Happy New Year! And it is off to Shanghai for the break, and I couldn’t be more excited. I already had a list made before even coming to China. The one place that I wanted to make sure to go to is Disneyland and the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. We had 9 days to explore what we could in Shanghai, with a pit stop in Hangzhou. We strolled the streets of Nanjing Road where we visited the Jingan Temple also known as the Golden Temple, all the way to Yan’an Road where we visited the Shanghai Museum and everything else in between. In the museum, we viewed some of the rich histories of China experiencing beautiful artworks and collections.
Besides the enrichment of the history, we able to experience more of the culture through food. There were many dishes that I got to enjoy while on our stay but one of the best was a 3-course meal that I had the pleasure of eating from Maya, a Mexican restaurant that had a great vegan option. I finally got to try the pan-fried dumplings that everyone has been raving about. Although the best was the breakfast we had in the back alley. You read that correctly, the restaurant was so packed that they kindly set us up in the back, and it was worth it.
With a few days left till our return home to Tianjin, I was able to take a final tour around for an up-close view of some of the must-sees in Shanghai. We visited the Jin Ma Tower, Shanghai Financial Tower, and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Taking our journey to the serene beauty of the Yuan Garden was very calming. It did rain that day, but it was still a great experience. Ending the day with the lighting of the lanterns at the Yuyuan Garden, where we also visited the infamous teahouse.
As our night came to end after a great dinner, we took a stop for coffee. As an avid coffee drinker, it was exciting to visit the Starbucks Roastery. I have never been to a Starbucks where I had to select the coffee for my Americano. Although the coffee experience I had at Shimmer, was the best. Thanks to one of my compadres noticing a sign for a soft opening, some of the members got to have a coffee fusion that they said was awesome.
I really enjoyed my experience with the group during our break. Looking forward to my continued adventure in Tianjin. There are more places that I have left to visit, and days are winding down. Till next time.