Day 29: Shanghai Surprise

Happy Birthday Steffi!
DID: Left Beijing for Shanghai. Although I enjoyed the things we did in Beijing and I’m glad we visited, I have to say I did not really care for it as a city. You can’t walk anywhere, to the untrained eye all the neighborhoods look the same, the taxi situation is impossible. What turned me off the most were the blatant efforts to demonstrate wealth (ie high end designer stores on every corner, countless fancy buildings with intricate light displays, etc). Those stores were all empty, there were few luxury cars on the roads (but there were lots of families piled up on mopeds), and most of our interactions involved people wanting to take advantage of us (ie by taking a photo of our children, charging us 10 times the normal price for a service or product, etc). I also will not miss seeing men with their shirts rolled up over their guts, not a good look!

On the other hand, feeling positively delighted in Shanghai. A lunatic cabbie weaved his way through the traffic to deliver us to our equally zany hotel in the French Quarter (see SLEPT). I feel like we have left Sicily and arrived in Milan.
Streets are narrow, tree-lined, and lit up at night with green twinkle lights little red lanterns – love it! Lots of people walking, weather is perfect, smog still present but not as dense as Beijing. Have a feeling this is going to be a great week here.

We’re travelling a little lighter now after sending 2 boxes home. Still have 1 empty suitcase so shopping can continue!

China Airlines is pretty average. Or worse – Jason was annoyed they didn’t have any diet sodas available.


ATE:
Breakfast: buffet @ hotel. Lunch: pork sarnies on the plane. Dinner @ Classic Shanghai restaurant near hotel. Awesome. Soup dumplings, a bran and mushroom concoction, sweet & sour pork, sautéed green beans and fried rice. Easily could have eaten double of any of it. Rhys even went off his rice-only diet, it was so good!

SLEPT: At the Pudi Boutique Hotel. If you ever wondered what happened to the mirrors and black lacquer furniture from the 80’s, the mystery is solved – it’s all here. Along with loads of fish tanks (including floor to ceiling onces next to every room door – who needs the aquarium?) and an abundance of hover lights. Sounds really naff, and it kind of is, but I just have to give them credit for picking a décor and following it through, from the under-bed lighting to the massive swivel bar/entertainment unit, to the tv over the freestanding whirlpool bathtub. And we have our own personal 24-hour butler. I have no idea what that means but I intend to find out!