Gpanda's China Trip Report

Hi Gpanda!

When in China eat Chinese food! Xio Long Pao dumplings eaten when hot, but watch out for the soup inside, is delicious. Tofu with preserved eggs braised in a light soy sauce is also another local delicacies that I enjoy.

Have fun and stay away from the I-talian food!

If we send a Panda to China, do they send us back something in return?

First day in Shanghai and it was Italian food? Some people just don't check the boards for information before they travel. . . .

Well, no penalty for late posting, i guess. But I think there should be one for eating Italian food in Shanghai!

So what would be a good name for the first American Panda on loan to China? Boo Boo?

I think they already made a movie on this: Lost In Translation. Substitute Shanghai for Tokyo and Panda plays the lead role. You see, he thought he was ordering Shanghai noodles when, instead, he actually ordered pasta with mushrooms. He thought he was ordering soup dumplings when, in fact, he asked for ravioli. The biggest problem now is likely that he forgot his pocket dictionary.

And yes, we do need to find a name for the Massachusetts Panda lost in Shanghai.

boo boo perfect... but italian??? you hardly eat anything but asian at home and now italian in china....

have fun...

glad you took the laptop??

Good report. Nice work!

Add me to the people who think there should be a separate penalty for eating Italian food in China. Especially for your first meal and especially since your son was just living there and probably gave you tons of recommendations of where to eat!

Timely report. Put me in as another vote for the name Boo Boo is perfect category.

Running Score:

Boo Boo - 3

Any other name - 0

Aloha!

Really......You better make up for this the rest of the trip!!! Is Beth off shopping yet? Can't wait to hear about it. Have fun k

Didn't know you were planning on live TR, that's so nice.

Ugh, can't believe your choice of restaurant, there's many chinese ones in that area and 1/4 of the price, western retaurants in China are mostly more expensive than the ones in the US, at least the panda is sticking to vegan food!

so far we have managed to contain the spread of news about the outbreak of the dreaded deadly disease in Cambridge....i doubt the chinese authorities will hear about it until you have returned home.... so there is little chance of you being detained...

Italian - amazing...

I think I'll order for myself at Similan's at this year's Boston GTG.

Oy vey, what is the world coming to. Italian food in Shanghai...and that is on the first day. What next McDonalds????

Don't forget KFC!!!!
Andy, great to hear you arrived safetly but come on... ITALIAN!!!

>>>can't believe your choice of restaurant<<<

(And, it's far worse, gentle fodor's forum people : highly suspect, 'grandpa' didn't fly Singapore Airlines, EWR-PEK! But rumour has it, will right the ship, with SQ to SE Asia, later this year. (And, if so, savour that Singaporean airline!)

Now, rise and shine 'panda', do try to kick this thread into certain cherished SQTalk trip report territory -- and don't forget the occasional late-night, in-room massage treatments.

An uplifting holiday to you!

macintosh (robert)


... SIA -- All the Way ...

(And do make that 'EWR-PVG'!) ... (And, in future, do consider those EWR-SIN SQ J non-stops -- couldn't resist..)

robert


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

OK snarky ones. I guess you didn't bother to read the efforts to find the chinese reataurant highly recommended by Shanghainese. We were shot and staggering. As an aside, several of the restaurants at the Rui Jin have closed. The Thai and Face are gone. Here we go.

Up ridiculously early and out for a run to Fuxing Park. The entry was closed, but I ran around it until a road cut in. I went by a nightclub, Ricky’s that was still rocking at 4:45 a.m., back to the hotel for a stretch and a shower.

Breakfast was included at the Rui Jin, so we ate a large meal, fruit, eggs, bacon and pastries.

Our goal today was a walk around the Old Town section. We used a walk outlined in Frommers. But first we wanted to go to the Fuyou Antiques market, which began the walk.

At the front desk, we made reservation s for the acrobat show, “Intersection of Time” at Shanghai Circus World. Seth said the cheap seats were fine, but we went with the next step up. A cab was called and off we went. We were dropped off at the intersection of Henan Lu and Fangbang Lu. Using a fold out map, we walked up Henan to the spot where the market was noted on the map. Naturally, it was not there. A large hole in the ground that was the beginning of a construction project. It should be noted that about 1/5 of the land in Shanghai is the beginning of a construction project. One guide book said that ¼ of the construction cranes in the world were in Shanghai. This seems unrealistic, but one can see why.

Not accepting defeat on the search for the Fuyou market, I found an address, 457 Fangbang Lu, in another guide book. We walked back down Henan Lu to where we had started. This was an ugly walk to do twice.

