Shanghai

Trip Start Apr 17, 2008

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of China Shanghai, China
Thursday, April 17, 2008

17 April - Arrived Shanghai
We made it! We're now in Shanghai. After 11 hours on the plane from Sydney it was a relief to get off in Shanghai although Jack slept for the first two hours.

Jack at airport

We caught the Maglev Train (magnetic levitation as the name suggests) at Pudong Airport. It took just 7 minutes (at 300km/h) to get to the city. Then crossed over to the subway and caught the train to People's Square, quick change there to Dashijie Station. (Use http://www.smartshanghai.com/maps/smsh_metromap.php to find your way around the subway). Very easy to get around by train in Shanghai as the ticket machines will switch to English at the press of a button (RMB50.00 note maximum).

The people are very friendly to foreigners. They even have express lanes for foreigners at the airport. One man saw us struggling at the ticket machine (we didn't see the 'English' button at first). When he saw that we didn't have small notes he paid our entire fare and wouldn't accept anything (only $0.65 each but a very generous man nonetheless). Many people stopped to help us read maps. They are all fixated with Jack with his blonde hair and blue eyes. We are all fair haired in a sea of black hair.

Shanghai - Peoples Square

The prices are amazing. I had a haircut today (head massage, shampoo, shave and haircut) for the princely sum of RMB30 which is AU$4.50.

Ryan, Bree and I cruised around on the subway today and went to the People's Park. Just $1.50 to go in and walk around a very large park with a lake, boats, bikes, rollercoaster etc... Nice break from the hubbub.

Shanghai - People's Park

Then we had lunch at a restaurant - several meals including 20 dumplings, fried rice, chinese spinach, pork with fungus, coke, orange juice - ALL FOR $12.00 TOTAL (not each... TOTAL).

Shanghai Lunch

Anita is having a foot massage as I write. 1 hour massage = $4.00. Ryan was keen to buy some NIKE cross trainers (only $30) but I think we can do even better than that.

Very smoggy though. A lot of new infrastructure is being built too. Lot's of skyscrapers and new buildings.

Shanghai Skyline

Crossing the street is very risky. Even though pedestrian crossings have lights most drivers will still barge on through - plenty of mopeds, bikes, buses and trucks to take you out!

We're staying at the New Harbour Service(sic) Apartments.

Jack Lives Here

Nice clean, spacious apartments. Strange customs though - although the apartment is fully equipped you have to rent things like spoons, knives, forks, bowls etc... Very nice swimming pool.

18 April - Night Shopping
Shanghai is open 24 x 7 for shopping. If you're after electrical equipment then Xujiahui (sher-ja-hwee) is the place to go. The huge department stores are the usual exorbitant prices but there are large conglomerate stores there where you can bargain for good prices. Electricals are probably 20% cheaper than Sydney prices.

Steve Xujiahui

Similar to Hong Kong there are lots of neon lights and signs.

Night Shopping

Coke is it

. Ryan bought a new camera here

Ryan Xujiahui

Near where we live there are many seafood restaurants where you can choose your victim on the footpath and have it cooked.

Seafood Sidewalk Restaurant People's Square

China is very crowded but Shanghai doesn't seem to be as crowded as you'd expect. People's Square Station is a large interchange and yet at times it is empty even during the day.

People's Square Station

19 April - Pagoda Markets

The Shanghai Pagoda markets are very crowded and geared up to relieve you of your money. Bargaining skills are a must.

Bree Pagoda Markets

Jack wasn't real thrilled with the experience - too noisy and crowded. He's a hit with the Chinese ladies. They make a lot of comments about us having three children (along the lines of 'must be rich man, has three children'). Even though Shanghai is an international port we seem to be a curiosity - it's surprising that we are often the only foreigners in sight in a sea of black hair.

We found a cafe that had real coffee (unlike the burnt dirt available at most places). Sydney prices though. At least it was quiet.

Cafe Pagoda markets

Mango Smoothy

Jack had had enough.

Enough Markets for me

20 April - Shanghai Science and Technology Museum Markets
Today we went to the shopping markets at the S&T Museum station. It's an enormous place with good quality gear - fully tailored suits (top quality Cashmere wool) and cotton dress shirts. Plenty of bags, leather, ties, electricals and games.

Brianna's Indoctrination

All good quality for reasonable prices and made to measure (AUD30.00 for fully tailored cotton shirts and $130 for a Cashmere business suit, $125 for lined leather jacket).

Also went to Nanjing Road East which is a wide boulevarde with excellent shopping. We went at night when the whole area comes alive with neon signs and the buildings are lit up.

Nanjing Road East

There are some beautiful British Colonial buildings.

British Colonial Architecture Nanjing Road E

The sellers hit the streets too ('you buy watch, dvd, bag, shoes'). You need to develop the 'talk to the hand' wave and then they'll leave you alone. They're not as persistant as the Indian sellers in Fiji or the Indonesians (Bali). A few friendly beggars on the way but no worse than Sydney streets. Feels very safe walking around even late at night - always many shops and restaurants open very late (McDonalds 24 hours so good for bathroom stops).

Nanjing Road East

Department stores are mostly expensive (some outrageously so) but lot's of cheaper stores with good quality shoes and clothes. Both on subway line 2 so easy to get to especially from People's Square. Train tickets are very cheap to anywhere.

21 April - S&T Museum Shopping
More shopping! Hope we have enough room in the bags. Jack likes the dumplings and pickled eggs (boiled eggs in brown broth) - go figure.

Neet and Jack Haircut

Tomorrow we hope to go to the S&T for the museum and not just shopping! Coffee not great in Shanghai - very weak so order a double-shot ('extra shot') and it improves.

22 April - Science and Technology Museum and Oriental Pearl Tower

Breelephant

We went to the S&T Museum today. Very well laid out and similar to Sydney's Powerhouse. It has four IMAX style theatres too. Costs about AUD35 for the whole family so pretty cheap. IMAX movies about $3 each.

Ryan and I took the train to Lujiahui station (only two stops from People's Square) to visit the Oriental Pearl Tower. It is a television tower on the Huangpu river. At 468m tall it is the tallest tower in Asia and the third tallest in the world with restaurants, roller coaster, IMAX theatre.