Shanghai. After our visit to Beijing and Xi’an, Shanghai was our third stop in China. We had only one full day to explore this incredible and bustling city due to our tight plan and had to find a way to explore as much as possible without getting totally exhausted. After a short night in Xi’an the day before we decided to take a nap upon arrival in our hotel – Les Suites Orient, Bund Shanghai. Rested and a coffee to go in our hands we felt ready to explore another part of China and started with the Bund area which was right outside our hotel. The skyline was fascinating and we had a breathtaking view of Pudong with all its skyscrapers and the Oriental Pearl Tower. Pudong is a new area by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund, and is known as the financial area of Shanghai. We walked along the Bund and took a couple of pictures. Later that day we had dinner at a nice restaurant (I don’t remember the name) and went back to our hotel since we were really exhausted. Well rested and after a huge breakfast we were ready for our full day tour around Shanghai.

Week 2 is in the books! YAY!! Another successful week of working out and tracking macros is over. I still enjoy this challenge and challenge myself every single day. I push through the workouts and give everything I have.

After two incredible days in Beijing, we left the city by train, to reach our second destination: Xi’an. Xi’an is a large city and the capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. We decided to take a time-effective overnight sleeper train – Chinese trains are an experience in itself – don’t miss that fun adventure on your trip. The famous Bullet Train was unfortunately not scheduled that night so we booked tickets for the regular train in advance with help of a Chinese booking company I can recommend. We purchased our tickets (Luxury Soft Sleeper) online at travelchinaguide.com and paid via PayPal. We received an email confirmation the next day with a side note that we would have to pick up paper tickets at the railway station in Beijing, before boarding the train. Our confirmation was in English and Chinese language, which made the whole “project” easier. Two hours before our train left we arrived at the railway station and noticed immediately that this was a different part of Beijing we had never seen before.

Green Queen: One of my all time favorite smoothies. Filled with nutrient rich foods, fiber and healthy, natural boosters. Delicious as an in-between meal snack or as a little post workout booster.