Shanghai Street

Yesterday I thought about how wonderfully ugly this street - Shanghai Street - is and that I must remember the name to come back and take photos of the incredibly ugly corners and the bizarre street scenes here.

And what do I discover this morning when packing, where our new abode is? Right, Shanghai Street! I have a good laugh. Our "hotel" is called "Shanghai Red". Very fitting, because it's located above a corner food stall, right next to the ladies of night. The room is tiny, clean and fortunately not as smelly as the hallway. The toilet is also the shower and you have to decide whether you want to go to the bathroom or close the door. Both is not possible, haha. In short, Armelle and I are very satisfied. It could have been much worse.

Armed with the camera, I set off. I'm excited. But first, I need something to eat. Somehow, I lack the natural access to authentic Chinese cuisine. On the one hand, I can't read anything here (Cantonese, you know) and on the other hand, I have no idea what could be delicious here. I love to try everything and order blindly, but when it comes to chicken feet and fish heads, I'm out. I see a passerby with a foam box containing a delicious-looking soup and on top, some unidentifiable algae and other strange stuff. No idea what that is and where he got it. I wish Wüsti was here. She would be just the right person to introduce me to this culinary adventure with enthusiasm. But even after three wishes, my right, right seat is still empty. Damn it. With Armelle, I set off and end up in a vegetarian restaurant. The food is cheap and not bad, but unfortunately a bit boring.

Then we go our separate ways. I'm very glad that Armelle is so uncomplicated and can go her own way. I prefer to be alone when taking photos; then I have the time to try it again and again in a different way, to go two meters further (haha) to wait for interesting passersby. When there are others around, I feel pressured to finish quickly and that's no fun. And here in Shanghai Street, the inner shaking of my head doesn't take long, which makes me press the trigger.

There is a fresh market where you can buy all sorts of possible and impossible things. And this man is actually describing the red flags by hand with gold paint. What an incredible amount of work for practically nothing. I always assumed they were industrial mass-produced items, but no way. Oh my goodness!

I'm completely fascinated by the fact that I can't read anything. It's totally crazy here! I'm thrilled.

Would you like a small shellfish? Behind glass panels, you can choose what should end up on the plate later. Price tag on one of the numerous legs. Oh my!

The approaching darkness makes everything look much friendlier and less run-down. For me, it's still an overload for the eyes. The travel guide would say: atmospheric. Haha! Yes! I have the impression that most tourists only perceive the skyline, the shopping opportunities and the hypermodern facades and ignore the other faces of Shanghai. But I find this part much more exciting.

Before meeting Armelle for a cool-down beer, I absolutely want to try the waffle-like dessert "Egg Puff," which according to TripAdvisor is supposed to be the best at Mammy's Pancake. Luckily, there's a branch around the corner in Temple Street. Here, numerous variations of Egg Puff are offered; you place your order and receive a waiting slip like at Ikea's customer service department. And when your number appears, the freshly prepared Egg Puff is ready for pickup. The line is long and I can hardly decide what I want. In the end, I choose Banana Chocolate Chips with Vanilla Ice Cream. If you're going to do it, do it right. Luckily, the waffle with egg-like bubbles is not greasy and tastes really good.

I would love to take a nice photo of me and the Egg Puff in front of the pretty green door of the neighboring house. But it doesn't work out the way I would like it to. Unfortunately, I can't take the photo myself. When I position myself in front of the door, a local informs me that it is a brothel. A real brothel. Very cool. The person from Hong Kong is completely bewildered that I'm not completely shocked, but rather disappointed because none of my friends will be able to read it and I now see it as a special challenge to eagerly lick the balls! Hahaha! Fun must be had! That's my father's daughter and I can already push the boundaries of good behavior.