2013.08.03 Shanghai Saturday

The outside whizzing by very fast from the Maglev Train

When we arrived at Shanghai it took quite a while to get through customs and baggage pickup.. At first we thought they weren’t going to let us in! Just this year they have changed visa requirements for China to not needing one if you’re there for less than 72 hours. Obviously our immigration officers weren’t up to speed with that one.  Eventually got through and it was an extremely long walk to the Maglev station to get the fast train in towards Shanghai. Pudong airport, where we arrived, is way out of town [over an hour by taxi] so Jan thought it would be quicker to get the Maglev [see below] than a cab from the terminal. It’s quite a speedy number. By this time we could tell it was very warm outside even though it was well into the evening. When we got off the Maglev and headed for a taxi the heat was pretty overwhelming even for 8.30 @ night!!! 

Looking down the Centre of the Maglev

Numerous groups/individuals tried to talk us into their taxi/route between the airport and the final cab we got into. Some of these people were exceptionally pushy and bossy! It was a relief to get into a cab to get away from people wanting to take our money for their service. Almost all the cabs looked pretty clapped out. Possibly saw only a couple of modern cabs all the time we were there. Most of them appear to be VWs and actually look like old Magnas from the 80s/90s at home. However cab fares are quite reasonable .. which makes up for the feeling that you’re taking your life into your hands actually getting into one. Shanghai drivers seem to be just as crazy as those of most other Asian countries. They ignore traffic lights when possible, use their car horns relentlessly and drive like there’s no tomorrow. Traffic was hellish coming into Shanghai centre.

Shanghai Street @ Night

Arrived @ hotel to find that they had given us a double bed instead of 2 singles and the room reeked of cigarettes. Australia is way ahead in the no smoking department .. even ahead of Finland! Eventually got moved to another room on 21^st floor with 2 single beds and a fabulous view of the main shopping drag.  Energy conservation is not big on the agenda in Shanghai. Must have been running enough Neon lights each night to power all of Australia for a couple of weeks.  They went on full throttle until 11pm when nearly everything was suddenly turned off! It was as if the government was saying in its friendly communist way .. “Bedtime comrades!”

Heaps of people on the streets though until then and even after. Apart from feeling like we were being squeezed to death by the hot air, it was more than a little irritating to be swamped by sellers on foot trying to flog everything from watches to slime splat. The most annoying were girls on roller skates with flashing lights in them trying to make us buy a pair or 2 of their foot adornments.

While I’m sure it would be a faster way to get around for the young and nubile … the prospect of smashing into a road or a wall and ending up in Shanghai hospital was way too frightening to be even slightly tempted to buy these flashy little wheels.

We drank beer nearly all the time we were there, perhaps because we were so dehydrated/hot .. even though neither of us normally drinks beer.