SHANGHAI PUDONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

We arrived on time at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, which is located in the eastern part of Pudong district. It is about 30 kilometers from downtown Shanghai, and occupies an area of about 32 square kilometers. It is a major international getaway into China, and it is curfew free and operates 24 hours a day depending wether its passengers or logistics.

Then we waited a few minutes for our bags to arrive which was brought by our shuttle service.



The gigantic airport is very modern. At a glance, the design of the high ceiling was striking and magnificent. However, the airport terminal was crammed full of passengers and their luggages.


The terminal building is compose of two parts - main building and long terminal concourse, both 3-storey structured, and connected by two passages. The building covers an area about 280,000 m², with thirteen conveying luggage belts and twenty-eight boarding bridges; the area of food and drinks facilities and other leasing service facilities reaches 60,000 m^2.

SHANGHAI MAGLEV TRAIN

The next morning we decided to head down again to Nanjing Road for some serious shopping. We did a lot of walking spryly and hubby took the opportunity to purchase on some interesting books.

The next day - all too soon it was time to go home. Our guide picked us up and escorted us to the Shanghai Maglev Train Station in Longyang Road Station departing to Shanghai Pudong Airport.

( MagLev Longyang Road Station)

(The Maglev Train Ticket Booth)

The Shanghai Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) Train is the first commercial high-speed maglev line in the world. Constructed on in March 2001 and public service commenced on January 1, 2004.

(Inside the Maglev Train - Regular)

The smooth ride took us around eight minutes and it reached a regular service speed of 431/km/h (there is a digital speed indicator shown).



The Shanghai Maglev Train operates between Longyang Road Metro Station in Pudong New District and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, everyday from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm at intervals of 15 minutes.

As cf November 2006, the one way ticket price is 50 renminbi (RMB) (about $6.33 US dollars) and 40 RMB (US$5.06) for airline passengers with proof of an airline E-ticket purchase receipt (plane boarding passes are not acceptable). One-way VIP ticket costs 100 RMB (US$12.66). A round-trip ticket costs 80 RMB (US$10.13).

Purple Mountain Hotel

Purple Mountain Hotel is an international standard 5 star hotel conveniently located at the heart of the commercial district of Shanghai Pudong Area, within walking distance to Metro Station and 5 minutes drive to the cross river tunnels.

The hotel is 40-minute by car to the Pudong International Airport and only 10-minute to Shanghai New International Convention Center (SICC). The hotel has 341 well appointed guest rooms and suite which are all equipped with world class facilities and amenities.

The hotel's lobby...



The hotel has separate dining sections like Hawaii, Venice, Mediterranean and Chinese rooms, each representing its exclusive delectable cuisine.

One of the hallways on the upper floor...



Our entire tour group had a private room for authentic Shanghainese lunch in a relaxed atmosphere. Spacious enough to hold 25-30 people dining together. The simple upholstery mixes Chinese and contemporary western influences. We sampled everything to expand our experience of the menu.


After our lunch, we proceeded directly to Maglev Train Station. We said goodbye to the whole group as soon as they left. We were left behind because we extended our stay for one day.



Address:
778 Dongfang Road, Pudong, Shanghai
Tel. (86-21) 68868888
Fax. (86-21) 68868800
Email: mail @pmhotel.com.cn

SHANGHAI CARREFOUR HYPERMARKET

On the last day of the tour, we spent our morning "free at leisure". Hubby and I decided to go for shopping at Carrefour Hypermarket which is just a few blocks away from the hotel.


Carrefour (which means "crossroads"), is the world's second largest ratailer after Wal-Mart. Carrefour operates more than 12, 500 stores in Europe, Latin America, North Africa and Asia.

Oh my goodness! I sooo love the store. This well-known French grocery chain offers a large choice of both Chinese and Western products. I never thought I'd use the word "magnificent" to describe a supermarket, but it definitely fits here. Name brands, great selection, major savings... what else can you ask for! It was the best shopping ever!

I love the fact that everything is really affordable and I could find all that I needed from clothing & accessories, health & beauty, home & garden, household appliances, sports and accessories, electronics and a lot more.



And the most fascinating part are the wide selections of food that are outrageously bounteous which are like manna from heaven. And there's a section where you can even ask them to cook it for you.

When we went to the bread section, I was exceedingly gaga over their plenteous breads, cakes, cookies and pastries. It was really a tempting site that I wanted to buy all of it. I could probably kill more than an hour here just browsing and tasting their various food samples. mwehehe...



