2011-4 Shanghai, China
Hello All,
Mid April found us hopping in our car and driving to Dallas, Texas, where we started our much anticipated trip to China. After getting a good night’s sleep in a motel (NOT) we were up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a prearranged taxi ride to the airport at 4:30 a.m.
Check-in and security screening went well at the airport and before long we were on our 2½ hour flight to Chicago. We had 2 hours in Chicago to make our connection for the 14½ hour direct flight to Shanghai, China. All went smoothly and before long we were taxiing for departure. After taxiing for well over 10 minutes the captain announced over the intercom that air traffic control in Chicago was in the process of switching runways. We then taxied for another 10 minutes, and upon arriving at our departure runway the captain informed us that air traffic control had now put flow control restrictions in place, and that it would be at least another 30 minutes before we could depart. Finally, an hour after our scheduled departure time we were cleared for takeoff. Nothing like being an hour behind schedule before ever leaving the ground!
Any way you want to cut it, sitting on your hinny for 15½ hours is grueling even though they fed us two hot meals and a number of snacks and drinks. Upon arrival in Shanghai it had become the next day. We cleared customs and immigration without a problem. Our Viking River Cruises tour guide, Joshua Wu, was waiting at the airport to meet us. He was a friendly young 32-year old Chinese man with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Beijing Foreign Language University.
We met some of the other members of our tour group at the airport and then boarded an air-conditioned coach for the long ride to our hotel. Our luggage was transported by Viking Cruises to the hotel via another coach. Our rooms at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel were prearranged by Joshua, which saved us from having to go through the usual check-in procedure. He handed out room key cards, and upon arrival we went directly to our room. It was fantastic and luxurious--an oversize king bed, marble bathroom and well appointed.
We had three things on our minds. First a shower, second a light meal, and third a good night’s sleep before an early get up. We were extremely comfortable and able to relax in our hotel.
Mid April found us hopping in our car and driving to Dallas, Texas, where we started our much anticipated trip to China. After getting a good night’s sleep in a motel (NOT) we were up at 3:30 a.m. to catch a prearranged taxi ride to the airport at 4:30 a.m.
Check-in and security screening went well at the airport and before long we were on our 2½ hour flight to Chicago. We had 2 hours in Chicago to make our connection for the 14½ hour direct flight to Shanghai, China. All went smoothly and before long we were taxiing for departure. After taxiing for well over 10 minutes the captain announced over the intercom that air traffic control in Chicago was in the process of switching runways. We then taxied for another 10 minutes, and upon arriving at our departure runway the captain informed us that air traffic control had now put flow control restrictions in place, and that it would be at least another 30 minutes before we could depart. Finally, an hour after our scheduled departure time we were cleared for takeoff. Nothing like being an hour behind schedule before ever leaving the ground!
Any way you want to cut it, sitting on your hinny for 15½ hours is grueling even though they fed us two hot meals and a number of snacks and drinks. Upon arrival in Shanghai it had become the next day. We cleared customs and immigration without a problem. Our Viking River Cruises tour guide, Joshua Wu, was waiting at the airport to meet us. He was a friendly young 32-year old Chinese man with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Beijing Foreign Language University.
We met some of the other members of our tour group at the airport and then boarded an air-conditioned coach for the long ride to our hotel. Our luggage was transported by Viking Cruises to the hotel via another coach. Our rooms at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel were prearranged by Joshua, which saved us from having to go through the usual check-in procedure. He handed out room key cards, and upon arrival we went directly to our room. It was fantastic and luxurious--an oversize king bed, marble bathroom and well appointed.
We had three things on our minds. First a shower, second a light meal, and third a good night’s sleep before an early get up. We were extremely comfortable and able to relax in our hotel.
After a good night’s sleep and
a wonderful breakfast we were ready to truly start our China adventure.
Shanghai is a modern city with a population of 22 million folks. It is the
second largest city in China. If anyone thinks that China is a third world
country, they are definitely mistaken. The best way we can describe China is
that they are a “rapidly developing nation.”
Their economy is predicted to overtake the United States within five
years. And, they are doing it while taking care of a population of 1.4 billion
nationwide.
Without a doubt Shanghai has a vast array of beautiful modern buildings. Some were quite unique. We were impressed. They joke that the “skycrane” is the new national bird of China--you see them everywhere.
Without a doubt Shanghai has a vast array of beautiful modern buildings. Some were quite unique. We were impressed. They joke that the “skycrane” is the new national bird of China--you see them everywhere.
In the following photo you can
see our hotel. The tower to the left is a television transmission tower. We
could walk from the hotel down the steps in the right foreground and be on “the
Bund,” which is the city’s elegant riverside promenade.
These are a couple of shots
taken on the Bund. It is beautifully landscaped with fountains, gardens and
waterfront restaurants. We noticed it was a popular walking area for many local
families, as well as tourists. It is a popular place to meet friends or just
sit and watch the world go by.
At night the Bund transforms
into a mass of lights and color. Many of the buildings are not only illuminated
in brilliant colors, but the colors and images displayed are constantly
changing. Since we love color we thought it was fantastic.
Here is our hotel and the television tower at night.
Here is our hotel and the television tower at night.
We took a few night shots
along the Bund. With the warm spring night air we strolled along the waterfront
comfortably without jackets.
Tour and dinner boats on the
river were very colorful. Their reflections on the water were truly lovely. It
was such a peaceful and relaxing setting.
More on the specific sites we
visited in Shanghai in our next little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns