me, Danny, Izzy and Trevor hanging out thousands of feet in the air.  Every time I looked down or stepped onto a new pane of glass, my heart would drop! 

And with the setting of the sun, the city came alive....

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The famous Shanghai skyline as seen from The Bund

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Me, Izzy, Trevor and Danny in front of the incredible skyline

Shanghai in total brought back a lot of homesick feelings.  The resemblance of Shanghai to New York city in itself was enough to bring back a certain longing.  Homesickness appears sometimes, but you learn to just see through it.  Shanghai turned out to be one of the most interesting and exciting experiences that I've had here in China--- and this is coming from someone who originally didn't want to visit this awesome city.

If you ever get the chance to visit China, (which I hope you do), I highly suggest visiting Shanghai... After Beijing, that is ;)