I dream in Skyscanner ii: Shanghai

image c/o lost lawai

As I write this post I'm sitting on the floor of a cafe in Busan wearing Ajumma pants.  My two best gals and I are discussing travel plans and researching everything on our laptops.  This is quite possibly the most perfect Sunday afternoon imaginable.  I'm researching Shanghai, G is looking at Japan and possibilities for her layover in Beijing around Christmas, and O is checking out places to go for her nice long vacation of 10 days in January.  This is my life right now.  A year ago I was in the middle of the hustle and bustle of TIFF trying to deal with the needs of my employees out on jobs around the city while I was supposed to be "off the clock" and was at a party with some of the guys from Bachelor in Paradise.  Who knew my biggest concern a year later would be whether I want to visit a Temple during the day or at night?  Life is good here.  I really should write you a post on why you should drop everything and move to Korea, but for now let's talk China.

I fly from Busan to Shanghai September 25th, 2015 at 5:50 PM arriving at 6:25 PM.  I'll be staying in a central area in a hostel that only costs 41,757.32 KRW (just over $46 Canadian) for all 3 nights, looks like it has really cool architecture and decor, and offers:

---------SERVICE----------
* FREE Wi-Fi(in public area and every room)
* FREE 24-hour hot shower
* FREE luggage storage
* FREE board game to borrow
* FREE books to borrow
* FREE hair drier
* FREE self-service kitchen
* FREE travel information
* Movie Night every week
* Bicycle rental
* Laundry facilities 
* Tickets booking(Train tickets and plane tickets)
* Bar

It also boasts proximity to many of the sights of Shanghai making my trip planning a little easier:

People's Square ………………………………15mins walk
East Nanjing Road…….......…...………………15mins walk
Shanghai Museum…….......……………………1 stop away
The BUND………………....……………………2 stops away
The Oriental Pearl TV Tower.....………………3 stops away
Yu Garden……………….....………………6 bus stops away
Shanghai Natural Museum…….......………… 10min walk
The flea market at 580 west Nanjing road...…..20min walk
Shanghai Circus World………..………………4 stops away
Hengshan Road bar street........………………5 stops away
Shanghai Railway Station .........………………2 stops away
Shanghai South Railway Station………...……9 stops away

Having just watched Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown episode on Shanghai I'm even more excited about my upcoming trip.  I got a wicked deal too.  Using Skyscanner and Expedia I was able to get a flight for $207 round-trip and my hostel is costing me $46 so just over $250 for flight and accommodations.  I'm pretty thrilled.  When I was planning my trip to Osaka it felt a lot easier because it seems like such a small city.  I feel like Shanghai is so massive I can't choose where to go first.  I only have 2 full days in which to take in the city.  How can I decide?  I'm hoping to get some suggestions from the hostel, of course, but I still have a lot of research to do.

image c/o Elysee Shen & Getty Images

image c/o China Vacations

 image c/o afar.com

image c/o Splendour Holidays

I have no real interest in shopping at a department store so Shanghai No. 1 Department Store is out.  Renmin Park looks awesome, but  Yuyuan Park beside the City of God Temple seems more exciting.  The temple grounds look absolutely stunning.  Anyone who knows me really well knows I'm obsessed with architecture and cool looking buildings, so this whole trip will be a real treat.  I can't decide if I want to go during the day where I can take in nature or at night when it gets lit up and the night market opens.  I'm leaning toward going at night, but let me know your thoughts if you've been!

