Well, tomorrow I am leaving Beijing to go to Shanghai. I am already panicked that I missed a lot of the sights – some really beautiful like the Summer Palace, some just for the experience of it like Mao’s pickled body. However, there are so many things to see and do in China that probably months wouldn’t be enough. I do have a feeling that at one point I have to return. And as Beijing and Shanghai are the main gates to China, probably I can continue my city exploration.

Today’s photo album also brings more impressions I accumulated in the last few days.

As a continuation of the very interesting subject of food, I have to say that I sampled a lot of the local food. Based on the tried-and-true tactic of “monkey see, monkey do” each time I saw people gathering at a cart selling food I also queued. And oh was I inspired! I did mix a lot of sweet and spicy, hot and oily with crispy or meat with fruits, but my stomach seems to be pretty happy. I love best the puffy flour balls with minced meat on the inside (resembling a big onion) and the delicious spicy rat-on-a-stick pork meat bits on a stick and grilled to perfection. Absolutely delicious, and clearly beats McDonald’s. (Which, by the way is not that bad – the Big Mac really looks like the picture. I actually could not bite that’s how big it was. But I try to stay away from this kind of food as much as possible).

I finally bought the ticket to Shanghai, the hostel helped with that. My only try to go to the main train station failed miserably as the queues to all 40 or more ticket booths scared me. However, I still have no return ticket to Beijing so I am in an awkward position. The staff at City Central managed to find a plane ticket (at a very nice 700rmb price) so I am strongly considering that. Plus, flying Shanghai Beijing means taking the Maglev. I do like hi-tech toys

The weather has changed a lot today. If Friday and Saturday have been pretty cold and windy, yesterday already had the signs of warming. After all the cold I had to endure in the first 2 days, today it was hot (comparatively at least). I am pretty glad I no longer have to carry a warm jacket with me. Hope it stays the same, and Shanghai seems to be balmy.

I drank a few of the local beers – the famous Tsingtao and also a tap beer at the hostel. Both are pretty good, while not being anything extraordinary. However, at 10rmb a bottle in the bar I am not complaining too much. Other than that, I’m mostly drinking tea. I do miss the morning coffee though, it is a pity that people have not developed the cart business to also offer this beverage. I can go to the round-the-corner McDonald;s if I am really desperate though.

Speaking of carts – I discovered that at 100m from the hostel each morning there is a morning temporary market. The whole area become extremely crowded, and everything is sold there. It is interesting to experience this, as the noise, chatter, vendors advertising their wares is very entertaining. Every imaginable contraption – from carts, boxes, bags – are used to store and display the wares. Unfortunately it is not very easy to take pictures, as suggesting the sheer size and crowding is not very easy.

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