China Day 10 and 11: Shanghai Circus and 18 hours on a train

The day started early because we had just 1 day to see the main spots in Shanghai. Agenda went like this:

-Checking out of the hostel

- Visit of Yuyuan garden surroundings and the marketplace

- Sending postcards :)

- Lunch 

- Walk along the Bund

- The People’s Square

 - Sudden meeting in the rain with 2 other Chinese younsters and joining them for a Chinese tea tasting

- Sitting at McDonald’s

- Tomoko leaving to the airport to take her flight to Beijing, I am wandering around until the time to go to Shanghai Circus.

The Shanghai Circus was really a highlight of the day. It was professional performance with lots of amazing tricks and surprises. I hadn’t been to circus for a long time and this was something what was really good one and came on time.

Neverstopping train

After the circus it was time to leave Shanghai and take my night train to Beijing. That was another challenging experience as the trains there are not comfortable, rather opposite - they are a bit cold and damp and very crowded. However, I was expecting to be in Beijing in the morning, but…the morning came and the train was moving and moving and never stopped. Midday came, afternoon came and it was still moving and I started to get worried. I went to the man who seemed to be responsible there and he showed me 6 on his fingers; we couldn’t communicate as I didn’t speak Chinese. In the beginning I thought it was still six hours to go, but after contacting Tomoko she managed to find out that the train was late and it should arrive at 6pm in Beijing. So, it was 2 more hours left in the train. I was really exhausted and tired and a bit ill too. And the only thing I could do was sitting and waiting and looking out of the window…sometimes you need also such moments, however this wasn’t the right time as I felt sick and also started to get hungry…after all it was 18 hours spent in a train.

Chinese dinner, Japanese atmosphere

The train arrived and I was happy to feel my feet again. It was evening already, getting dark and Tomoko had invited me for dinner with her Japanese and Chinese classmates. It was a really nice restaurant and a nice atmosphere that reminded me of the times in Japan. This is nice thing what Asians have: eating together and sharing food, stories and becoming closer to each other. Also the interior of a restaurant is appropriate for gathering in groups as the rooms are separated.