If you missed my trip to China parts 1 and 2, catch up here and here. Welcome back! I left you last with my thoughts on Chinese toileting habits and a full day of touring in the rain. Now we return to Shanghai and a totally different experience…. first stop, breakfast.

Anna and I stopped at a local bakery for breakfast on our way to YuYuan Gardens. It was called 85 Degrees Cafe and is a Taiwanese chain of bakery/coffee shops. The shop was cute and was a self serve set-up, you walked through the displays and chose your pastries with tongs from their bins. I was excited and sure that I would recognize most dishes…how different can donuts and cakes be? Boy was I wrong. Anna and I chose an assortment of pastries, some of which she had tried before, like the hotdog danish thing in the middle, some of which were new to both of us, like the doughnut holes, or what we assumed were doughnut holes.

Upon tasting our spoils, we discovered that one of the pastries resembling a cheese danish was actually full of seafood (bleh) and the sure to be delicious and normal doughnut holes were actually full of an unknown substance with the exact taste and texture of dirt. I’m still not sure what that filling is….not chocolate. I’m shuddering a little just thinking about it.

And here’s a funny picture of a Christmas cake at the bakery….I guess it’s a Yule Log? It’s kind of cute but I don’t really get the little mushroom? Kind of Christmas-y, but maybe not quite…I have never seen one of these in the US but they were ALL over China.

Needless to say, breakfast was kind of a bust, so off we went to Yu Gardens. Yu Gardens means “Garden of Happiness” and is a large garden built by the Ming Dynasty in the 1500’s. It is located in the old part of Shanghai and is one of the larger tourist attractions in the city. It was pretty in the winter when we visited and I’m sure only gets more beautiful in the spring and summer. It is full of large koi ponds with cute little boats, beautiful pagodas and temples, and all sorts of water plants and flowers.

Since the gardens are such a tourist hot spot, they are also full of merchants selling some pretty interesting wares. This is where I first discovered how hilarious English translations on Chinese signage can be.  Exhibit A from the underground market:

I THINK it’s a tailor that makes furry suits for fat guys….but who really knows?

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For those who missed my arrival in Shanghai and introduction to hostels, catch up here. For those who are up to speed and anxious to hear my thoughts on Asian toilets, welcome back.

After an early bedtime my first night in China, I woke up with no jet lag, ready to hit the streets and explore Shanghai. Despite my enthusiasm, the weather was sufficiently gloomy, causing a necessary stop to buy umbrellas at the corner store at the end of Pet Shop Street. I’m not sure that “store” is the right term as this was really just an open air stand that sold fruit, cell phones, liquor and ice cream (although no live animals, despite their prime location). Only the necessities. Two pink umbrellas* and some bananas for breakfast later and we were off!

*It is worth noting that our umbrellas were REALLY cheaply made and consistently turned inside out or only worked on one side, doing very little to protect us from the rain. We laughed A LOT about our “losing face umbrellas” that got lots of side eye from the locals. Case in point: When you really need an umbrella, don’t go for the bargain at the corner bodega.

Our first stop was the Shanghai Museum, it was full of beautiful, ancient works of art and most importantly, it was free and indoors. I enjoy museums and this one had a very diverse set of displays. There were jewelry and pottery collections, beautiful, antique furniture, rooms full of statues and carved masks and even a fashion exhibit that included a suit made from salmon skin.

I imagine this was both tedious to make and uncomfortable to wear.

My favorite part of the museum, and really of all the artwork I saw throughout my time in China were the carved and painted screens. The minute detail and incredible amount of skill and time that must have gone into producing such pieces is awe inspiring. The creation of art like that and more importantly, the appreciation of it truly seem like things of the past in our fast paced, modern world.

After a morning spent dodging the rain and appreciating China’s past, it was time to step back into the present, and not a moment too soon as our breakfast bananas had worn off back around the salmon skin suit! Anna knew of a nearby fast food place she wanted me to try so we headed that way, but first, a stop at the public restroom outside the museum.

This may look like your typical outdoor rest area, but lo and behold, if you’ve never been to an Asian country, you are in for a treat once you open the door.

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