The architecture in Shanghai is stunning - various geometric shapes, seemingly defying gravity, make up many of the modern buildings in the Pudong area on the east side of the Huangpu River. The area is designated as the economic and trade zone of the city, and the Shanghai Tower that is currently under construction will be the tallest in China upon its completion (and the second tallest in the world), at 600 m (2000 ft).
Another area that I have already grown to love is People's Park, a beautiful oasis of flowers, trees, ponds, and pathways, that quickly takes you away from the constant noise of the traffic and people. From here, we had another view of more incredible architecture, including the Tomorrow Square building as viewed below.
Trying to figure out how to get to the town, located about an hour away from Shanghai, was an adventure in itself. First we tried to see if we could find a tour on the Internet. For the price of about $370 US dollars, one tour company promised to pick us up, drive us to the town, take us around on a guided tour, and then deliver us back to our hotel at the end of the day. We did a little more research and found out that there was an express bus to the town for the bargain price of 24 Yuan return (about $5 - a much better deal!).
Next, we walked to the bus stop to see if we could find the right bus. However, everything was written in Chinese! Back to the computer I went, looked up the Chinese characters, wrote them out on a piece of paper, and then back to the bus stop. Voila - we found our bus! We left at about 11:00 a.m. the next day and arrived as promised, about an hour later. The traffic is unbelievable here - an eight-lane highway with drivers who weave in and out at breakneck speeds, constantly beeping their horns for no apparent reason other than to say, "I'm here", was our route.
We found the tourist office and managed to acquire tickets to the top attractions (a bargain at 80 Yuan - we were still ahead compared to the $370 we would have paid with the tour company). As it turns out, we probably didn't need to buy the tickets, as it was really nice just to walk through the tiny streets, crossing bridges here and there, and exploring the gardens. We did take a boat ride along the canals, but it was short-lived and everything can be seen by just walking along the water.
It was time to head back, so we made our way to the bus station and once again tried to discern from the Chinese characters on the bus which one we should take. We pointed to the word Shanghai on our pamphlet, and the bus driver gestured for us to get on the already packed bus. We must have looked bewildered as to where we should sit, and she quickly opened up two tiny little seats in the aisle for us to sit on! I felt like a little kid on a school bus, but I definitely had a good vantage point from which I could watch the crazy traffic going back to the city.