Success! Pandas are nothing, if not persistent. WE walked around the first two floors and it was nothing special, but we went up to the fourth floor and it was wonderful. On the first two floors, there were countless stalls with Jade and wood and Tchotchkes galore ( not a character from a James Bond novel). Up on the fourth floor, there were lots of vendors spread out sitting on the floor, each with a small cloth with their wares artfully arranged. It was quite a sight. Ceiling fans and open widows made it more pleasant than the confined space of the other floors. We stopped at a few vendors and looked at some nice stones and other items. The knowledgeable buyers were examining the potential purchases with magnifying glasses. We did buy two calligraphy brushes.

Back out onto Fangbang Lu and a walk down the old street that was renovated in 1999 to replicate traditional shophouses. Down to the Temple of the Town God at the end of the street. Many worshippers with much incense burning and a paper folding and burning activity. Walked up to the Bridge of the Nine Turnings and across with the rest of the wanderers. The entire walk was very crowded. Definitely not for those with personal space issues. The bridge was particularly jammed. Almost all of the people were Chinese. Almost no westerners. We popped into the Yu Garden, a beautiful spot. Again, it was very crowded. This is just a path following activity, not an open garden. Out to continue. We went by a dumpling outlet that was jammed. A very long line. EKscruchy had said that these were the places to eat, but we were still stuffed from breakfast and the line was about ½ hour. We wound around to Daijing Lu and went to a Buddhist temple. No taking off of shoes as in Thailand. We clomped in along with everyone else. Farther down the road, we came to a small wet market and examined the produce and crabs and fish. We walked down Daijing Lu to the Daoist Temple. A service was just ending and we wandered through. Down the road we saw the last of the city wall. A quick cab back to the Rui Jin.

Now to the good part. Panda smoked a cigar while Beth napped. I went out onto the grounds of the Rui Jin and found a tranquil bench. This hotel hosts many, many weddings and I saw the Bride and Groom getting their pictures taken. I did not barge in.
Back to the room, woke Beth up and we went for body massages at a place on Rui Jin #2 Lu, left from the hotel, across the street. Out came the kinks from jet lag. On the second floor of an old house. The room had a fireplace and nice wooden floors. The atmosphere was very relaxing. Each massage was only 80 Yuan. A bargain.

For dinner we walked to Di Shui Dong, a Hunan homestyle place at Maoming 56. It’s bustling and casual. We has stir-fried sweet peas and chicken with peanuts. Both were very nice. As an aside, we did notice that there were lots of adventurous dishes, such as smoked duck tongues and pig intestines with chili, not to mention fried bullfrogs. Tengohambre and Bob, Come and get it.

Finally, you sound like you are in the Shanghi moment. Good days activity and report. How far a walk is that? Sounds like a lot to see. Stir-fried sweet peas...yum

no fish heads....?? EK would be disappointed...
sounds like you are in the swing of things...have fun

robert is already e mailing me about the hunan rest. and italian???

Sounds like a good day - except for the cigar. RS only 5 games behind are facing last place KC while the Yanks face the forever troublesome Angels. The big showdown is this weekend - I'll be at the Cathedral-in-the-Bronx on Saturday thinking of you, lost in China...

thank god beth is with him or he would still be roaming around in the airport---newark....

Craig, come, come, surely you've heard of kway teow fiorentino! I do grasp the incongruence of "running" whilst on holiday and smoking a cigar.....is this an attempt to achieve balance?

The key question is have you restored the balance of fair trade? We'll look forward to hearing about that i...I mean when you return.

BC

BC---don't give him any subjects to talk about....he is an "expert" on everything...

keep him to simple things like cambridge and how they are going to solve the plague there...

Makes me want to visit China sooner than later.

I forgot to mention that on the first full day, we ate lunch at a place on Maeming Lu about one block north of the hotel. No English name, but it was crowded and we were starved. We applied Ekscrunchy's calculus and figured it was good. Of course, there was no English on the menu, so we had to order by pointing to dishes on other tables. We had noodles with fried onions and bread soup dumplings, larger than xlb's. The dumplings had a sesame seed bottom and were very good as were the noodles.

Also, apparently bicycles and scooters and motorcycles pay no attention to traffic signals or directions. They routinely run red lights and go the wrong way down a one way street. There were a few times when I almost stepped into their path. Beth was worried I would get hurt and I was worried I would crush them.

Here in Beijing with an hysterical anecdote. I'm going to continue chronologically, but trust me it will be well worth the wait.

Andy how was the Rui Jin? Was the room big or small? Faded or fresh? Is it a good location? Did you take pictures? Did you see any rooms in the old part?

Awaitinng Beijing...

I don't believe you had Chinese food and need to see photographic proof as Karen has hinted.

when are you starting your trip report??

Probably as soon as EKS has finished her Myanmar TR.

Don't forget to do the famous N_H walk and report back on it Andy.

WHERE IS THE NEXT REPORT!!!!

Hi Gpanda, I am enjoying your report. Sounds like you have plenty of friends and relatives following your every move! I will be going to China in a few months so I am following you as well. I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions every now and then.

