NEW CHINA: coming into Shanghai from the airport by the MAGLEV train, so far the only "magnetic levitation" train in the world, built by Siemens. A very disappointing trip: during the week, it travels at 430 km/hour and covers the 30-plus km from the airport to Pudong in 8 minutes, but we arrived on Saturday and it was running only at 301 km/hour, see the digital readout behind us, so it took at least 10 minutes. Out of the window, the countryside is blurred and we cruised past the fastest traffic on the motorway ... Click to see a larger image.
NEW CHINA: From our high-rise hotel overlooking Nanjing Lu, the main shopping street, (the lobby is on the 11th floor and rooms are above that, ours was on the 30th), we had a view of Shanghai, and as in all other hotels, wireless internet ... Click to see a large image.
In addition, you can click here to visit a great blog that Brielle wrote, who visited the "Whore of the Orient" with our son David several months before we did. They had a fabulous time and took some great photos. Brielle wrote a good description of their trip.
Nanjing Lu, Shanghai's "Oxford Street" or "5th Avenue", the main shopping street, pedestrian only, subway under it, seen from our room. Lots of shops. TV tower across the river in Pudong in the background ... Click to see a larger image.
On the famous Bund, the TV tower and skyscrapers of Pudong beyond the Huangpu River are hiding in the mist. We were told, over and over, that half the world's cranes are operating in China. In Shanghai, 18 million, apparently there are 20% of the world's cranes, all building something. Shanghai's tree is the magnolia, and as we were there, a company announced they will build a skyscraper in the shape of a magnolia flower ... Click to see a large image.
Barbara, in our room overlooking Shanghai. Quite comfortable, nice view. The hotel charged a fortune to do laundry, but just a few blocks away, in a warren on narrow alleys, a laundry did all of our laundry for the price the hotel charged for three shirts, even on a Sunday. Tsingtao beer in the hotel fridge cost $5, but in the same alleyways it was only Q0.50 and so we got all our drinks from the local shops for the four days here ... Click to see a larger image.
The Bund was the center of China's financial and social world in the 1920's. The Cultural Revolution killed it, but now it's back. And, just to our left, one of the many drilling towers, that are building new subway line under it. Before we arrived, Shanghai went from 3 subway lines to 11. And building more... Click to see a larger image.
The Queen of England and, of course, Bill Clinton, had tea here. They probably closed the walkways to tourists then. The zig-zag bridges protect Barbara and the structure, because, as we all know, evil spirits can't turn corners. Lots of goldfish below ... Click to see a larger image.
We spent the afternoon in the Yu Gardens and Bazaar. On a weekend, totally packed full of Chinese visitors. The line for these dumplings, some to eat in and many to take away, was very long ... Click to see a large image.
We headed for an air-conditioned restaurant, on the second floor, because it was hot and humid ... Click to see a larger image.
Bill Clinton, of course, like in Antigua, Guatemala, and a few places in between, had lunch here. And the food was good, dumplings especially ... Click to see a larger image.
The Yu Gardens and Bazaar are not actually old, but nice anyway. Full of people ... Click to see a large image.
Shops everywhere. We came back home with a few dozen chopsticks and even ornamental boxes to keep them in. Sales girls laughed as I haggled the price down ... Click to see a larger image.
Confucius, above us, advised to haggle for lower prices among the high priced shops, and we heeded his advice, usually around 10-15% of the original asking price seems to work ... Click to see a larger image.
We saw quite a lot of ice cream shops, and ate in some. KFC is well established in every city we visited ... Click to see a large image.
Shop till you drop ... but we had enough. Visited the adjacent gardens and then back home ... Click for a large image.
The You Gardens are guarded by yet another Chinese lion ... Click to see a large image.
You gardens, pretty as they all are, these are squeezed into the shopping area that you see above ... Click for a large image.
Then we went to Suzhou, which had some really superb gardens.
