It is extremely hot and humid in Shanghai during Summer. (Around 37 - 42 degrees celsius with 50% - 80% humidity). If you like being outside, walking around and exploring, Summer is not the best time to travel. You will sweat and you will constantly smell like the woollen socks of a boy going through puberty.
If you are like me and you didn't know this and have already booked your tickets (and want to make the most out of your trip), here is how you avoid a heat stroke while travelling around Shanghai: watermelon and melons!
- If you keep an eye out, you will notice street-side vendors selling melons on sticks. Melons on sticks are usually 3 Kuai. It's like ice cream but a million times better (and I would say at least 5 times healthier).
- In case you can't find someone selling melons on sticks, carry a plastic spoon in your bag. So then when you come across a fruit store (there are fruit stores everywhere), you can ask them to cut a watermelon in half. Just say "ban" with your eyebrows raised ("ban" means half). Then take your watermelon, find a shady spot, and scoop dat melon.
There are probably other ways of avoiding a heat stroke. Drinking lots of water probably works. But this is what I did and it was so much more exciting than carrying a bottle of water around.
After my trip, I was talking to a herbal-medicine guy and apparently watermelon helps keep your body cool and is recommended for people recovering from heat strokes. So yeah. Perfect.
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| Half way through my month in China I started making a photo-record of all the melons I ate haha. |
