Shanghai

We are in Shanghai at the moment! This hostel is amazing compared to the Hong Kong guesthouse - we have an ensuite bathroom, about 6 times the size of the one in HK, with a posh shower, a TV, a kettle, microwave and wardrobe. The train journey here (20 hours - overnight) was better than we were expecting. We bought a postable DVD player and some pirated DVDs in HK, and as the train had a socket we spent most of the time watching DVDs or sleeping. Despite the name, (we were on the 'hard sleeper') our beds were surprisingly comfy, very like the ones in HK, and duvets and pillows were provided.

When we got here, we had to find an ATM to get some money out, as the currency is different in HK and China. We asked a chinese man who didn't understand us, and the group steadily grew as we tried to explain. One guy eventually understood and led us off to find one - walking right down the centre of a busy road. We followed, dodging cars and mopeds, and found one eventually. We then needed to get a taxi to the hostel, but I had mislaid the road name. Found same group of chinese men who tried to understand my english writing (i had spelt the road name wrong) and offered to take us to a similar sounding road for 100 yuen (10 pounds). Nick was unsure, and we found a taxi rank with a guy with a computer and routefinder, who wrote down the actual name of the road in chinese symbols. We took his taxi, which cost 11 yuen. No seatbelt in the cab; lots of blaring horns to try and get pedestrians off the road. Saw quite a few people wearing surgical masks - this was the same in HK too - and unsure why. Could be pollution, or fear of catching an illness, or because they are ill themselves.

That evening we went out for dinner, and found a chinese place that had no english menu and who's waitress spoke no english. She chose out meal for us. 10 minute later, a basket of rocket, a plate on elongated mushrooms, what looked like dried skin and squid, came out. We dubiously picked some skin up with chopsticks, before being told to wait. A bubbling pot of stew followed, and was put in a gas stove on our table. I tried to eat some skin again, but in a blather of chinese, the waitress stopped me, and took my chopstick and started putting the skin into the stew. Aha. We followed suit, and the concoction was nice, if a little hot. We were unsure as to what the meat was - Nick said it was chicken, but it was very bony. I recollected one english girl telling me she had eaten chicken foot - I checked with the waitress, and yes indeed, we were eating chicken foot. I stopped eating the meat then.
We were unable to finish the meal (it was very spicy after a while, and even Nick gave in) and paid 50 yuen for a half eaten chicken-foot stew. An experience.