March 24, 2016

March 24  Flight to Shanghai   

Our flight arrived just after 4:30 almost 20 minutes late due to a problem in Vancouver.  Vancouver had low cloud and rain with a temperature 11 C. We each watched the comedy movie “Spy” starring Melissa McCarthy. I also watched “The Short” and “Carol”.   We had three meals on the plane. About 90 minutes after takeoff, the meal served was heated rice and chicken or spaghettini and sweet & sour pork with a cool corn and lettuce salad with a vinaigrette dressing, a bun and a brownie. Just after six hours on the plane, we ate beef and rice mixture, fruit cup and a bun. Coffee, tea, water or red or white wine was also available with the first two meals. Then about 90 minutes before we landed, an egg salad sandwich with 2 cookies was served, as well as coffee, tea or water. Neither one of us slept, we played a few games on the in flight screens, then brought out the traveler cribbage board & cards and played a few games.

  When we arrived Shanghai’s sky had thin cloud, there was a 15 km per hour north wind, the temperature was 11 C and it was close to dusk.  We had completed Customs and Immigration forms on the plane, with a portion for arrival and one for departure.  The arrival side was torn away and the departure side returned to us.  We need to present it with our passports when we leave China.  By 5:45 we had been greeted by the Viking River Cruise employees and taking to the area where the bus van would meet us and five others to our Hotel, the Westin Bund Center. It was approximately 45 minutes from Pudong International Airport. Our hostess introduced us to our guide, Gao, at the hotel and he checked us in.  Our lovely room has a view from the 22nd floor.  We were warned to only use the bottled water in the room or boil water in the kettle for 4 minutes, then cool it before drinking as we would get sick drinking any tap water in China.  It is fine to wash and bathe using the water.  We need our room card to access the elevator, get into our room and turn on the lights in the room. There was a notice in the room the routine maintenance will be done on the hotel’s power system from midnight to 5 a.m., so we need to use our own watches, rather than the clock radio.

  There are many cars, motorbikes and bicycles zooming around the streets.  Most of the cars seem to be less than three years old.  All cars are manufactured in China with its population of 1.3 billion which is more than the populations of Europe and North America combined.  We see European brands of cars Audi, BMW, Citroen, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen; other Asian countries’ brands of cars Honda, Hyundi, Kia, Subaru, Toyota plus an occasional Porsche, Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Buick, Chevrolet, Ford or Jeep. 

  We got settled in the room and decided that we didn’t need supper, so went for a walk to the Bund area, since night had fallen and there was no smog visible. Gao gave us directions and it only took six minutes to find it.  The 19^th century buildings along the Bund are lit with floodlights reminding us of the night entry into Budapest when the Parliament building and castle were brightly lit.  There were more than a dozen two or three level converted yachts giving river cruises, some including dinner.  They were brightly decked out in neon lights and blended in with the shore buildings. The late 20^th century buildings across the Huangpu River in Pudong District and the newer buildings along the Bund were lit completely by neon flashing lights, some with advertising lighting up all sides of 30 storey buildings. The Pudong shoreline included the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, in blues, pinks and purples. It was completed in 1995 and was the tallest completed tower in Asia. At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it is the third tallest tower in the world after the CN Tower and the Ostankino Tower.  The Pudong side twenty five years ago was just rice paddy fields and old docks. Today there are many tall modern building for business and residential apartments gracing its shores.  We strolled along the specially built raised walkway spanning more than a mile.  There were many people out enjoying the cool evening including at least 10 couples having wedding photos with the colourful Pudong shoreline in the background.  Only one bride wore a veil with her white gown.  The other brides wore either white or red gowns. Some of the grooms wore tuxedoes with white jackets. It didn’t seem too crowded.  We returned to the room after 80 minutes to write the blog then went to bed since it has been nearly 29 hours since we awoke on Wednesday morning.  We logged 4 miles walking in the airport and visiting the Bund.  For the long day the total is 14 miles including three airports.

    We have an alarm set so we can shower, eat breakfast and be assembled, with the other 26 people in Gao’s group, for our tour of Shanghai tomorrow.  We will see The Bund in daylight and have a photo opportunity.