Shanghai - May 22-25, 2006

Last leg of our China tour

May 22 afternoon @ Shanghai

Around mid-day, we took a cab to Phoenix Airport, Sanya for the flight to Shanghai. Unfortunately, we forgot to confirm the fare before the ride. The hotel staff hailed it at its entrance and we presumed the cab would have its meter running - it wasn't the case. We had to pay the 'published' fare of this 'limousine service' as listed on a laminated card - RMB100 to the airport. (Last nite, restaurant staff had told us that it would cost us only RMB50 by cab!)

Flew off to Shanghai from Sanya (2 hours journey). Arrived Shanghai around 5 pm and headed straight to the Astor (or Pu Jiang) Hotel (taxi fare RMB50 for a 25-minute ride). The hotel was built in 1846 and is a preservation site. We were allocated Rm 322 at the 3rd level, Celebrity floor. This was the level that the dignitaries, actors and other famous people of yesteryears stayed. We saw the names of Charlie Chaplin, Einstein, US President Grant (18xx) and Zhou En Lai carved on the room doors.

The place was quite spooky especially late at night when you could hear footsteps and the opening/closing of doors and cupboards. (You wondered whether its made by late-nite revellers returning to their rooms or 'someone' missed the place and came back to visit. The long, dark and winding corridors have rickety parquet flooring which made sounds on each footstep. In addition, our bathroom faced a locked door and the bed also faced another locked door! Coupled with the imposing high ceiling and the 'eerie' surroundings, we slept with all the lights switched on! … grrrrrlll … grrrrrlll …kekeke.....

In the evening, we strolled along the Bund (3 minutes walk from our hotel). The nite scene with beautifully lighted boats and bright lights on both sides of the Bund was indeed breathtaking. We also visited Xintiandi - very happening place with many interesting pubs.

At Nanjing Lu (about 25 minutes walk from the beginning of Bund where Astor is), we stopped over at the Peace Hotel, the Sofitel and a few others. Room rate starts from RMB1500/nite at this shopping belt. So the RMB544 nett (after less 20%) that we paid at the Astor was considered a bargain. Additional bonus - the Russian Consulate is about 15 steps away from the Astor and we did enjoy its 24-hour guard patrol. The police guards face the hotel's front entrance and no loiterers were allowed around the vicinity. Very safe indeed!

May 23 @ Shanghai
After sorting out our flight arrangements, we left for Yuyan Bazaar. Yes, we did queue 45 minutes for the famous Nanxiang xiaolongbao (steamed buns) at the bazaar. Every time we turned the corner, there was always a long queue! It cost RMB8 for 16 small pieces and since we queued so long for it, we decided to buy 2 packets so we didn't have to stop for lunch.. They were quite tasty but personally I prefer the version from a famous Taiwanese food chain (Din xxx xxx?). The buns have thinner pastry and the soup oozes out when you bite into it.

We also visited the Oriental Pearl TV Tower (RMB100/pax for the topmost level - the Space Module @ 350m ... nothing much up here). Visitors are not allowed into the Revolving Restaurant (267m) unless you dine there. The RMB85 experience, the Sightseeing floor @ 263m is good enough. - it has the same panoramic view of the Bund and surrounding areas (note: do not assume, like we did, that you would be ushered into the glass-covered lifts which you can spot outside the Tower). You would be led into the normal lifts - yes, those with zero view and you listened to unsmiling 'parrots' - the lady guides who took the same lifts as you and rattled off information with a disdainful look on their faces.

May 24 @ Shanghai
Last nite, we were contemplating whether to golf at SunIsland this morning and to stay at this remote resort. However, we would have to sacrifice a visit to the Shanghai Museum (Top 5 in China) and would no longer enjoy the easy access to town. So, its goodbye golf and hello museum!

We had brunch at Yonghe 'King', an outlet in the underground mall at People's Square. Nice food - beef noodle, steamed buns with bean curd, you-tiao (fried dough) and hot soya bean drink. We then popped over to the Shanghai Museum, 5 minutes walk away. The museum has 4 levels of exhibition halls and we took 4 hours (11.30am - 3.40pm to cover all (the Coin Gallery was closed). That excluded the two 5-minute 'recuperating' stops we made to rest our aching feet and tired eyes but we enjoyed it very much. We were also very fortunate to catch two roving exhibitions of rare gems (Light & Stone) and master-class artwork (Cezanne and Pollard).

After the long museum tour, we took Metro Line 1 (red) to Xu Jia Hui station to search for the Ye Olde Shanghai Station Restaurant (or Shanghai Old Station) - another great recommendation from a forumer. Once you stepped outside the station, you should be able to spot it within a couple of steps away (we didn't know its so near the station and walked past it!). It is located at a French monastery founded in 1921 and had been rebuilt.

The restaurant proudly boasts its Tatler Top 2006 award at its waiting area. Our order of carp, bbq pork ribs, steamed fish, fried pigeon and asparagus with fungi was scrumptious. However, the starchy soup and the luke-warm diluted tea were a disappointment. We window-shopped at nearby malls and also visited the Xujiahui Catholic Cathedral before dinner (the guard was kind enough to let us in after its closing time - concession for foreigners he claimed!).

May 25 morning @ Shanghai
Walked to nearby streets and went 'local' for breakfast. We had fried buns and pancakes at roadside stalls at Zhapu Road. Came across a few fruit stalls and bought a bunch of sweet cherries.

Astor to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport - Left for the domestic airport at 10.15 am in a chartered MPV (RMB60) arranged by the hotel and arrived there around 10.45 am. Our flight departing for Guangzhou was supposed to leave at around 12 noon but it didn't take off until an hour later (passengers were already seated in the plane). We considered ourselves lucky as many flights were delayed due to bad weather or mechanical faults.

Afternoon @ Guangzhou Baiyun Airport
Plane touched down around 3 pm. Felt very relieved as we had a buffer of 2½ hours before our SQ flight to Singapore. Very smooth and efficient airport handling service.

At approximately 9.45 pm, we landed at Changi International Airport, Singapore.
Home sweet home!