I want to spend some time soaking up the beauty of the architecture on the famous Bund.  From there it's my understanding that you can see The Oriental Pearl TV Tower.  Coming from Toronto I've been up the CN Tower a few times and am not super interested in paying $30 to go up and catch a view of the city.  I would much rather perch on a rooftop bar on the Bund.  There are some incredibly sexy rooftop bars on the Bund and I can't wait to sip Champagne or taste a perfect cocktail (or a champagne cocktail!) while taking in the sights and sounds of this stylish area.

image c/o Asia-Bars.com

Sir Elly's in the Peninsula Hotel boasts a beautiful view of the river and Pudong skyline.  The glamourous restaurant offers a 5 course tasting menu priced around $140 Canadian.  I'm not quite on that "treat yo'self" level quite yet, but hopefully one day!  For now, a drink with a view will most certainly do. 

image c/o splendia

The Banyan Tree is a collection of restaurants and hotels.  They actually have a location in Seoul I'd love to try, but for now how can you resist this patio and view? 

image c/o Hyatt Hotels

Vue Bar at the Hyatt has exceptional decor.  I don't know how I'm going to visit all of these places in one evening, but I'll put on a pair of heels (for the first time in Asia) and get to it.  Vue Bar's Champagne Brunch is $165 Canadian.  Another opportunity I'll most certainly be missing this time.

image c/o Smart Shanghai

image c/o The Helen Wang

Shook! uses molecular mixology techniques and actually lists their menu online.  Realistically I'll probably head here for the foie gras or the beet root tasting (ah! I've missed beets!) and a nice glass of wine (although the curried squash risotto with lamb sounds unreal).  Their brunch also sounds spectacular, so I may choose to go during the day.  This is the spot I'll probably choose as their menu seems designed specifically for me and their decor is impressive.  Go check out their menus here as I can't describe every item I want to try.

image c/o Lingua Tutor

image c/o China Travel Page

The way I shop on trips is between sights.  I'll want to check out Nanjing Street (a pedestrian shopping street) which is right near People's Square.  I want to check out Hengshan Road bar street as well.  I'll probably do that the first night.  Cavalleria Eroica is a wild statue I would love to see near the Shanghai Exhibition Centre.  

I can't wait for all the spectacular sights and tastes of Shanghai.  I can't wait to experience it all and tell you all about it!

Gyeongju - fit for a Queen

This past Saturday I had the opportunity to travel to Gyeongju with some passionate history students from Dong-A University in Busan.  They're our friend Joe's students (from G's birthday yachting experience) who wanted to share their Korean pride, culture, and history with Koreans and foreigners alike.  This trip was an absolute steal at KRW 50,000 ($50 Canadian) inclusive of a luxury coach bus, 7 cultural sights (including lunch at one of Korea's most famous restaurants!), a series of student tour guides telling us about each and every stop, not to mention the fantastic photographers/ videographers who have already posted a few photos AND an entire video detailing the trip!  We had an amazing experience that can't (and won't!) be distilled into one post, so get ready for my series on Gyeongju - an action-packed day fit for a Queen (...I mean - if the crown fits, right?).

We started off at the crack of dawn (well...7:30 AM) leaving Hwamyeong (our neighbourhood in the Westernmost point of Busan; almost in Gimhae).  We trekked out to the Jagalchi Market to meet up with our tour group, narrowly making it in time for my first trip to Starbucks in Korea.  I was a Starbucks addict in Toronto, but it is ridiculously expensive in Korea.  No more delicious skinny venti bevvies, that puppy was a tall decadent(ly-priced) skinny vanilla latte (yes - I went basic B*) that I sipped sparingly before boarding the bus.

\

When we boarded the bus we were given name tags which we initially put on with a groan, but then noticed the entire trip's time-specific itinerary was listed on the back.  For planners like me it was a total bonus to know exactly where we would be at what time.  While there was some fine print stating the schedule might change throughout the day, I found that we stayed true to the minute on most scheduled stops.  We began the trip with a fun little "Scavenger Hunt" through our bags/ purses to find novelty items, keys, mints, hair elastics, and other non-mentionables for some wicked prizes including the Elsa (from Frozen) socks I won (for showing off my key first), and our Doctor kit for my hair elastic.  A Starbucks giftcard was won by none other than G for the prophylactic in her purse.

