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Published: December 29th 2008
Our day
Taxi ride into Pudong new area, note the cage around the cabbie, great idea for everyones safetyFriday is my day off so Boxing Day we set off for a day of sight seeing and playing tourists, and visiting the many toilets around Shanghai to service Karl’s bladder which does not like cold weather.
First stop was the Municipal Bureau where I had to hand over 400Yuan, and get something done with my visa to get my Foreign Experts Certificate, which allows me to stay and work in China. We took a taxi; the driver took us via one of the ring roads, which have been built in Shanghai to allow the traffic to move freely. He managed to get up to 120kms an hour in places, they are big 4 lane roads often above the other roads, with little in the way of foot or scooter or bikes nearby. Sort of like autobahns for the city. The area of Pudong that we were is the new part, near Century Avenue and Century park, high rises, The Oriental Arts Centre, manicured lawns and gardens, quite inspiring in that not a leaf or a branch is not where they planned it to be.
Coffee and cake and a toilet stop were included in the bureau, nice Western
Our day
Some of the high rise in Pudong new area toilets with toilet paper. (Compared to pit squat toilets in more public places these were heaven)
A short walk took us to the Shanghai Science and Technology Museum, which is 3 floors of hands on, very interactive and informative fun. You could spend weeks here. Most of the exhibits are labeled in English and Chinese, some of the audio ones are only in Chinese. It’s huge, covering so many areas from space, to holographs, to animals to insects.
One of activities we did was to take a simulated ride on a boat on Sydney Harbour and then to crash into another boat. It really felt like you were moving over the water and turning around. The scene was all there with the bridge, the Opera House, the houses and bays on each side, but strangely no ferries and the boats were all military and some on fire! Does this mean anything?
We got our photo taken and made a holographic key ring, took a mini train ride through the digestive system, and walked into a light tunnel which had no effect on me whatsoever but made Karl loose his center of balance. Toilets are great here I am told!
Our day
important looking building All clean, western and toilet paper.
A metro ride took us to Lujaizui, in the heart of commercial Pudong, and from there we went to the JinMao tower, which is either the tallest or 2nd tallest building in Shanghai. We wandered along past the building areas for World Expo 2010, through the very pretty Central Park area and into the tower.
Just before we got to the tower a very well groomed and dressed man stopped us and asked us for money for a train ticket. He spoke quite passable English. He was wearing a neat shirt and tie, dress trousers, expensive looking Nike jacket and carrying what looked like a laptop. He told us he was from Sichuan province (where the earthquake happened last year), had left his money on the bus and had no way to get home. He really presented a very passable story of woe and anguish. I told him I would take him to the police to get help and he said he only needed a little money, so then I said I was not allowed to give him anything and we walked on. A very high-class beggar and what a scam!!! We
Our day
Gorgeous tree lined streets watched him from a distance and he was still there approaching any Westerner. The tower has the Grand Hyatt hotel from floors 53 to 87 so many rich people hang around this area.
We paid 80Yuan to get to the observatory on the 88thfloor well worth the money as it has a 360-degree panoramic view of Shanghai. We went up there around 4pm so stayed to see the lights come on. Each high-rise building apparently has to be different from any other around it, and they must take this to mean its light display too. The observatory sells postcards, a very rare commodity around here, a post office, and little coffee shop and of course souvenirs are sold. And of course toilets are included as well. Again very nice and western and it also had a lovely drinking fountain, a rarity in a city where no one can drink the water from the tap, it all has to be bottled.
One of the more daunting views is looking down the center into an atrium into the 53rd floor lobby of the Hyatt, quite something from the 88th floor.
We took the 993 bus from Lujaizui, to the
Our day
The park opposite The Parkview Hotel beside the Oriental Arts Centre ferry terminal and ferried across the river. Public transport in China is not for the weak and infirm. It involves a sprint start and a fast race to get to any seat or in the case of the ferry to the best seats up the front and in the middle of the boat. Mission accomplished with me and another couple racing for the five front seats.
The ferry rise is only 2Yuan with the same card that works the metro, bus and taxis, and only takes about 5 minutes.
From there we walked along the length of The Bund. This is THE most famous walkway in Shanghai and involves dodging the touts and sellers of whatever they think you need, plus trying to ignore the beggars, and enjoying the spectacular light display of the high-rises on the Pudong side of the Huangpu river. The buildings on the side of the road beside The Bund are heritage listed, beautifully lit and many have been or are being restored.
From the north end of The Bund we skirted the river, walked across the Waibaidu bridge which crosses the Suzhou creek into the area known as Hongkou. This originally was
Our day
Me and Century Park the American concession, was home to many Japanese prior to the Japanese invasion in 1937, and now seems to be “the red light district”.
The street we walked down has many great little restaurants, massage parlours which have little to do with massages but more to do with girls extremely provocatively dressed sitting in the well lit parlours, fruit and vege shops, supermarkets and apartments above it all. The grittier end of town as described in The Lonely Planet Guide.
We found a great little Islamic restaurant. There are many of these all around Shanghai, serving something a little different, a lot of lamb, pulled noodles and other foods.
This little place had food from the XinJiang province, which is the northwest province of China bordering with Ubekistan. The people do not look Asian, more Middle Eastern with curly hair, non-Asian eyes, and different facial features. The staff or other customers spoke no Mandarin, and when I asked for the toilet in English and Chinese and pointed to the word in the phrase book I was met with blank looks for a little while.
We ate Nan bread filled with roast lamb done in a spicy
Our day
Square lines and precision gardening sauce with fantastic tasting carrots and capsicums. We ordered a side dish of brocolli, which was really tasty and washed it all down with three bottles of local beer, Wasu brand this time. We were surprised it sold alcohol, must be not so strict Muslims.
The walk back was interesting as there was a loud argument near where we ate, first time I have seen people openly hostile and really angry. And of course the beggars following us shaking their cups under your nose and grabbing you. Hate that a lot and I do not give to them. I think it makes all Westerners a target for anyone.
We walked back to the Bund area, under the tunnel and into Nanjing Road and the mall, and of course a toilet stop down a little alleyway. Nanjing Rd is a very commercial area of Shanghai, bright lights, expensive shops, touts selling watches and all manner of things and scam artists as well. Watch out, do not be taken in by anyone looking like they just want to help you to practice their English.
The alley toilet stop as enjoyed by Karl, was a public signposted toilet, which started
Our day
looking back to the Oriental Arts Centre which is designed to look like a Lotus Flower with five petals blooming as an alleyway off Nanjing Road going into another very narrow alleyway, and Karl being on super alert for baddies as the place was looking decidedly seedy. But at the end of this was a lovely squeaky-clean place with uniformed attendants, and modern bright facilities.
It may seem that we have become toilet obsessed but believe me; you begin to appreciate a good toilet when you can get one, and toilet paper is an added bonus.
We finished the night at UBC coffee off Nanjing Road, upstairs and overlooking one of the side streets with trolley cars. Very classy little place, window seat, and of course another toilet stop. (minus toilet paper, thank God for tissues)
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