And there are restaurants in front of the hypermarket where you can relax and enjoy good food after shopping.



It's easy to shop here because all the information are both in Chinese and English. As for now, I would probably say, Carrefour Hypermarket in Shanghai is my absolute favorite grocery store. Going there is an experience in itself...

After shopping, we went back to our hotel to drop off our grocery bags and to freshen up a little bit. We went downstairs to the hotel lobby and we met all our traveling companions who had checked out already. After a few minutes we boarded on bus and headed to Purple Mountain Hotel for lunch..

HUANGPU RIVER CRUISE

After a sumptous fine Chinese set-meal dinner at the Yang Guang Hotel, we then headed to the Bund's southern end ferry port for a one-hour cruise on the Huangpo River.

We headed off on time, the ship sails off from the dock on the Bund as soon as we heared the loud sound of a big horn. We enjoyed an open panaromic views on both sides of the river, the buildings in different architectural styles on the west bank, the glittering modern skycrapers on the east bank, the bridges, the docks and the ships cruising one after another on the river.



Visitors going on cruises down the Huangpo River can admire the scenes both inside and outside the ships. The air-conditioned interior has stylish white couches with tables and large glass windows for viewing.



And a door that opens to outdoor seating on the observation deck.



On one side, one may see the glittering lofty Oriental TV Tower and the Shanghai International Convention Center.



As the ship heads north, we were treated to a long string of spectacular fireworks display.



Shortly after the fireworks ended, some tried to get conversations going with others, while I just seemed to sit, took pictures and kept watching to see where we were going until our boat made a u-turn and cruised again along the same route back to the Bund. After getting off of the ship, we hopped on a tour bus that took us to our hotel.

Definitely, evening is the best time for a cruise on the Huangpu River as numerous sparkling neon lights can be seen.

YUYUAN BAZAAR

After shopping at Nanjing Road, we went to YuYuan Bazaar located in the downtown area of Shanghai. The bazaar has lots of souvenir shops specialize in traditional Chinese arts, crafts and jewelries, crammed together in small and large alleys.

There's a Starbucks Coffee right in front of the lake just in case you want a uniquely blended coffee beverage while relaxing.



The Yuyuan Bazaar is located next to the Yuyuan Garden. But sad to say, I didn't even get to the garden as I was burned out already from all the walking particularly in Nanjing Road. I chose to relax and had a good meal in a large food court with variety of dishes from traditional Chinese fare to more adventurous Shanghai offerings. After we had our snacks, hubby went out to explore more, while I just spent virtually my time watching and observing a handful of tourists and locals strolling along the promenade, buying mementos and keepsakes to bring home and snapping photos everywhere.

After more than an hour, hubby came to pick me up and we went back to our meeting point (Starbucks) with the rest of our tour mates. Along the way, we happened to see a fine Chinese dramatic presentation in which a short retelling story was performed with puppetry production using marionette puppets, photos and slides.

NANJING ROAD

After lunch we were given time to mosey through the stores on Nanjing Road. In the early century Nanjing Road in Shanghai was the first commercial road. And now, it's a shopper's paradise known as the "Oriental Paris". This extensive commercial shopping district has loads of modern shopping malls, specialty stores, theatres and international hotels lining up the streets.

This place is often jam-packed of locals and foreign visitors because of comparatively reasonable prices and good bargains for the wide selection of items.



I really don't enjoy shopping for clothes when I'm out of the country. But when hubby and I caught sight of a chic boutique named Meters/Bonwe (the largest casualwear retail brand in China), I had a wonderful time and enjoyed my shopping there. We came out with shopping bags full of amazing stuff like t-shirts, blouses and body bags. Being the cheapskate that I am, I was super elated that they were on sale. When we went back to the bus, some of our tour mates asked us where we had our shopping spree. They were impressed and envious of all our purchases. They wished that they, too, had been there. Lucky us! mwehehe...

One of my best buy in Meters/Bonwe bought at 60% off RMB25.



If you're tired walking, you can also enjoy a quick and comfortable tour ride on a tramcar .



One of the Auto Banking Machine stationed along Nanjing Road.



Public restrooms are found generally in the department stores and restaurants. But if you want a more hygienic restrooms look for big hotels and new shopping malls.

