When people think Shanghai, most think of the picture perfect Bund and the riverside walk beside it. And on my first night in Shanghai (granted, I’ve been to Shanghai before but was limited in playing actual tourist) with my mother in tow, the Bund and Nanjing Road were exactly where we went to take in the sights and sounds. If only it were not so gosh darn hot and humid!

In fact, stepping off the plane, my immediate regret was that we hadn’t already returned to the wintry climes of Australia. The wrongness was further magnified when the rideshare car pulled up at the wrong hotel and we had to wait for another. Even then, the hotel my mother initially booked was less than stellar. It was far from all the amenities we would be heading out to see and looked more rundown than lush and lavish.

Having tired from the time spent with my extended family in Xinjiang, I was chomping on the bit to actually start holidaying in bliss. Once we’d shed our luggage, we headed to the main thoroughfare of Nanjing Road (a forty or so minute drive from the hotel we were currently staying at. During the drive, my mother cancelled our stay for the next three nights and as we enjoyed our dinner, booked a new hotel much closer to where we were actually going. It was also closer to the metro station).

Once we arrived, we set about finding a place to dine. This ended up being at Hongyi Plaza where we enjoyed some simple fare. Though I’d eaten on the four hour flight over, it hadn’t been quite as filling as I’d hoped (that said, I did watch Sonic and Sing 2). After dinner, we headed down the wrong direction – passing by Miniso Land, a SEGA store and animate (a store I thought was Japan only) before realisation struck. Then it was an about turn as we headed back east towards Waitan, the famous waterfront area of Shanghai with its blend of European architecture and iconic skyscraper heavy skyline.

What I had not anticipated, however, were the sheer number of people in attendance. Despite the hour, and the perpetual heat, Waitan and Nanjing Road had an ocean of heaving bodies. Suffice it to say, my mother and I enjoyed a stroll down towards the pier before taking a taxi back to our hotel.

The next day, we woke late. After checking out, we hopped once more into another rideshare car and took it to our new hotel for the rest of our stay in Shanghai. Once we’d unpacked the necessities, it was back out onto the streets.

Our destination? Shanghai Tower.

The tallest building in China, it stands at 632 metres and is situated at the heart of Lujiazui, Pudong. It officially opened in 2015, it began construction in 2008. Equipped with one of the fastest lifts, we reached near the top within a minute or so.

And though my mother and I vacillated between it and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Shanghai Tower won out because it it was higher and we would be able to look down at it from the observation deck. Even bleachpanda knows I seek out the high point in every city I visit so I can look out and enjoy a bird’s eye view.

I blame all the time I’ve played the Assassin’s Creed series. Because while I won’t ever be able to do a Leap of Faith, I can still head up high to survey the nearby landscape.

While we were at Shanghai Tower, my mother and I enjoyed a hot drink and a passionfruit red velvet cake. A treat for the trekking we’d done earlier in the morning. But also, who wouldn’t want a nice little snack while looking out on the sprawling city beneath them? If Altair or Ezio could pack a sandwich perked on the top of a roof, I’m sure they’d do so.

Evie Frye would know what I mean. She’s British, after all.

After we had drunk our fill of the sight, mother and I headed back down. Stopping briefly at a 7-11, we enjoyed a quick lunch of sandwiches and vegetarian bao. Alas, it is only at time of writing up this post that I’ve realised we missed out on checking out the flagship Disney store that was also nearby.

Nevertheless, Yu Yuan (also known as Yuyuan Garden) was our next stop.

We stopped by a local temple before wending our way through the shopping complex to the Jiuqu Bridge. What surprised me were the promotional material for a video game also evident on display. But I suppose they were trying to modernise and bring in a younger clientele to the site.

It wasn’t long before we headed into Yuyuan Garden proper. First built in 1559 during the Ming Dynasty, it is located in the northeast part of the Old City of Shanghai in Huangpu District. But while Wikipedia tells me the grounds were designed to be a complex set of different gardens with the Exquisite Jade Rock to serve at its centrepiece, I took more pleasure in admiring the architecture. Of particular interest were the two dragons playing with a pearl.

Once we’d wandered through the entirety of the garden (and did some light shopping), we headed back to the hotel to rest. Before too long, it was dinner time. My mother and I found a place that served xiaolongbaos – a delicacy straight from Shanghai and enjoyed our fill (though they can also be found in abundance in Sydney) – before she soon retired for the night.

I, on the other hand, was keen to keep exploring. Knowing there was an animate and SEGA store in Shanghai, I headed back along Nanjing Road to check out what merchandise they had on offer. Suffice it to say, I spent quite a pretty penny on Like a Dragon badges and a few Persona 5 standees. Then there was a Dungeon Meshi blind box I bought. While I’d had my eyes set on getting a squishable Senshi head, Marcille was who i got instead.

But what took me by surprise was the fact the department store had a MUGIWARA store! And even a NARUTO CAFE (otherwise known as Ichiraku Ramen)!

it was like I’d gone back to Japan! But without bleachpanda next to me, I had to admit the weeb in this instance was me.

Before too long, I returned back to the hotel with a smattering of merchandise in tow. While I could have bought more at the time, DISNEYLAND was waiting.