Only one day in Shanghai? Was it enough? How do you feel about staying in the French Concession considering you spent your time elsewhere? How much was the cab fare from the airport? Thanks so much. Looking forward to Beijing through your eyes.

sdtravels-we spent two full days in Shanghai, see below for second day report. Also, we're returning for five days after Beijing. Shanghai was the city that drew us to China. Lots more to do there.

We are not big on photographs. There are a few, but not comprehensive. Too bad, you're going to have to Trust me on this. The check is in the mail.

Nope, still not ready for the funny part. However, Bob should get his giggle machine warmed up.

The next day it was raining, so we decided not to go on a walk through the French Concession. We went to the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Museum on 79 Fenyang Lu off of Fuxing Lu. This is definitely worth a visit. The building is a lovely old mansion, and the museum houses some working artisans. There are three floors with areas showing embroidery, knitting, painting, papercutting, theatrical costuming and dough dolls, lacquerware and inlay, plus some exhibits showing excellent examples of carvings in jade, inkstone, ivory, wood, bamboo. Some only for museum display, others for sale, some at huge prices. Also is a warren of gift shops in basement level for the various crafts plus jewelry, with reasonable prices. Place largely empty, which was nice. After that, we rested and enjoyed a tea ceremony at Gu Yuan Tea House located at 1315 Fuxing Zhong Rd. very near to Fenyang Rd. No one there either. Ordered overpriced pu-er tea from a mountain area, just to see if we could appreciate it, but the Chinese teas taste watery to us without distinction. This was at the recommendation of the YJ (Seth), who insisted we try thius tea.The ceremony was done by a gawky young man, who fumbled the placement of tea in pot and messily delivered the outcome, but all fine with us. When he went to open the box of tea, he turned it upside down and some fell to the floor. When he tried to transfer tea from the box to the glass tea pot, some would escape the wooden spoon and fall to the wooden box. It may have been his first time. This was in stark contrast to a report we read in which the ceremony was performed by a 53 year old gentleman. We rested and ate some veg buns and tasty cold soybeans. The best part was that Beth suggested that we get reservations. We did not. Of course, we were the only customers at the Tea House.

Then still raining, so off to the Feining Massage Center of Blind Persons, 597 A8 Fuxing Zhong Rd. No atmosphere except dim and cool, with soft chairs for foot massage and several tables in one large room for (clothed) body massage. We took both at 90 yuan together for the 2 hours. 60 minutes of foot massage and 60 minutes of body massage. They were good massages, but nothing extraordinary.

Back to the ranch for a rest and then out to dinner at Charmant, on Huahia Lu. This was recommended by Shanghainese and we were looking forward to it. We were not disappointed. Shredded chicken, cabbage salad, wontons in chili sauce and noodles with pork. All very good. The wontons were incredibly light. No, for desert we ordered the Charmant Special. This was a nine inch tower of crushed ice surrounded by a conglomeration of red beans, green beans, tapioca and some other indescribable substance. It was actually quite tasty, even if it looked like something from the conclusion of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.” This was concluded with Beth accidentally toppling the tower with about ½ the material still on. It was fine, we could not possibly finish it. The raucous laughter was super.

On the cab ride back to the Rui Jin, the cabbie got confused with the one way streets and I had to speak loudly to get him to let us out, so we would not have to circle the second time.

the poor cab driver....being yelled at yet again by an arrogant american tourist....he was just trying to do a good job...

so your rating for shanghai thus far is....?

Haha. I'm probably the only one who wouldn't eat Chinese food in China.

Oh, you, piker, complaining about traffic??? Have you ever crossed a 4 lane road in Rome? Didn't think so!

BC

Another vote for Boo Boo. Does that make rhkkmk Yogi?

Is that the funny story above, the dessert? I couldn't tell...

Doesn't mattter. Good report anyway, and I love the "Live From..." TRs.

Leave it to the Farang (insert Mandarin equivalent) not to appreciate the famous tea ceremony. Maybe he actually did have the 53 year old tea server and the guy just looked very young? The spilled tea was also probably part of the ceremony.

Now, if Panda's official nickname for this trip is Boo Boo -- someone is going to have to ask, "how about another picnic basket?"

The way this trip seems to be heading, at least on the food front (except for Shanghaineses's good recommendations), we are all soon going to read a "live report" from the closest McDs in about one more day. And, one more hint Boo Boo: people love when, in an effort to get them to understand you notwithstanding they speak not a shred of English, you really raise your voice and shout!

Have a great time. We expect souvenirs upon your return.

Very lovely report! Hilarious comments from your chorus!

Wondering about choice of hotel - whose idea was this? Was it worth it?

Also wondering what happened to your good intentions to eat many dumplings?

the reports are soooooooooooooooo brief and business like, its hard to know what is really happening....
it must be that the pay for internet service is by the second so he has to type fast....notice the lack of typing errors?

