Once upon a time in China...

[khiemtran]

Once upon a time, I was backpacking through Shanghai and I stayed at what was once a grand old hotel. The larger rooms had been converted to dorm rooms, and I shared one with four or five Japanese tourists. Though it was certainly old and battered on the outside, the rooms inside were bright and clean and it had a certain elegance about it. Certainly, for the cheap price I payed, it was excellent value and a chance to be a part of history.

I'm sure if I could even find it now, the hotel would once more be a four or five star hotel, with a price tag to match. Either that, or it's been torn down altogether. It's strange to think how much the place has changed in such a short time. China was my first real solo adventure, but the China I saw then was only a transient one, just as each China I have visited since has also been.

I wonder if I'll forget one day too, the way it looked to me with new eyes.