(View from our hotel room - wow!)
Adam: Thankfully, we were not paying for it - kudos to Valerie's starwood points account! After scoping out the hotel, we walked up and down Nanjing Rd. Besides a lot of interesting shops, food stands, etc., there are some of the most persistent touts around the world - the multiple employees of the Shanghai "Watch-Shoes-DVD" Company. These guys follow you for a block, whispering in your ear "Watch? Shoes? DVD? You want to buy Rolex? Prada? Come look, my store." Something tells me that their goods are not 100% authentic.
Valerie: On Monday we visited the French Concession -- a very picturesque part of town with tree-lined streets and European architecture.
Adam: The name "French Concession" (not to be confused with the excellent movie, the French Connection) comes from the days when Shanghai was divided into various European zones, including a French and a British zone. In fact, there is an infamous park here (Huangpu park) which used to restrict from entry "no dogs or chinese."
Valerie: For dinner we stopped in at Spice Market. It was great Indian food, and the best service I've probably ever had (the chef even came out to meet us), but the restaurant was surprisingly empty -- only us and another party inside the restaurant during dinner time.
Adam: Undoubtedly, the food highlight of this city has been the delightful (and elusive) vegetarian steamed buns served by the Wu Tan Xidi restaurant (recognizable by the orange awning with the picture of the grandmother). The buns, which are filled with a mixture of spinach, mushrooms, and tofu, are excellent - but hard to find. Every time we go, we ask for "su cai bao zi" (vegetarian buns), but this has produced results only twice. Who knows, maybe Shanghai is swearing off pork - but I doubt it.
Valerie: Today we visited the Old City, including the Yu Gardens -- Shanghai's #1 tourist destination. The gardens are a nice oasis from the bustling city -- with rivers, trees, various pagodas, and ponds to see. Once you leave the gardens, however, you'll find yourself in the Yu Bazaar -- a very hectic and busy shopping center.
(Valerie and Adam at the Yu Gardens)
Adam: Valerie uses the term "shopping center" loosely. Basically, it is stalls selling the same collection of teapots, chops, chopsticks, and Chairman Mao alarm clocks that are sold all over China, albeit in a more "Chinese" looking surrounding (i.e. for the tourists). We were not impressed, so we walked over to the Bund (the area lining the Huangpu river) and hopped on a cruise boat for an hour.
Valerie: We had originally planned on taking a much longer 3-hour trip but it was probably best that we settled on the 1-hour version instead. The boat basically took us in a circle between the Bund and the Pudong side of the river. On one side you can see the historic "old" Shanghai buildings (i.e., the original customs house, the first HSBC bank building etc) and on the other side of the river is the new Shanghai skyline (i.e., the Jinmao tower -- the tallest building in China).
Adam: The "new Shanghai," also known as Pudong, is quite new. As you can see in the pictures, it is filled with incredibly tall and futuristic buildings. In 1990, it was all farmland. These guys can be efficient (when they want to).
(The Bund at sunset)
Valerie: After the cruise, we walked along the Bund and stopped in at the New Heights bar. The restaurant here is considered one of the best in the city, and the views are spectacular. We'll report on the food later -- we'll be eating here tomorrow for my birthday.
(View of Pudong from the New Heights Bar.)
Next: More of Shanghai and Hangzhou - home to the West Lake and tea plantations.
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