"This stuff's got a 1000% mark-up," whispered a Canadian expat as the shopkeeper moaned that she was losing money on the item that she was nevertheless packaging for him. Apparently, he was a frequent patron of the Yu Gardens Bazaar, the buzzing tourist trap of China paraphenalia surrounding Shanghai's beautiful Yu Gardens. I'd passed through here the other day on my visit to the Gardens, but now I meant business.

The Bazaar is almost as much of an attraction as the Gardens themselves. A pedestrianized area of at least one city block is given over to a labyrinth of buildings in old Chinese style, all packed to bursting with clothes, antiques, "antiques," jewelery, jade, paintings, teapots, tourist kitsch and anything else you might want as a souvenir. Shopkeepers compete tirelessly for your attention. They call at you to come in. Once they have you inside, they repeat the particular phrase of English that they know -- usually something like "Which one do you like?" The gesture like Vanna White and point feverishly at things you are already looking at. "Chopsticks," they croon, pointing, in case you don't know what they are. "Dragon. Fish. Fan. Very nice. Look." As long as you're in the mood for it (and I was), it's a lot of fun.

Then comes the haggling. There's always a discount. Then there's a counter-offer, which makes the shopkeepers look as if you've just thrown their only child into a pit of hungry crocodiles. You both know that you're going to meet somewhere in the middle, but the charade of being deeply hurt continues with each subsequent offer. I'm not particularly good at it. No one ever groaned to me that they were losing money, although the girls in one shop did throw in free souvenirs -- including an item almost exactly like the one I actually bought, for which it had been unthinkable to lower the price by another five kuai. It makes for an entertaining day, but I'm glad I live in a country where business isn't usually conducted this way.

Having glutted myself on souvenirs, I hauled my loot back to the Captain Hostel. The hostel is relatively new, and so the facilities are all clean and quite nice, with a vague maritime theme. There are lockers in the rooms to keep your pack (and souvenirs) safe. There are convenient shelves and outlets above the relatively comfortable bunks. It's a little pricier than most of the places I've stayed and the staff isn't particularly helpful, but it's a nice place to stay and it's a decent location.