On our last morning in Shanghai, we got up early and headed off to the Bund for a walk. The pedestrian street beside the hotel was teeming with people doing tai chi, but on the Bund, where I expected lots of people, it was almost deserted. There were a few walkers and the odd old man flying a kite, but that was it.
The city workers were out in full force cleaning the streets and watering the plants. We even saw one worker using a windex like product on the garbage cans. Yes, the public areas of Shanghai are very clean.
Big boats were seen heading out to sea, laden with cargo.
When you looked around, there was always something interesting to see. Like other areas of China, I'm impressed by the gardening in public places. This flock of seagulls was a fine example in the middle of the boulevard of a busy street.
I finally figured out what this bumpy patch on the sidewalk is. I guess before whenever we walked down a sidewalk, it was so congested with people that I could never see it in it's entirety. This morning, without any other people around, I was able to see that this is a path for the visually impaired. The texture changes as it comes to intersections and there is yet another texture where you should stop. For a country that does not seem attuned to the disabled at all, it was a pleasant surprise.
We realised that we could walk to the market from where we were on the Bund, so we did. I also revisited my "Linda Linda" store but, you would be proud Robin, I did not buy anything. Instead, we walked back to the hotel where we ate, showered and are now getting ready to go to the airport.
We've had a great trip and learnt a lot. What a wonderful country. The only thing missing is my family. I can't wait to get home.
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