Gpanda probably dictated it to the blind Chinese masseuse who are notoriously good typist!

I would rate Shanghai a solid 8 so far on a scale of 1-10. But Beth says we haven't seen enough of it to rate it, so my rating is untrustworthy.

Easytraveler, the hotel choice was Beth's. The need for her input arose out of my screwing up our original reservation at the Meridien. I had us beginning our stay when we were still in the air. Pandas are not detail-oriented creatures. We like to think of ourselves as big picture guys.

Karen-we really liked the Rui Jin. It was a very nice room, breakfast was great and the grounds were peaceful. The room had a lot of space with a couch running parallel to the bed past its foot and a table across from the bed. We did not get a look at the rooms in the old building. The original building is a lovely historical mansion. beth complained that the beds were too firm, but I liked them.

Boo Boo is fine, but I'm not sure the little guy weighed 100 kilograms. If the truth were to be known, the fictional character to whom I aspire is Bertie Wooster. Beth would of course play the role of Jeeves quite nicely. Bob would be one of the old school buffoons from the club. The role of Aunt Agatha is open.

Andy
Good to see you are keeping us up to date with daily details, sounds like you are having a great time. Although i REALLY don't see you as a Bertie Wooster type AT ALL......

i like that word buffoon....

and Beth definitely isn't Jeeves!

(Does she ever read your postings on Fodors? )

Uh oh.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32974370/ns/world_news-world_environment/?GT1=43001

Poor BooBoo.....Can' find dinner in a city of millions of restaurants...no wounder they are a dieing breed.

OK, here's the slightly humorous part in all it's unadorned glory.

Up early the next morning for our flight to Beijing. Packed the night before. Ate breakfast as it opened at 7:00 a.m Once again, I ordered the soft boiled eggs, three minutes. They were nearly hard-boiled and I sent them back. Bad karma.

Easy check out and the cab they had called for us the night before was waiting at 7:45 for a rush hour ride to the airport for an 11:15 flight. The cab driver drove as if he were a Formula 1 driver. Switching lanes and accelerating quickly. The road to the airport was pot-holed and covered with water from the hard rain that continued.

We were dropped at the near end of the airport and we walked the length. As we were walking I noted that there was no 11:15 departure listed. Foreshadowing of the worst order. We found the Shanghai Airlines ticket counter free and walked right up and presented our E-mail confirmation. The agent glanced at our tickets and immediately got on the phone. As an aside, this is never a good sign. If things are proceeding normally, the agent needs no other information and can process one with the mere 200 keystrokes that always transpire. Here, no keystrokes, just a phone call. He was off the phone in thirty seconds, looked up at us and said:

“You’re at the wrong airport.”

Apparently, the Shanghai Airlines—Shanghai to Beijing flight did not leave from the Shanghai airport. Actually, there are two airports, Pudong and Hongqiao . Who could have known? From the US we had flown into Pudong and mistakenly assumed that our Beijing flight flew out of the same airport. Now, in our defense, the CTRIP tickets we booked had a confirmation that read:

Shanghai-Beijing

No three letter airport codes were listed. The only notation of our departure was Shanghai. Also, when we booked a cab through our hotel to the airport, no one said “Which airport?” They told the driver Pudong and that’s where he took us. So the long and short of it was that we were at the wrong airport.

Cleverly, I went to the Shanghai Airlines counter and quickly inquired whether we could pay to switch flights to one that went from Pudong to Beijing. I was informed that Shanghai Airlines did not fly from Pudong to Beijing and I was at the wrong airport. Mistake confirmed.

Rushed down to the taxi line and told the driver we wanted to go to Hongqiao. He started laughing and told the dispatcher. He also thought this was funny. Off we went. Unlike the first cab driver of the day, this one drove like Morgan Freeman in “Driving Miss Daisy”, i.e., nice and slow. The good news was that there was no traffic and almost the entire trip was on freeway. There were symbol signs for airport and kilometer demarcations. I continually multiplied by 5/8, looked at my watch (we began this move from Pudong at 9:15), looked at the speedometer, multiplied by 5/8 ( I know I did not have to convert to miles to deduce the anticipated time of the trip, but it made me feel useful) and told Beth “We can still make it.”

We arrived at Hongqiao at 10:10 and went to the Shanghai Airlines counter. Naturally, there was a nice long line. It moved and we got our boarding passes with time to spare. Out to Gate A6 and thankfully collapsed. However, the malevolent travel gods were not done with us. At about 10:45 an agent inquired whether we were going to Beijing. This is not normal. The gate agents never voluntarily speak to anyone. When we answered in the affirmative, we were informed that the flight was now leaving from Gate B2. A very brisk walk to the new and improved gate and we got in the boarding line. Finally, we were seated in our actual seats to Beijing and ready to go.

