Over the past two weekends, Nate and I have ventured out to new neighborhoods in and around Shanghai. From living in India, we learned that it's best to explore as much as we can early on, as it gets harder to want to venture out in the immediate vicinity once we get settled and into a routine.

Tianfizang

Last weekend we went to an area called Tianfizang. We're finding that in-between the large skyscrapers, hotels and massive shopping malls, there are lots of traditional longtang (alley-ways) reminding us that Shanghai still has a lot of 'old' hidden between the new. Tianfizang houses design studios, boutiques, and cafes down each of its alley-ways that cater to tourists, while local families live above these store fronts.

Lots of great touristy shops, and oddly -- no Chinese food! Nate and I stopped for a quick bite at a quaint cafe called Bell Bar. Missing the excellent Mexican food in the Bay Area, we decided to try their quesadilla...unfortunately, it was a so-so fajita-quesadilla. Oh well!

Qibao

The nice thing about Shanghai is that they have a very large metro system that's super easy to navigate. This past weekend we decided to venture just a little bit further out. I had read that just thirty minutes by metro out of downtown Shanghai there is an ancient settlement with lots of traditional historic architecture, alongside longtangs and canals.

All the street food smelled delicious, but before we could decide I got a little overwhelmed...

We got to the top of one of the bridges overlooking the canal, I looked down and saw the alley-ways FILLED with people! I instantly got overwhelmed and decided I'd try to find something to eat somewhere not so crowded -- too many people!!!

~ Trisha

P.S. Be sure to take a look at more pictures from Tianfizang and Qibao in Nate's 'shanghai [dec 13]' album!