The train was very crowded. We spent some time talking on the lower bunks until the lights went out. We then ventured over to the dining car to hang out there. When it was time for bed, I climbed up to my bed, which was the highest hard sleeper bunk. It was quite narrow and being so high off the ground, it was somewhat unnerving navigating in the bed in total darkness. I did get some sleep but it was not a restful sleep. But traveling on a sleeper train in China was a first for me!
We arrived in Shanghai in the early morning and navigated our way towards the City Central International Hostel. The hostel was very nice and felt more like a hotel. I definitely would stay there again. The check-in was a little slow and the food service was slow as well. It is located near the subway and the coffee was very good. I stayed in a 4-bed dormitory (another first for me). I was in a room with 3 really nice French guys studying in Beijing. Overall, it was a nice, clean, friendly, and comfortable property.
After crashing for a few hours to recover from our train travels, we took a walk along the Bund and took in the sights on the waterfront. Lunch was at a Japanese restaurant on the popular pedestrian mall on Nanjing Road. Dinner was at a delicious Brazilian BBQ buffet located in the French Quarter!
New Year's Eve Day we went shopping at popular market known for its off-brand products. I scored some nice Chinese garments that I wore out that night. We also enjoyed some local art galleries and incredible graffiti art along Moganshan Lu. Lunch was at an Indian Restaurant at Cool Docks along the river. Although we considered some grand options to celebrate 2014, we ended up toasting the New Year on the patio of a bar on Nanjing Road. The crowds were endless. Afterwards, we went to a Blues and Jazz Club and a popular dance club called Mint.
New Year's Day was pretty mellow since we were leaving that day. We ventured over to Pudong to see the Apple Store (continuing my tour of Apple Stores) and the Pearl Tower on that side of the river. The return involved a long nap and a Scrabble game on the high-speed bullet train back to Zhengzhou. Only 7 hours for the return. A good trip overall!