Unfortunately, the pilot was not ready to depart. One last guffaw from the MTG and we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes. In other words, it was being pointed out to us that our reward for going to both Shanghai airports and still making our flight on time was a delay.

Upon reflection, I note that both airports were very busy, but well run. There were lots of flights from both. I can vouch for the taxi service, personally. Even more importantly, my predilection for getting to airports very early was sufficient to overcome the slight mishap. One major character asset triumphs over a minor flaw in planning ( Again, I note that CTRIP or the hotel could have saved me the double cab fare, but they elected to decline).

The flight was easy and baggage retrieval was simple. A cab into the Beijing traffic was smooth. I’m thankful that the horrendous traffic was on this end of the journey and not the other. If either of our cabs had encountered traffic in Shanghai, we would have been sunk.

Check in to the Westin on Financial Street. The room is very nicely appointed with softer beds than the Rui Jin. We made it, somehow.

why does this not surprise me....and its the airline's fault...

there will be no problems like this in november, and we will have enough time for an afternoon dinner at SRI....

'alls well that ends well'....

tell me that you are not having pub grub for dinner at an irish pub...

Am so glad, what a horrendous discovery. Enjoy Beijing and all it has to offer.

I forgot to mention that the TV screens on the plane from Shanghai had a pictures of a male and female cartoon pig with the caption "Swine influenza comes from America". After seeing this Beth and I attempted to look Canadian. It was on the screen for most of the flight. We did not take it personally.

Yikes. China is a tough place to travel.

My guess -- completely uninformed -- is that a relatively high percentage of visitors to China elect not to return (compared to other Asian countries known for tourism -- Thailand, Indonesia, Japan).

Not that there's nothing interesting in the place -- there's heaps and heaps of amazing things to see and do. But the country doesn't seem to have mastered the trick of making it relatively appealing and untroubling for the tourist. The Panda got taken to PVG instead of the right airport because none of the people who could have prevented the problem thought to do so. That almost certainly wouldn't have happened in Japan, or Thailand. And I find the food in China to be problematic, as well: a higher-than-acceptable chance of getting a meal that's disappointing.

SAVE BOO BOO, SAVE BOO BOO!!

As so often happens with focusing on the "big picture", the details just go by the wayside. Blaming the locals on your lack of research is not a legitimate excuse. Just have Bob arrange your next trip.

This all being said, I am glad you made your flight and that you are enjoying your time lost in China, for the most part.

Yanks picked up a game on Boston last night while clinching a playoff berth. Magic number is 6.

What an ordeal. I can't believe you didn't have traffic in Shanghai. It was a mess the days we were there. And, Beijing had no traffic upon arrival. Go figure!

Go to "Made in China" at Grand Hyatt and have the Peking Duck. Maybe you'll feel a lot better after this.

Another vote for Made In China at the Grand Hyatt. I am getting stressed out just reading this I can imagine how you were feeling.....

Anxiously awaiting the infamous hutong walking tour....

Aloha!

I am in tears from following pandas' mad dash from PVG (Pudong) to SHA (Hongqiao), different airlines fly out of different airports, it is not easy for everyone to figure it out. Years ago I took a roundtrip to Beijing out of PVG, and did not realize being returned to SHA.

Boo Boo!!!! LOL!

Unbelievably enough, we were not stressed out. If we missed our flight, we would have taken a later one. I did have a word with the CTRIP desk at Hongqiao, but I was calm and not aggressive. Beth was not troubled.

That evening, our first in Beijing, we decided to try Beijing Duck. Looked at many recommendations and went with Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant. We went to take a cab and it turns out the guy in front of us in the line was going to the same restaurant. His name was Ambrose and he's a Hong Kong native and resident. He had a hilarious story about how his whole family moved from Hong Kong to Wisconsin and everyone but him moved back in a week because it was too cold. he stayed for seven years and then returned. He was meeting his sister. Over my small objection, he paid for the cab. The traffic was horrible and the ride took close to an hour.

There was a 1/2 hour wait, so we had a drink at the bar and watched them cook the ducks. They are skewered through the neck with a hook (the ducks). They are lifted with a long pole and put in ovens where they are hung to finish cooking. They were pre-cooked by the time we saw them. When they are done, they are lifted from the back of the oven and dropped into the flames for a few seconds. Then they are taken out and placed on a tray. A waiter immediately carries the duck off to be served.

The restaurant is very large and open with lots of space between tables. The decor is contemporary and very pleasant.

We had duck and asparagus, The duck was fantastic. AS good as we could have hoped after a long day. We followed Ekscrunchy's suggestion and enjoyed sugar on the skin. We ate most of it wrapped in thin pancakes with a few additions, e.g., green onions, radish, etc. Exquisite. The asparagus was a nice side dish. cab ride back took 25 minutes, no traffic.

