No rain today, but still cloudy. In the morning I went to the luxury hotel on Nanjing Rd to get free map of the city. Good method! There is INFO kiosk on the pedestrian zone, but they have only Chinese version. Nanjing Rd with luxury shops looks like Champs Elysees in Paris. But it is enough to walk 100 m to the left or right to see completly different image of the town – street eateries, bicycle workshops located just on the sidewalk and the poverty. On Nanjing you -the foreigner – will be bothered many times: massage? pretty girl? rollex?
What is new since my previous visit? Local police is warning guests against “consumption trap” Friendly locals are approaching you, they speak English, they show some knowledge about your country and they want to be your best friend. They invite you to have the meal in the restaurant or to the bar and then you are forced to pay extraorbitant bill…
I took a long walk along the Bund – the waterfront, where you still can see the monument of Chairman Mao.
Then I turned to Yuyuan bazaar. It is huge are of old-like architecture. In the labirynth of stylish buildings there are two things worth to see: The taoist temple of the God of the City (entry fee 10 yuans) and the traditional Chinese garden surrounded by high wall (entry 40 y).
