My first full day in the city I decided to explore the Bund, drink copious amounts of tea and eat lots and lots of street food. That seems reasonable, right?
I couldn’t help but people watch and doing so, hoped to get a sense of the city. Shanghai seemed drastically different from my first stop in China. It lacked the overwhelming sense of history or Party influence that dominated Beijing. I think the youthfulness of the city paired with the modern skyline put its inhabitants in a different mindset altogether. People were ready to shop, eat, drink and just have a good time. So, that’s what I did.
A quick note on tea ‘ceremonies’: agree on a price before you start. Often tea ceremonies are opportunities to overcharge the unsuspecting. As the saying goes, “It’s better to be safe than sorry.
As for street food, just line up where locals seem to be going. I spent a whopping $0.70 for lunch. Can’t go wrong with that!
Venture travelist 