<<After seeing this Beth and I attempted to look Canadian>>

As I come from a Canadian family and will be headed to Montreal in November to visit them, I'm curious as to what you & Beth did. Draw large red maple leaves? Say "eh" a lot? Order Canadian beer and lots of tea? Ask for donuts? Discuss hockey game scores? Ask where you can purchase a packet of Dunhills?

BC

I’m in China and this happens?


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32974370/ns/world_news-world_environment/?GT1=43001/from/ET

Old Pandas never die, they just fade away...

<<After seeing this Beth and I attempted to look Canadian>>

I am quite prepared to accept Beth as an honorary Canadian BUT the thought of the Great Furry One masquerading as an inhabitant of the Great White North is just unacceptable!!

On second thoughts there is a cage waiting at the Toronto Zoo.

ok, now he starts talking to people in the taxi line, insists that they share a taxi and then makes the other party pay for the ride....how many of his tricks did he play in the taxi---the muscle trick, the faces for kids, the hand tricks...

they moved back to WI immediately.....did he eat off of their plates at the restaurant as well and order for them???

BOOBoo...I hate to tell you, but Canadianas, Mexicans, etc are ALL Americans. You can't escape that easily.

Folks...why do you think Bob IS in charge of the grid and flights for our up comming trips to BKK and Bali next spring. I am too old for a cross city sprint. I want" the facts and nothing but the facts" on the grid.

Glad thing worked out. Please give my love to Beth for enduring that goof.

To Boo Boo the Panda:

Not to worry about that crude remark in the article you linked to.

Chris Packham heads up Britain's Bat Conservation Trust.

Seems the man has gone bats, so to speak.

The rest of the world still loves pandas.


Good work with the Peking duck - although pandas are supposed to be vegetarians?!

btw, his grids do not have flight times on it or the airport, so this may happen again...

its a good time with the gpandas....i do the planning and take control with an assist from beth, andy feels that he provides the entertainment (muscle trick, weird faces, etc) and karen keeps us grounded in reality... actually he tells everyone that he did it all when in fact he has the smallest piece of the pie....

It's simple. Bob is the accountant doing the drudge work and the Panda does the public relations. Anyone can see that he's much better with behind the scenes work. Our grids do have flight times and usually 3 letter airport codes. CTRIP did not send us the code, so we did not include.

One interesting thing is that at least 99% of the tourists we see at the tourist spots are Chinese. Europeans/North Americans are scarce. The tour groups are led by Chinese with flags.

he next day, August 23, we were picked up by our guide Kong Lin at 7:00 a.m. to go to the Great Wall. He was accompanied by his girlfriend Violet, who is also a guide. We drove up to Mutianyu, about ½ freeway and the rest on nice country roads. It went fast.
We took an enclosed car up to Tower 14. This was not nearly as hair-raising as some reports. They must have taken the open chairs up to Tower 6. The Great Wall (I noticed that the Chinese never refer to it as the Wall, always the Great Wall) is truly amazing. The sheer magnitude of the endeavor is staggering. Actually walking on the wall gives a much deeper appreciation of the scale of it. I would stop in the openings and imagine the advantage gained over charging horsemen. We walked along the wall for about two miles to Tower 6. Kong Lin filled us in on the background. There were not many people on the wall at this hour. It is truly a sight to behold.
We each took a toboggan ride down from Tower 6. This is a seat of plastic for one with a stick that one uses as a brake or not. You push forward to release the brake and let it move forward down a metal chute. We were given the advice to lean into the curves. Off we went, me first, beth second and Kong Lin third. I pushed the stick as far forward as it would go and rocketed down. I was flying. At every spotting location, I was told to “Slow down, sir”. Nope, down I plummeted. It was thrilling. Only on a reverse curve did I worry a bit. I waited at the bottom for Beth for 5 ½ minutes. We had left at the same time. (Beth says she crept along, but I’m sticking with creeped) Kong Lin was stuck behind her.
At the bottom, there are lots of stalls selling souvenirs. As we were some of the first, we were accosted, but we resisted. Back in the car and returned to Beijing.
We went on a Hutang “Rickshaw” ride beginning at the Drum Tower. We paid an additional 300 RMB for a local guide and the bicyclist who pedaled furiously with Beth and my large self in the back. The guide rode along on a bicycle of her own. This was interesting, but not fascinating. We did pop into a family’s home and engaged a middle-aged man in conversation. It was an extended family with a grandfather, his son and daughter, the son’s wife and daughter’s child. The guide translated. We spoke of his life and his experiences during the cultural revolution. He got to be a guest of the government in the countryside for a couple of years. Back on the rickshaw to end the tour.

