Today was our second full day here in Shanghai, so our sleep schedules still remain slightly skewed. The group woke up at a myriad of different times; between midnight and six in the morning (I woke up to the early light coming through the windows at four am).
From 6-7:30 we all ate breakfast. Once again this morning we had a blend of classic western breakfast options - waffles, eggs etc. - and some typical Chinese breakfast picks, including noodles and dumplings. Following breakfast we packed our bags for the long day to come. We left the hotel at 9:30 and took the bus to the Shanghai museum.
Over a couple hours we toured the museum which was filled with fascinating ancient and modern objects dating as far back as 6,800 BCE. We left the museum and headed to lunch. After we ate we drove to the outskirts of Shanghai Old Town. We walked into old town and went to Yu Garden. We walked about the gardens and saw the koi ponds, the intricate wood ornamentation on the buildings and the winding paths throughout the gardens. We left the gardens and walked into the Old Town.
The Old Town is a mind bending, chaotic, beautiful, blend of classic architecture and modern storefronts selling trinkets and unusual offerings. The sun was shining down through the wood carvings and lattice work of the traditional roofs on to the street as we shopped and looked around for two or so hours. This was my favorite part of the day; Mark, Sam and I walked around buying shirts and taking pictures on our cameras of the area. We left the Old Town, had dinner and then went to the Shanghai acrobatics show. The show was mind blowing and extremely well put together. It was a very long and tiring day, but I think I have a far greater sense of the nature of the city after today!!
-George Reinhardt '20