 

With all the fun and games the trip out to Gyeongju was a blur (as you can see!).  We arrived ready and excited to venture into the ancient tombs of Daereungwon, where twenty-three tombs of Kings, Queens and ancient nobility of the Silla Kingdom (some 1,500 years ago) are located.  I couldn't get over how green everything was - in Busan was have tons of trees, grass, rivers, and lush mountains, but the vibrant green colour you'll see in the majority of the photos to follow just completely blew my mind.  I felt like we were visiting somewhere entirely different from my "new" home.

 

  

I don't think I took a bad photo the entire day.  Everything was so tidy and well-managed.  The Daereungwon Tomb Complex (home to Hwangnamdaechong and Cheonmachong tombs) are well-respected and taken care of with great detail.  Next, it was time to visit Cheomsungdae.  Well...kind of...

On the bus we were told an ancient tale of the first King of Silla.  When I saw the white horses I knew we had to go visit them.  Here's an outline from http://english.visitkorea.or.kr:

"To the southeast of the royal tomb, is a small monument that has been erected among the pine trees; next to the monument is a well called Najeong. According to Samguksagi (Historical records of the Three Kingdoms) and Samgungnyusa (Memorabilia from the Three Dynasties), Park Hyeokgeose, the founding monarch of Silla, was born by this well. In 69 BC, Sobeolgong, the head of Goheochon Village, saw a white horse on its knees by the well. When he approached the well he found that the horse had magically disappeared and that a large egg was left in its place, from which a boy was born. When the boy turned 13 years old (57 BC), he was appointed king by the village chiefs and began to rule the area then called ‘Seorabeol’. A memorial stone (2.25 meters high, 45 centimeters long, and 21 centimeters wide) was erected in 1803 in the third year of King Sunjo's rule (Joseon Dynasty) detailing the historical origins of the founding father of Silla."

We ventured off from the group (briefly!) to check them out and take a couple quick snaps before heading across the street to marvel at Cheomsungdae.  Along the way we joked around with one of our awesome group leaders (S) and met some new, regal pals:

We stopped at the oldest surviving observatory in Asia: Cheomsungdae.  At first it may not look like much, but this building was designed with painstaking detail representing the days of the lunar year as well as the days in a month.

"Cheomseongdae is the oldest existing astronomical observatory in Asia. 
Constructed during the reign of Queen Seon-deok (632-647), it was used for observing the stars in order to forecast the weather. This stone structure is a beautiful combination of straight lines and curves, and was designated as National Treasure No.31 on December 20th, 1962. 

Cheomseongdae was built in a cylinder shape with stones 30cm in diameter. 362 stones were piled up to make 27 levels. Roughly 4.16m up from the bottom there is a 1㎡ square entrance and a space to hang a ladder under it. 
The inside is filled with soil up to the 12th level, and the 19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th levels all have long rocks hanging on two areas, shaped as the Chinese letter '井' (jeong). 

It stands 9.17m high and the base stone on each side measures 5.35m. 
The Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Winter Solstice, Summer Solstice and the 24 solar terms (also known as the astronomical solar year) were determined by the observation of stars. The pavilion stone is believed to have been used as a standard of deciding directions, north, south, east and west. The 362 stones used to build Cheomseongdae represented the 362 days in a lunar year."

- Visit Korea Cheomseongdae Observatory

 

We stuck around the observatory for a bit with our tour leaders and were coaxed into trying on traditional outfits - free of charge!  Never have I ever heard the sound of so many shutters going off in fierce syncopation.  We had at least 5 photographers taking photos of the silly Waegoogins (foreigners) all dressed up.  I'm a little bitter that that crown didn't make its way home with me.  I feel like it would have been highly appropriate attire for rowdy nights in KSU or Gwangan...

Even if you haven't researched there are a variety of interactive ways to get around the grounds and learn about the history (we stopped into a little air-conditioned space with a media wall in various languages for tourists, but there are also bike tours and walking tours available).  After 30 minutes wandering and taking in nature it was lunch time - but we'll save those side dishes for another post coming your way soon ;)