Strikingly Unfamiliar:
We were strolling down the alley when suddenly I felt the call of nature. So I looked for restroom in a busy regular shopping mall. I went towards the women's restroom area. As I walked in, I noticed most of the doors were slightly opened. So, I presumed all were vacant. Then I proceeded to one of the cubicles. But to my surprise, there was someone inside. I said sorry and I thought maybe she forgot to close it.

Again, I tried to peek several doors, but to no avail. What was more shocking and strange thing... they were seated in BACKWARD position on squat toilets (a trough in the ground). Obviously I saw their BARE BUTTS on display! Eeew!!! hahaha... I can't believe what I just saw. I found myself toungue-tied and I felt totally embarassed for them.

BRAZILIAN BARBECUE RESTAURANT

Moving on, we were off to have our buffet lunch at Brazilian Barbecue Restaurant, a popular rodizio style restaurant that specializes in roasted and barbecued meats.

Served in a party like atmosphere, the long buffet counter had homemade dishes and delicacies of every kind. There were also enough salads that any vegetarian can have. I wish I knew the names of all the food that we had.



The barbecue meat was prepared in skewers and carried around by waiters. We called the servers several times throughout the meal and they came to our table with the rodizio courses. We sampled various kinds of meat sliced/plated right at the table. And we also tasted the most exceptional one - the grilled banana.


The modest restaurant is equipped with simple decor, yet pleasing and warm looking, with a wall of windows in the dining area.

DONGWU SILK FACTORY AND STORE

Early in the morning, we reached our first destination - the Dongwu Silk factory and store. Upon our arrival, a lady guide gave us a brief overview about the silk in China and information on silk production.

She told us that the secret to silk production is the tiny creature known as the silkworm, which is the caterpillar of the silk moth Bombyx mori.



We witnessed the process of the first stage of silk process which was the hatching of the silkworm eggs in a controlled environment.



Then we were brought to the next room - the Reeling Workshop, where the cocoons were sorted out for reeling.

The next room, some of us were able to to take part in the process.

After the presentation, we were given the opportunity to browse around and purchase the items such as bed linens, bedroom and bathroom accessories, towels and more. Being amongst the raging cheapskate :), hubby and I opted not to buy anything here.



Then we were led into another large section of the shop with a huge variety of silk dresses, blouses, polos, trousers, coats, jackets, nightclothes, lingerie, hosiery, traditional Chinese gifts and a lot more.


Being a confessed shopaholic, I wasn't able to resist the urge to buy. So I end up grabbing some of the gift items right there and then. tsk, tsk... Oh, If you visit here and want to fill your wish list, please remember to get your wallet and credit cards ready. Prices here are expected to be quite expensive.

Silk is such a beautiful fabric but I had no idea before that silk yarn is produced from silkworms and I never thought that the process is such a delicate piece of work. This tour was a learning experience for me.

NEW WORLD MAYFAIR HOTEL (ANNEX)

After a busy and hectic day of tour, we arrived at the "Five-Star" New World Mayfair Hotel, one of the largest hotel complexes in Shanghai, comprising 605 "Five-Star" rooms (main building) and 255 "Four Star" rooms (annex) .

Our group stayed at the Annex, which is a four-star hotel conveniently located near shopping malls and restaurants, within easy access of the underground subway and just a few blocks from my favorite Carrefour Hypermarket.

The main lobby of the hotel.

The annex lobby

As soon as we checked-in, I was quite disappointed with the size of the room as there wasn't much space. It was pretty small compared to Tiantan Hotel in Beijing where we stayed. The room is a little basic for a 4-star rated hotel. However, it's a nice place and equipped with all the comforts.


Our room has broadband internet access, TV with satellite channels, IDD, electric safety deposit box, tea and coffee set, hair dryer, clock radio and electric door lock.

The hotel hallways

The recreational facilities features a gym, outdoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, steam, and massage service.

This hotel also has wheelchair accessible, morning call, city transfers, car rental, salon, currency exchange, airport pick-up and drop-off.

On our first day, we had our fabulous buffet breakfast at the ballroom found in the main building.



But the remaining days of our stay, we had our daily complimentary buffet breakfast in one of their multifuntion rooms.

An array of breakfast dishes were prepared and set up outside the room.



Inside the function room where we had our light leisurely breakfast.


We sampled a variety of food with a fresh roasted coffee and fresh brewed tea of our choice.

This bright, cheery room has glass windows overlooking Zhong Shan Street.

Address:
New World Mayfair Hotel Shanghai
1555 Ding Xi Road, Chang Ning Dist