Hiya to you all and very sorry for no enteries over the past week but with nights in Shanghai spent drinking and chatting and the 2 nights in Hangzhou with very poor internet it just hasn't been possible. Anyway so since we last updated we spent another 4 and a half days in Shanghai and then 2 and a half in Hangzhou. were now back in Shanghai, but hopfully for only a night as wanting to head to Hong Kong tomorrow. Depending on trains.

Day 2 in Shanghai (Tuesday 21st April)

Today was a bit of a girly day! We headed out in search of the Shanghai Barbie Store (I can hear the moans now!) but on the way there we got a bit distracted with H&M. So after spending a good hour or so in there buying a couple of tops for me and Caroline a pair of leggings and a top, we then carried on looking! It turned out we had walked past it as the building was just plain white, same as all the other buildings! We were expecting a pink palace! Once inside it was a very pink place with Barbie magic every where!! We were very impressed with the Armani Barbie/Versarce Barbie/and many more exciting designs and styles! Lots of pictures taken in the 6 floors of Barbie maddness!!
From here and after a bit of lunch (food reasonable, coke not so!!) we went in search of People's Square! What a nightmare!! The Chinese might be renound for their electronics but not there sign posts!! You get one sign and then they just end! And the maps always seem to be missing roads off them. Not helpful!! Although the subway station near by says People's Square its got 19 exits and not that easy to distinquish which way its meant to be! Well after a walk in what we discovered was People's park, we then saw a local picture of Shanghai Museum. Because Shaghai museum is in People Square we then just followed the building looking for a building that had the same roof! It worked and we eventually found Peoples square. It was gone 5 by then or maybe nearer 6 so didn't go in the museum but did make a half hearted decision to go back. (Caroline not at all bothered but I was at the time interested but not urgent!). We had a walk around and then decided on going back to East Nanning Street to see the night lights. This was also our 1st experience of market food. Some very nice meatballs eaten whilst people watching! Once back in the area of our hostel we found some proper street vendors and had some great noodles cooked in front of us (I've never seen such big flames-and the guy didn't even flinch!), all for 50p!!

Day 3 in Shanghai (Wednesday 22nd April)

Today was a late start due to having a lay in, needing to do washing and internet. Once out and about we went in search of Yu'uan Gardens. Another place where signs and roads were not on the map or just non exsistant!! Very frustrating but we did come across Chinas answer to Skegness pier!! Also we tagged on to the back of a chinese tour group,didn't understand a word, but it meant we got to walk along lots of back streets where the people literally seem to live, work and socialise. Washing lines don't really exsist here but they all have big bamboo poles with their washing just hanging in the steet!! This area is in the old town so some of the buildings were amazing pieces of art and very interesting to look at!
We eventually found the Yu'uan gardens and paying the usual tourist fee we then spent a good couple of hours wondering around and taking it all in. We also bumped into my work colleague again! From here we then had a walk through the market around the gardens and had some spring rolls in a Chinese food court. Very tasty but very greesy! We could have had so much more but due to not being that hungry (late lunch) we just stuck with those. The locals were loving it though.
From here we jumped back on the subway and headed back over to the area where the Bund is, to see it at night. Very pretty with the buildings lit up all around us! Also all the river cruise ships were lit up so pretty cool to just stand and watch. Also learnt how to use the video on my camera at this point! It gets fairly cold here at night so after just standing and watching, we were freezing our butts off! We decided on heading back to the hostel via the street vendors for some more good cheap food!! Night spend chatting in the hostels with few beers!!

Day 4 in Shanghai (Thursday 23rd April)

Headed out mid morning and decided today to go to the other side of the bund. This is the side with the Oriental Pearl TV tower and the convention centre along with the aquarium etc. So all the buildings we could see when we were on the rivers edge. The TV tower is impressive but we decided not to go up it due to price!! So we just did some more walking along the bund but this time the view was obviously different as we were on the other side! It was also a great day so lovely and warm. Its amazing how time goes so quickly when your just walking, talking and viewing. We were going to have food along the rivers edge but the drinks in most places were the same price as the actual food! All because you "get a room with a view"!! So we settled on a Starbucks coffee people watching on and around the Hangpuzu (?) River and then had sub of the day at Subway!! All very American! But cheaper!!

