Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: Shanghaied in Tuscany!
Pudong and Puxi: chalk and cheese
The day began with a satisfying breakfast in the Executive Lounge. In contrast to the limited selection that is usually available in similar facilities, we were presented with an extensive hot and cold buffet of Western and Oriental options, with additional items such as freshly cooked eggs available to order. What an excellent way to start the day! It also gave me the opportunity to confirm the 4pm checkout to which I was entitled as an ICHG Royal Ambassador. Soon it was time for us to set out for, in my case, a second look at the Pudong side of this huge city.
Based on my experience the previous
day, we decided to take the metro for the journey along Century
Avenue to the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It seemed like a good idea to
get this attraction done as early as possible, as it had looked
especially busy the previous day. On arrival at the tower, Bruce's
first reaction was that it was ugly! Actually, he had a point; the
tower probably looks its best from a distance. The structure dates
from 1995 and apparently the brief had been to design an iconic
landmark that would instantly spell 'Shanghai' the world over. In
that, I think it's fair to say that the planners succeeded. We
decided to purchase tickets for the upper sphere, continuation to
the very small 'space cabin', at extra expense, appearing
unnecessary. There are actually two levels in the upper sphere, each
giving 360 degree views: the higher level is enclosed, while the
lower level is partially open and features, for those who are up for
it, an outer ring of glazed flooring!
(I was; Bruce wasn't!
)
One benefit of an aerial view is being able spot things that might otherwise take a bit of finding on the ground. As such, once we were all done at the tower, we were able to make our way confidently and directly to the part of the waterfront from which river cruises departed. Being precious frequent flyers, we paid a little extra for 'VIP Level', only to find that lots of other people had indulged in the same mild extravagance. The short cruise proved to be the perfect complement to the views from high buildings, in terms of giving a broad overview of parts of the city. It enabled us confirm our suspicions based on what we'd seen from on high: the famous Bund waterfront on the Puxi side, home to the best of the surviving colonial buildings and lauded by guidebooks as the single greatest highlight of Shanghai, was not looking its best. The famous, wide riverside promenade was closed to allow the major highway that separated the promenade from the street to be relocated underground. A bit like Edinburgh's troubled and tortuous trams project, this was a development that promised considerable improvements in the longer term, but which entailed massive disruption during the construction phase. From this point of view, it seemed that we might have chosen an inopportune time to visit the city. Then again, in a thriving metropolis where change is a byword, I wasn't convinced that it would be too great a problem!
The cruise was most enjoyable and of just the right duration, although we had to take care not to fry as the morning haze burned off and the sun's rays were amplified by limited reflection from the filthy river water.
We then strolled along the waterfront for a bit, before heading inland towards the two buildings that I'd visited the previous day. The plan had been to have a pre-lunch drink in the bar of the Grand Hyatt, the hotel occupying many of the higher floors of the Financial Centre. In the event, however, we baulked at the CNY100 cover charge per head that they wanted, this being justified on the basis of the extended public holiday, of which this was officially the final day. Instead, we relocated to the basement, where we had the planned drink followed by an absolutely delicious Dim Sum lunch at a branch of the Singapore-based Crystal Jade chain.
We then walked back to the InterContinental, relaxed for a bit, checked out and caught a taxi to our base for the remainder of our time in Shanghai: the Westin Bund Centre, on the Puxi side. First impressions indicated that this was a stunningly impressive hotel and Bruce's SPG Platinum status worked its customary magic, delivering an upgrade to a beautiful twin-bedded suite on this cash-plus-points redemption booking. After settling in, we set out rather later than originally envisaged, in the gathering gloom of low cloud combined with dusk, for a walk along the Bund. As confirmed earlier, closure of the promenade for building work, combined with closure of the buildings for the public holiday, made this a much-diminished experience, but neither of us saw it as desperately disappointing; there were too many other enjoyable sides to this extraordinarily vibrant city. However the most striking aspect of the walk wasn't the Bund at all, but rather the amazing network of streets lying directly behind it. After getting used to the shiny skyscrapers and multi-lane streets of Pudong, the contrast could not have been greater as we wandered through chaotic narrow lanes with bikes, scooters and pedestrians all vying for space. In many ways, it was like stepping out of the 21st Century and into a bygone era. Some might say that it was a taste of the 'real Asia', although I would argue that Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Pudong have as much right to be considered parts of 'real Asia' as anywhere else. One way or the other, though, it seemed clear that Shanghai was very much a city of two halves: futuristic Pudong, just across the river, and surprisingly traditional Puxi.
Back at the Westin, we again adhered to Bruce's First Law of Hotel Stays: first night = room service. I had a delicious Kung Po Chicken, although it proved to be hard work extracting most of the quite ridiculous number of chillies that it contained!