Published by Swiss James on 31 Oct 2007 at 12:21 pm
Shanghai Zoo
Have you ever been to Shanghai Zoo? I have. It’s smashing.
In the north of the city On the western edge of the city, near the other airport (Hongqiao), an easy taxi ride away from anywhere in the city so don’t bother with the subway. I went with Sam and Barclay when they were visiting and like 90% of the people there, we were mainly interested in seeing Pandas.
Up close and personal, Pandas look sort of cuddly, and sort of disgusting- imagine if you saw a grown-up Elmo from Sesame Street, with cat food in his beard, scratching his gnarled back against a tree.
Not a Panda. [Thanks to Sam for the photo!]
More entertaining were the apes and monkeys (I know there’s a difference, but I don’t know what it is) that were shouting and taunting each other from the gaps between their cages. What I wouldn’t give to see the one night a year where the zookeepers throw open those cages and let them knife fight to a monkeyblood-soaked conclusion.
Not a monkey. [Thanks to Sam for the photo!]
A lovely day out, although I have to be honest; I had a hangover that could fell a tree on that particular day. For at least 45 minutes I was laid out on a bench, pouring water onto my face wondering where the nearest paramedic station was.
Also, there’s a part of the zoo that is taken up entirely with different breeds of dogs. Can you imagine the noise of 100-200 dogs all barking at each other? Is that something you’d enjoy with a hangover?
No.
Steer clear of this section.
Shanghai Zoo; 65 RMB (including Pandas)
is it not in the west of the city?
I too, enjoyed a fun day out at Shanghai zoo. Despite the mocking I recieved for wanting to go to a zoo on a 1-month cutural visit of China, I managed to uphold a calm posterior and compare the differences with other similar establishments visited around the world.
The pandas certainly are a highlight but for me, for a different reason. I had always believed from various YouPlank videos that monkeys liked to get frisky either with other monkeys or, more often, with themselves. However, I am now scarred for life after seeing pandas doing what even monkeys in Amsterdam zoos won’t do.
It was memorable. (help me!!)
it literally could not be any more West. My geography doesn’t seem to get any better, no matter how many times I go on a drinking binge.
Thanks anonymous!
Scarletti- are you saying you saw Pandas making the beast with two backs? Doesn’t that only happen about once every 5 years or something?! You must have stimulated them in some way, dodgy videos from Don Scarletti?
I heard about the Canine area of the zoo is a part to pass, true or false?
I did plan on taking my fiance there but if its like rabid dogs from Resident Evil I might be even more enticing to visit o.O.
Woai, are you posting anonymously now?
I don’t believe you went to the zoo, James.
The penguin and the kangaroo are obviously photoshop jobs.
The penguin looks strangely familiar–reminds me of an English twit I watched throw up in a back alley in Hongdae once.
Ah…
Dingle: WOAI did it on my blog . . . i’m just sayin’
Okay so I am a spelling and grammar nazi, I admit it, but I am not a coward and if I was going to correct James’ abysmal geography, I would have done it openly, although “anon” when I saw your post I did think “I wanna have his babies”. So if you are reading, can we have coffee some time?
Angie you’re not helping things, that was a one time mistake and I corrected it immediately!
Why’s everyone ganging up on me today?
Woai: I’ll pick on someone else then to make you feel better:-
Baby Scarletti - wouldn’t holding up your “calm posterior” be a bit like a red rag to a bull as far as the monkeys are concerned!!!?
Stefan- honestly, I found it horrific. Like a Guantanamo bay for dogs, but without the sunshine. But remember, I did have a hangover, I thought the penguins were laughing at me and had to be physically restrained from pushing them over.
Rory- how can you say such a thing! I did go! I did! I did! They had an orangutan and I ate a corenetto.
WoAi- I find it interesting that you assume anonymous is a man- the comment is so polite that I bet it was a lady, otherwise it would have gone:
“HAHAHA you doufus, the zoo is WEST of the city!!!11 LOLZORDS“
Haha you bunch are too funny.
Nina when you say “bunch” you mean mostly me, right?