You’re welcome on the plane with the greeting Mabuhay, means ‘long life’ in the filipino language and is a constant greeting.  I like the term and the genuine way it comes across.

A strange flight experience from Manila to Shanghai, I’d somehow booked myself into an exit row.  It meant great legroom, and I was in charge of the airplane doors in the case of emergency.  Neither of those things were different to having been in an exit row before.  What was weird was there were no window anywhere in view.  I had no concept of taking off, or seeing any landing descent.  It was a little unnerving for someone who generally is constantly sitting at an airplane window seat watching the flight go by.

As I entered China and Shanghai I was a little apprehensive.  Just new and different.
There is no cash here, so everything is on Ali Pay on your phone.  I did get some cash, but it is hard to spend, or so I am led to understand.  My nerves were calmed significantly as I breezed through immigration and figured out Alipay to pay for my Maglev train to get me to downtown Shanghai from the airport.

This being China, that train goes at 300 kmph, so it takes just 7 minutes to travel to 19 miles.  The Heathrow Express in London by comparison is just 16 miles, but takes 21 minutes!  This was a the first of a very long list of things that China does better than my other experiences.

Getting off the Maglev train it was straight forward to transfer to the Shanghai MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) and find my way to line number 2 that will take me to Peoples Square and close to my hotel.  I thought, ‘this was all a bit too easy’, and I might pay for this later.  My hotel is wonderful, they kindly upgraded me and I have this wonderful corner unit room with a magnificent view.  Just in case I am bored or lazy, I have two massive tv’s, should I need to move the 20 feet from one to the other. The view from the hotel window was majestic!

Bags dropped, I head out with much to explore.  Shanghai was glowing.

The People’s Park was occupied, by lots of people. My arrival here on 6th April coincided with a China Bank holiday of ‘Tomb Sweeping Day’.  It was not a holiday I was familiar with but a little investigation had me quickly learn that it is a day to remember and respect ancestors.

The park was beginning to show spring bloom.  The is beautiful, and April was a great month to appreciate it.
I began to learn that it’s a bit of a thing for middle-older aged Chinese women to sing. As you sit in the park you are calmed by the singing of one tuneful singer or another. This was the first of many times. The Peoples Park is a lovely oasis in the middle of the city.

A chance moment of no people to set off the beauty of the park colors.

As I began to walk around a new city and a new country I began to think about what was different about China, and what was the same. The place was immaculately clean, people were respectful in going about their day, and then something struck me. I was waiting at a red pedestrian stop sign, there were 50 or more mopeds waiting to zoom away as they got a green to go sign. I’d seen this scene over and over in places like Vietnam and Nepal. It’s a cacophony of noise as they speed away, but here was different. The lights turned green for them to go, and almost silence, all the mopeds were electric. Surreal moment.

After the park visit I head to the legendary ‘The Bund’.  I had seen photos, but you don’t get to appreciate it into you see it in person.  It is such a wonderful way to set Shanghai off.  It’s a famous 1.6km promenade with wonderful views.  There were thousands and thousands of people enjoying the view, taking selfies or admiring the artistry built by British, American and foreign firms.  They did a tremendous job.  I took some photos on day #1, but I wasn’t over happy with them as there was low cloud and spoiled the view a little bit.  I’ve very picky that way :). I went back the next night for some super pics.  It wasn’t a bank holiday on my second visit, but the crowds were just as huge.

On my second day in Shanghai I had a short list of must do things, so I headed out on foot.  Transport is cheap, easy and can take you anywhere you would wish to go, but I wanted to see stuff, much like Easter Sunday in Manila.  So I walked.  And walked.  I covered 44.945 steps, that’s over 20 miles, and that even included catching the MRT to get me home to my hotel room.

I lent my way to Xintindi, the French Concession and then on to the intriguing Bund underground tunnel.  Despite lots of planning for Shanghai, I’d never even heard of the Bund Tunnel until about 5 minutes before I got on it!!  It was a fun little ride that I did under the water and back in the.  It’s 646 meter under water tunnel that takes you to the beautiful Oriental Pearl Tower that was built in 1991.  The underground tunnel is considered a bit of tourist trap, but I didn’t care, and I enjoyed the ride to see something different.

And the psychedelic photographs from the journey through the Bund Tunnel. It’s a 2.1 mile underwater connecting the Huangou and Hangkou districts. It’s fun and different.

Once you are through the tunnel you are opposite the Bund and get a whole new view of the city.and the Oriental Pearl Tower.

Then I moved on to a needed adventure.  In a little bit of a basic travel error I managed to pack only 1 pair of jeans and 1 pair of shorts.  I survived the first week of the trip as I didn’t need jeans for the Philippines, and the 95 degree heat was perfect to allow me to wash them.  I had two more pair of jeans washed and ready to make it into my case, but they never made it.  I wondered why I was traveling so light 🙂

I searched out a Diesel store, but it was no longer there, so I have to traipse a massive more number of steps to a possible another destination.  I got to the Daimaru store and my eyes lit up when I saw the bright red sign.  The next challenge, do they have the black jeans I want and size.  This was not going to be easy.  To my astonishment they had one pair that was a perfect fit, problem was they were on the mannequin inside the storm.  The mannequin was stripped bear with no concern for his modesty, and I was off to the changing rooms.  Perfect fit, big result.

I headed for the MRT station across the road to go back to the hotel and give my poor feet and legs a rest!  

I did go back out for a short while to get one last look at Shanghai with a cloudless sky, and to go searching for snacks and souvenirs.  Tomorrow I am heading off early for the bullet train that is going to take me from Shanghai to Beijing.  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Shanghai, but I am ready for next adventures!!