Shanghai Has No Internet
Trip Start
Mar 14, 2006
1
42
374
Trip End
Mar 15, 2007
Shanghai, China
Tuesday, April 25, 2006
They don't just spit though but manage to dredge up loogies from the very depths of their stomachs which themselves seem to be buried somewhere within the bowels of the earth itself wallowing in a pool of unspeakableness. And they do it everywhere, trains, buses, restaurants etc no floor is safe from the flying phlegm. I tend not to get grossed out by many things (heck even the dog skinned and hanging from the tree in Chongqing about to be carved up for waiting customers was sick but endurable) but the constant rain of bodily fluids in some close quarters situations can sometimes really get to you (in more ways than one).
Anyway, Shanghai, though sometimes squelchy underfoot like most Chinese cities does have some pretty clever little things that make getting around that much easier such as bins having a little map stuck on top showing the nearest toilet (genius) and also like most Chinese cities traffic lights with timers showing you how long till the lights changed - so simple but why don't we have that back in the UK?
Finishing my wander down The Bund and refuelling with some tasty beef and rice concoction at a small restaurant, was one with a completely Chinese menu so another case of random pot luck picking, which must lead to some interesting after dinner conversations at times, I headed down Nanjing Donglu, the main shopping street in Shanghai.
Reaching Remin Park at the end of the street, I had the option to visit the nearby Shanghai museum which I decided in the end not to visit due to the weather being too nice to be stuck inside so I went looking for some place to check my emails - ok I'll admit I was just not in a museum-ey mood.
Again failing to find any Internet Cafes I came to the conclusion that Shanghai has none, how could a city this large with the miles I've walked around it not show signs of a single Internet access point, either that or there were plenty all with Chinese signs that I merrily plodded past.
Heading back towards the river I was bugged by a student wanting to 'show' me his art exhibition as well as practice a little English. On declining to purchase any he turned his constant praise of the UK and Scotland into slander and abuse and told me how rude I was, I almost let him see how rude I could be but managed to restrain myself from lowering myself to his level, which was pretty low giving his height - ba-dum tish!
Wanting to see the other side of the river I took the completely pointless and overpriced 'Bund Sightseeing Tunnel'. The tunnel runs under the river where you are taken on a little capsule through a really trippy tunnel with flashing lights and matching whacked out sounds.
The Oriental Pearl Tower is the most well known building in Shanghai and stands on this side of the river which looks no better up close than it did from a distance. I also wandered over to the Jinmao Tower, the 4th tallest building in the world and the tallest in China even if I did think the IFC building in Hong Kong looked taller - sorry Shanghai.