The rest of the day/early evening was spent finding the theatre we were due at the following day. Once we found it (another long walk!), we went back to the hostel via the street vendors and then had quite a few beers in the hostel bar. More than intended as we ended up playing beer pong. We did knock out several teams to make it to the final, including some very cocky French guys (they told us before even playing that we were going out!-How wrong were they!!). But once in the final unfortunatly we flopped and were beated to the prize by two Americans!! How very disapointing!! But fun with free beer, what more can you ask for!!

Day 5 in Shanghai (Friday 24th April)

Today we took the hostel transportation to Zhujiajiao Water Town. Its about an hour away from Shanghai and its one of the only remaining free entry towns of its sort in the area. Ironically it was chucking it down all day but this kind of made for a better experience. We had intended on going by local transport which would have worked out slightly cheaper but the night before we'd decided along with a English couple (Lex and Garath) we'd met and at the time a Sweedish couple (they dropped out in the end due to the rain!) that we would all go on the hostel bus. It was deffiantly a lot easier this way than it could have been. Once there we had a good four hours wondering around through the little steets, over the bridges and along the water. A couple of other guys from the hostel also stayed with us, so we all just walked around together. There was an obsession there of wanting to sell really fish to foriegners. Its meant to be good luck to throw them in the river, we all decided that in this river it most certainly would not have been good luck for the fish!! we saw many a dead fish in the river!! The whole area really had the sense of old style China with the buildings and the ways the locals lived and worked. Cafes were just tables in the living room with the occasional one over looking the rivers. There we lots of tubs of turtles along the cobbled streets, we were told that you just picked which one who would like and that would be the one you got to eat!!! Caroline also got some hagling practice in and bought a pearl necklace for the equivalent of a pound!

The journey back to Shanghai unfortunatly took double the time due to traffic so after a quick shower and change we headed out along with Lex and Garath to the Acrobatics! It was performed by The New Shanghai Circus and was execellent. We had a great time and couldn't beleive how quickly it went by. When the finale was called we all looked at our watches!! Its utterly amazing how the girls can get their bodies into the shapes they can!! And the end performance was a motoirbike troupe doing stunts and spins in a giant metal ball!! There was also some plate spinning and roller skating all with acrobatics in there as well!! The night was finished off with street food and a few beers. Plus a chat with a Canadian couple (Jason and Jill) we'd met a few nights before.

Day 6 in Shanghai and then Hangzhou (Saturday 25th April)

Check out was not till 12pm so we took full advantage of this and then after a bit of chilling and a few coffees we headed down to Shanghai train station to get tickets for Hangzhou. Typically the ticket office was closed so I had to negociate the Chinese ticket machines. Thankfully not as hard as first thought!! We had an hour to kill so we grabbed a late luch and then took the train to Hangzhou. Hangzhou is about an hour and a half by train and is famous for West lake and tea!! China actually has 36 West lakes but this is the most famous. The journey flew by but taxi drivers in Hangzhoui didn't like us so it took quite a while to get to the hostel. Once there we were amazed by the surroundings. The hostel was set on a hill away from the main road and it was just like an oasis away from any city maddness. There was also a padoga on the hill just behind us which when lit up was beautiful. The whole area was lovely. That night as we hadn't got there till late we just chilled out with Leanne ( a girl we had met previously in Shanghai), drank lots of beers and chatted till late. We kept the hostel staff amused as well!!

I'm stopping now as its gone midnight and I want to enjoy a beer without a keyboard for company. Hope you've enjoyed so far and we will do Sunday and Monday tomorrow. xxx