We ate lunch at a Hunan restaurant with Kong Lin and Violet. Chicken with chilis and fried rice. Fine, but not great.
Off to the Summer Palace. This is a huge spread Northwest of the center city. Violet was our guide as we walked through the grounds and viewed the buildings. She told us the story of the Empress Dowager Cexi and her exercise of power. The weather was great and it was a very pleasant stroll. It was amazing to hear of the two devastations caused by the Europeans in the 18th century and the subsequent restoration(s). We took a dragon boat to the south entrance where we were met by Kong Lin.
Driving back to the ranch, we stopped at a China Construction Bank that has an arrangement with Bank of America and there are no ATM fees charged. There was a 2000 RMB limit on withdrawal. At our request, Kong Lin also took us to a laundry near our hotel. However, they charged by the piece and not the pound so the bill would have been 250 RMB to have everything done. I only had the pants and a few shirts done. The socks and delicates were handwashed in our sink and are drying as I write.
After a long day, we could not face a long cab ride for dinner, so we went to a nearby restaurant suggested by Kong Lin, Hot and Tasty. We had Fried rice and Chicken with vegetables. The bill was about 75 RMB. A cream donut was consumed from the Westin coffee shop.

Gpanda, would you mind telling us outsiders what relationship you have to all these people are in your following? Some of them know you pretty well. Obviously, Beth is your lovely wife. Thanks.

Gpanda, would you mind telling us outsiders what relationship you have to all these people in your following? Some of them seem to know you pretty well. Obviously, Beth is your lovely wife. Thanks.

Sdtravels-the sad truth is that I met all these "wonderful" people on this very forum. We've found it to be a super resource for our Asia travels. Guides, hotels, restaurants, activities and things to watch out for are readily available. I've posted for seven years on the forum and many of the others are also regulars.

Many of us have met in person at various Get Togethers (GTG. The nefarious Bob and I host a Boston GTG every fall. This year it's on October 10. See anothet thread.

The long-suffering Beth and I have become close acquaintances of Bob and Karen. By happenstance, they live about 25 minutes from our house. We live in the city of joy and light, Canbridge, Massachustts. They live in Darkest Needham. We're trying to help them escape, but the forces of entropy are powerful.

BTW, no one on this forum is an outsider. Everyone is welcome to participate as often as he/she would like. The more often one posts, the more one's personality reveals itself. Most of the regulars are not publicly judgmental.

Thanks. I'm new to the Asia forum, but I have been on several others for a long time too. Each has its own "personality" so to speak. I can't wait to hear more of your trip.

sdtravels: Welcome to Lake Wobegon, aka the Asia Forum - "Where all the women are strong, all the the men good-looking and all the children above average"

This is the kindest and gentlest of the forums (can't say anything about the Antartica forum), IMHO.

i can already see you need some good food in november....i will rework the schedule with you in mind....

There's a certain lightness, a non-serious-but-intelligent tone. Some people are knee-slapping funny. Some are just weird. Some are very talented. You will find out who's who.

This is unbelievable. The Westin is running a special. Stay 10 nights and they give you a "Heavenly Bed." That's right, the bed. I've never heard of a business hotel running such a special. Beth thinks the bed is great, but the giveaway is ridiculous. I'm sure all the businessmen in Asia are counting up their nights until they get the free bed.

I've found out who's who and I want to buy my introduction to Bob back. No price is too high.

If it's used, the beds, I don't want it. Imagine looking at the bed, like in the CSI shows, with UV light - yuk!

"Most of the regulars are not publicly judgmental"

"Publicly" --- now that's the kicker!

Indianpearl-I was trying to be accurate. Plus, we know each other primarily through our public posts. Therefore, any private, petty judgments or caustic commentary (See Bob!) is irrelevant. Mostly, we are only snarky to the posters we like (See Ekscrunchy).

Gpanda,

Now don't forget that Beijing has 3 civil airports, one with 3 terminals, one with 2 terminals and one with 4 terminals. IATA codes are PEK, BEJ and DUM.

Make sure you go to the right one this time!

BooBoo...if you roll your laundry in a used towel and ring it out, the lovely Beth won't need her hip boots to get to the bathroom.

Glad you enjoied the summer palace.

I'm enjoying your report, gpanda. We hope to have another gig in HK in the next couple of years and would like to take some side trips to Beijing and Siem Reap.

Interesting about you and Mr. K. I'd thought you were childhood friends!

Andy - not loving the idea of you wringing out your smalls so thanks for that!!!!!!!
Love to Beth
S

We set off to the biggies, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City at 7:30 to get a jump on things. We were dropped off at a corner across from the square and walked down to the cross walk. We looked at the monuments and buildings, but did not enter. I especially liked the statues of the workers at the south end. The square had some Chinese tourists, but no Europeans. There was much picture taking by the other tourists.

