Whirlwind Journey

I can’t believe it’s been 5 weeks since I left San Diego on this wild journey.  China was the biggest culture shock yet because of the food, the people, the amazing sites, and also the different form of government.  Everywhere we went we had people running up to us snapping photos and even those brave ones that would hand their camera to a friend and jump in the picture with us.  It was a weird feeling to be the only different looking group of people around.  I must say, this was a big culture shock and took getting used to.  The food was also interesting- sea snakes, starfish and jellyfish heads just to name a few. (More on that later.)  The Communist government was also fascinating- the entire country has such a different culture than the USA because of this characteristic alone.  I’ll detail the trip day-by-day as best I can before arriving in Vietnam in 12 hours!!

CHINA DAY 1: 
While my stay in Shanghai was short, it was packed full! The Chinese New Year was going on during our entire stay, so there were packed streets, fireworks, and lots of decorations!  The Old City in Shanghai seemed to be the center of all activity during our trip.   The Yu Yuan Market in the city was easily the most crowded area I’ve ever been.  Families and people of all ages pushed their way through the crowds from one street food vendor to the next.  It was such a site, but this was also when we first realized how much we stood out in the crowd.  We were not only taller than everyone, but also the only non-Asian people around.  We made a few purchases and practiced our bargaining skills (I was definitely the best!)  then popped out of the crowed into the Yu Garden area.  This gorgeous and tranquil escape from the city chaos was spectacular.  Traditional Chinese architecture lined Koi ponds and were connected by little bridges and unique passageways.  For lunch we tested our luck at a local cafeteria-style traditional Chinese food restaurant that seemed to be the most popular place in the area.  We grabbed our trays and loaded them with the most basic things in the restaurant but still questioned what each actually was.  My entire meal was less than $3!!  It was incredibly greasy but pretty tasty after all.  After finishing our souvenir shopping we headed to Cloud 9, the highest bar in the world, on the 87th floor of the Grand Hyatt in Shanghai.  The view was absolutely spectacular as night set in and the city lights came on.  We ran into two American college students studying abroad in China and ended up going to dinner with them in Times Square at a sketchy back alley restaurant. Even though the plaster was pealing off the walls, the food wasn’t half-bad.  We feasted on dumplings, chicken dishes, soup, noodles, and fried rice for less than $4 per person!  Street vendors are very popular in China and do their best to make a sale at any price.  I decided that a pair of skates that strap onto sneakers was a necessary purchase but they didn’t last for more than a few minutes of fun.  Later that night we met up with some friends and tested out the nightlife in Shanghai.  While we didn’t get to visit the local hangouts that night, we had a blast taking over one bar with all Semester at Sea people.  Tomorrow… on to Beijing for more adventure!  The picture is the view from Cloud 9.  See our ship way down below???