Monday morning up with the larks. Starting our journey home. 2 slow trains to Malpensa airport in Milan. And if you don't keep watch you'd never even know you'd crossed from Switzerland to Italy.
As I've been to Malpensa airport a few times now it is comfortably easy to negotiate. In fact it seems quiet and a bit old fashioned, but I think this is just an illusion as they have loads of gates and you have to allow yourself enough time to get to yours - which is generally about as far away as the next county!
Anyway the Air China flight to Shanghai was fine. We left at 12.30 and they gave us lunch and then closed all the window shades and turned off the lights so we could sleep. But that wasn't so easy when it was only the middle of the afternoon. We napped and watched movies as you do, but arriving in Shanghai at mid nite our time with not much sleep - and it being 6am their time. Well, what can I say - must try harder next time (to sleep lol). Consequently it is 3.30am while I'm writing this as we went to bed very very early yesterday.
Shanghai has 23 million people and I'm sure a goodly amount of them were on the metro with us as we navigated our way to our hotel. The tourist office wasn't open when we flew in, and although lots of young people in uniforms tried to be very helpful, mostly they just wanted to sell us SIM cards. I couldn't figure it out until I realised our cellphones won't connect here. And if you don't have a working number you also can't connect to any of the free wifi places. I must admit that I didn't do much homework on Shanghai before we left as I have friends who live here. Unfortunately they're away at the moment but did steer us towards a hotel and places to visit and eat. But I wasn't really prepared for the fact that this is China, and has a different operating system to the world I am used to. So I'm writing this blog, but I won't be able to post it until I get home because you can't access Google in China - no Gmail, no Facebook, no Blogspot, no Chrome - well golly, it's amazing how caught up we get with technology and social media. We have wifi at the hotel, but have to do all our searches through Yahoo, and it's pretty slow. And many sites just don't open at all.
Back to the metro - we worked out our route with only one change. Got our tickets from the machine no problem, then boarded an empty train at the airport. Great, seating, spacious, modern train. And then at the next station people rushed in and got the rests of the seats and filled the aisles - the compartment looked full. Ha, no way. Over the next few stops more people pushed their way in until I couldn't see the subway map on the other wall, and wondered how on earth we would be able to squeeze past everyone to get off. And lordy, you could have a panic attack in here! Well the getting off worked ok because we reached a terminus and had to change trains. Everyone rushed off across the platform to line up at each door opening place - all nice and orderly and queuing on either side of each opening so that those getting off can go through the middle. And you have to be quick coz when the time is up the doors just close - and of course we had all our bags - and no cellphones if we got separated.
The next train we were standing and when the train stopped at a station there would be a surge of people seemingly throwing themselves into the car. It was a physical wave of energy and everyone would sway and readjust to a smaller space. You certainly didn't need to hold on, as we were sardines packed into a can. I suppose it was rush hour. And just like home everyone was on their phones. We saw one woman writing Chinese characters directly onto her Samsung screen which then did predictive text. No worries about me reading over her shoulder haha.
We made it through our 3 metro rides and only got out one station too far for the hotel. A chance to wander along the busy street, and stop for a much needed coffee. At this stage it was still only 8.30am and we'd been up for over 24 hours. It's warm here and rainy. Nice to have the warmth again after feeling the autumn creeping in in Switzerland. Will be home soon enough for the lovely spring weather NZ has been experiencing!
All we managed for the rest of the day was a wander around the neighbourhood to an old area where the alleyways between the houses have been turned into shops. A funny thing is that you see the locals walking around with take out, or they are eating on the street, but restaurants seem few and far between. Either they are camouflaged, or upstairs. And unless you go into a western type place (Starbucks is EVERYWHERE!) you more or less have to point to stuff - which is all well and good, except I always think that what the locals are eating looks better than what I end up with.
Today we slept late and missed breakfast - it might have had something to do with being awake in the middle of the night! We did the Big Bus Tour. First to Pudong - the new financial district that was a swamp 20 years ago, and is now a piece of prime real estate covered in skyscrapers. We went up one of them and had views over the river to the 'old' part of Shanghai. Although much of what was old has now been demolished to create new and modern - just what many countries have done, including NZ. The views were marginal due to either pollution or low cloud - it's the end of the rainy season and it's been cloudy and showery.
We went on the Bund sightseeing tunnel under the river - very amusing - like an underground cable car with flashing neon lights!
Then a visit to the Yu gardens and surrounding bazaar area - nice, but touristy. And after a very mediocre lunch we scored a nice dinner at a place close to the hotel. We've been feeling the jet lag traveling this way - note to self - stopover more important on way home from Europe.
Thursday
Ha, made it to breakfast but really shouldn't have bothered. Lots of stewed stuff, that fake sausage, congee, and at least hard boiled eggs with sweet bread toast and margarine. And luke warm coffee.
Did another route on the bus tour, and tried to get as many photos of bike loads as we could. Took a ferry trip across the river and back, and stopped off for a late lunch at a western style restaurant. I'm sure there's yummy things to eat at local restaurants here - and next time I'll bring an interpreter. Apparently the Shanghaiese favour sweet and sour foods, and there is usually vinegar on the table rather than soy sauce.
So we ended up having a quiet and reasonably slow time in Shanghai - which is the only way to walk when there's so many people around.
Then a nice Air NZ flight that was packed to the gunnels with people rustling, talking, moving about, snorting and sneezing, and children screeching - just your average long haul in economy. And here we are home again, home again jiggedty jig.
So long and thanks for reading...
No comments:
Post a Comment