On the trip we made ​​last Friday to Shanghai was a guide HIS waiting at the airport. This guide took us to the bus going to our hotel and on the way to the hotel was explaining some things we could see and do and other things we should not do.
Among the tips of things to do or things to be careful were:

1 - Do not drink tap water, as this is not drinkable but if that is good for brushing teeth or showering if not the drink. May cause diarrhea if you drink this water.
Nor drink beverages with ice cubes in restaurants that are not of great quality, as surely these cubes will be made with tap water.

2 - In Shanghai there are about 10 taxi colors. The guide advised us only sky-blue taxis, white or yellow. According to the guide the other taxi companies were not very reliable or even some taxis are not legitimate businesses, so that taxi drivers could be a good time going around to increase the number of miles or just charge prices much more expensive because foreigners.

3 - Because the sale of copies of brand is not legal on the street many people are approaching tourists with just a small catalog of watches, handbags, designer clothes etc. Taking only the catalog prevent the police will arrest the naked eye because they are not selling anything. These individuals seek to draw the attention of tourists to take them to small houses where all the merchandise for sale.
According to the guide, there have been many cases that once the tourists go to these houses, if not buy anything not let them leave the premises, and if they try to leave without buying anything take a beating from a lot of Chinese who is stuck in these "local".

4 - Be careful with cameras, bags and purses as theft are very popular in some districts of Shanghai.

5 - Do not enter the conbini (stores 24 hours) than any known chain, since some shops sell water filled from the tap or you get the change with counterfeit bills.

6 - Be careful when crossing streets, as cars go very fast and very crazy, skipping traffic lights as have the opportunity.

Of all the above tips, advice number 2 and 3 of us jumped a little at a bullfighter.
Because one of my partners is Chinese and the other has lived in Shanghai and a few months, we move much for your advice.
For Shanghai we went everywhere by taxi, so I estimate that in these two days we took a taxi about 15 times, of which over half were not the colors that the guide recommended, as my friend always spoke Chinese taxi drivers and told us there was no problem if the driver saw people speaking Chinese.

Then I had a unique experience when a Chinese man approached us with a back catalog of brands. Again, my two companions said to be 3 guys there would be no problem, so we kept to our salesman who took us to some alleys that once frightened and climbed in the back streets of houses with stairs that looked like they were going to fall , but once inside the house was some unimaginable. The houses have 3 or 4 floors with shelves full of watches, handbags, shoes, shirts, etc.. Every position is its shelves properly and orderly. Copies are not the typical copies of marks that are in Spain instead of putting Louis Vitton Louis Vuitton puts or so copies were like replicas of the originals even ordered by level of copy quality. As I found out, they seem to have about three levels of copy quality, being one called "super A" or "triple A" level more perfect copy of the marks. For example, you can buy imitation Rolex watches which have automatic internal system as the original Rolex, not grated glass even if you pass a screwdriver etc above.

We were like three houses full of replicas of different brands, all accompanied by the same vendor we picked on the street. As work is also something amazing. My friend wanted a shoe D & G but did not have their number, well, homes had an intercom in every room of the house hanging on the wall like the intercom to open the front door of the house. With the intercom called to other houses around saying the code was inside the shoe and a few minutes appeared a Chinese slippers with the number of request. It seemed a real mall!

We ended hechandonos a laugh with all dependent on each floor, with our vendor who accompanied us everywhere and even speaking Japanese with a few assistants to grace them being Europeans we speak Japanese and English. In one of the houses even offered me work for them for 10000 RPM / month because they said he was handsome and spoke English and Japanese. As I have understood 10000 RPM is a salary well above the average wage in Shanghai.

Family Mart in Shanghai.

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