Time of year visited: Summer
Weather: Hot
Attractions visited: The Bund, Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai World Financial Center, Nanjing Road
Accommodations
If you would like to return after a work day or a day of sightseeing to a familiar accommodation, choose a US-based hotel chain. If you would like a more authentic country experience, select your hotel of choice. I stayed this trip in a Marriott by our local office.
Know Before You Go
I’m going to start with the one that was the biggest change for me, personally. Squat pots. Yes, you read that right. Squat pot. While airports and most hotels, etc., will have normal toilets, you will find that many public restrooms have a small stall with a hole in the ground over which you will squat to use the restroom. Sometimes there is toilet paper, soap and water, and sometimes there is not. For this reason, I was very glad for a habit I had picked up when traveling in Europe in always carrying travel size facial tissue packets and hand sanitizer. I usually put one set in my purse and back ups in my suitcase. You will be glad you did.
Food options are not the same, nor is food prepared and served the same way, in China as it is in the U.S. In lieu of beef, chicken, salmon be prepared to see pork, duck, seafood and some potentially familiar items such as dumplings, noodles, and soups. The preparation is not Western, so you will likely see bones, skin, connective tissue, shells, etc. with the protein. In one memorable meal I ate duck with the skin and some kind of snake. I politely declined a blood jelly substance, although with as much grace as I could. The Chinese are the most gracious of hosts. Knowing this it is difficult to turn down anything. Ordering rice and vegetable dishes where you can is helpful to a digestive system not used to eating this way. I personally tended to eat smaller meals at the restaurants and one of the granola bars I packed back at the hotel room.
Liquids. Be prepared to purchase bottled water and other canned or glass bottled beverages. Water in China is not treated the same way U.S. water is, and you can end up with some stomach and digestive upset if you drink it regularly. This is true in much of Asia. I head as soon as possible to a market for bottled water – one larger bottle a day to haul around in my backpack or purse and to sit by my bed at night, or two to three smaller ones to get me through a day or two. If you are a big water drinker, you may need to make more than trip to the store during your stay to replenish.
For the reasons above I advise bringing medicine to treat any number of digestive ailments. I have a large ziploc bag with my travel medicine. In it I have tums or another antacid, pepto or similar, imodium or similar, a stool softener, and a probiotic. Overkill? No. Each trip to Asia I have been on I have needed one or more of these things. On one trip I ended up with a bug that stayed with me for two weeks. It was not pretty.
Dress. When traveling abroad, especially for work, I usually pack interchangeable pieces, items that unpack without a lot of wrinkles, and a combination of office and evening / free time (casual) attire. In Asian countries buildings are not normally cooled to the same degree they are in the U.S. I am typically cold more often than I am warm, so I find it to be very comfortable. However, if my husband were there, he would break a sweat within the first ten minutes. Your best best is to pack layers to give yourself options. People tend to dress conservatively in Asian countries as well, so take that into consideration.
As mentioned above, in my experience, Asian cultures have what I consider to be some of the more inclusive, accommodating, and respectful people. If traveling for business or hosting guests, in the U.S. we would happily all go our separate ways all but one evening where we’d plan a group dinner. In China especially you will find that your in-country hosts will want to make sure you are taken care of. You might not even realize that your hosts or host office has arranged more than one chaperoned activity on your behalf until you arrive. If you weren’t able to time your travel to where you are quickly adapted to the new time zone, it is okay to ask for an early evening to rest – just make sure you don’t do it on a night when your hosts have organized the entire office to do something with you. If you want to plan ahead for some downtime, you can casually mention your anticipated need for a rest evening in advance or at the beginning of your trip to your host/hostess.
The blend of modern and historic in the cities of China is an experience not to be missed. I found Shanghai to be less Westernized and commercial than Hong Kong and it provided me with a good feel for how people in this city live. I saw many high rise apartment buildings, people walking and biking to work or shuttling on public transportation, and people carrying their shopping bags through the streets. Lunchtime was a true peel away for a break. In the U.S. I often worked straight through lunch or took 20 minutes or so to eat and got right back to it. Community meals are common in Chinese workplaces.
<INSERT PHOTO>
What Was Missed
I wish I had had another week in China. I would have loved to have seen the Great Wall, a temple, and The Forbidden City. In Shanghai I had wanted to see the Jade Palace but ran out of time. I did go to Hong Kong (another post), but again, would have enjoyed a free day around work to explore more.
It is on my bucket list to return one day as a tourist and bring my family. If you have the opportunity to go, do! You won’t regret it.
Not Tomorrow 