We went under the tunnel to the South Entrance to the Forbidden City. We used an Insight Guide to direct and inform us. It was very helpful. The FC is as wonderful as can be imagined. The enormity of the FC is amazing. I imagined it filled with people scurrying about on their assigned tasks. Each time we came to a building with a throne, I imagined not only the Emperor, but also the courtiers and servants in the hall. One cannot enter the buildings, but one can see in and imagine. Hall after hall, it was staggering. The Imperial Garden at the North End was a nice break. We then walked down to the Gallery Museum with a separate entrance fee. The jewelry was worth viewing as was the Screen of the Nine Dragons.

We then grabbed a bite at the snack bar outside the entrance to the Gallery Museum. A pleasant respite, if not fine dining.

Into the Clock Museum, again, a separate entrance fee. This was marvelous. It is a must see. Absolutely. The intricate clocks made in and for China were unbelievable. It was not the usual museum pace. We stopped at each clock and closely examined. I noticed the dates of manufacture and was amazed. In China, they were building these masterpieces in the early 18th century, when in America we were skinning muskrats in Needham.

BTW, when you’re at the Imperial Garden, near the North Gate, you get to the Gallery Museum and Clock Museum by turning right walking until you see a sign saying Gallery Museum due south, to the right. You walk south between two large walls with no adornment. Just keep walking and you’ll get there. The museums are in the middle of the FC to the east. Alternatively, you can get there in the middle by turning right off the Dragon line..

Exited the FC assaulted by cab drivers and tuk tuk drivers “offering” to drive us without using the meter. What a deal. None would use the meter. We got a cab by grabbing one that was letting someone out.

Off to the Lama Temple. This is super. It is serene and beautiful. Large and ornate with five interior central buildings. We were lucky and observed a ceremony with much chanting and ringing bells. The monks were in elaborate costumes with hats and shoulder mantles. They were chanting while reading pages of text. The grounds, buildings and temple interiors were all beautiful. This is another must see. There were more western tourists here.
It was now 3:30. The plan was to grab a cab and get some lunch, but Beth was starving and saw a sign for a vegetarian restaurant. We walked down a side street filled with shops selling incense and other religious items and found the place, Xu Xiang Zhai, N.26 Guo Zi Jian. We’re not vegetarians, but we were hungry. We got vegetarian sausages (great), eggplant with basil (very good), dumplings (fine) and Chinese Kale (fine). The place was pretty and soothing after a very long day.

Cab ride back to the Westin. The driver was very amusing. Somehow we avoided traffic when there were jams going the opposite way. He would point at the stopped cars and laugh hysterically. I broke with custom and gave him a tip. He and the Westin doorman were both surprised.

A wonderful cigar at the shop at the Westin. Montecristo #3. Perfect.

Having had a late lunch, we just grabbed some Udon noodles and dumplings at Ajisen Noodles around the corner from the Westin. This street has a Starbucks, KFC, TGIF and DQ. All were jammed with Chinese. Not to mention a tempting Pizza Hut. Our primary export. We checked out the swank Seasons mall across the street and it was empty.
How do these places stay in business?

So much fun going along with you to familiar places!

Lester took one in the knee a few minutes ago - walked off the field on his own. Will be at the Cathedral-in-the-Bronx tomorrow thinking of you and Beth. Maybe I'll eat Chinese.

Great report though - based on your post, we may actually visit Beijing some time in the future.

craig, certainly these SCANT facts could not convince you to visit a place...

what have you learned thus far?
they sell italian food to foreigners
they have decent cab drivers
the forbidden city is large
turn north, then turn east, etc---its a cloudy day...duh
cigar smoking is permitted
soup is on offer
the view from the great wall is fantastic
many buildings are being built in shanghai
most of the world's cranes are in china
that's about it folks...visit china based on this info

Pearls before RhkKmk. I'm hoping the sense of our excitement trickles through to non-Needhamites. Craig, I would definitely recommend Shanghai and Beijing as destinations. They are big cities, but they have lots of things to see. Not to mention the level of business activity is amazing. Just met a woman on the elevator who just flew in for business from Istanbul.

We've literally seen thousands upon thousands of people riding bicycles and not one helmet.

We did finally find some laundry places that do it by the kilo. They were over by the hostels just west and south of Tienanmen Square.

Am so happy that you like Beijing, and having a good time.

Thanks Fanny. Have a great time in Myanmar. see you in BKK in November.

For those paying attention, I note that this report is nearly contemporaneous with events. Of course, I could take off several months and fill in loosely, but I want to avoid the penalties. My guess is that given any chance, they would be severe.

>> We've literally seen thousands upon thousands of people riding bicycles and not one helmet. <<

Attention brain surgeons: Your fortune awaits!

No scooters? I noticed that in Vietnam, cyclists are helmetless but all Vespa riders, and there are millions, have them. Assume it's a law.

Thrilled you and Beth are enjoying Shanghai and Beijing, when you return to SHA, try to do some daytrips, a watertown and Hangzhou, I know DSS talked you out of Suzhou ...

I'm just catching up with you report. Great stuff... enough material for us to raz you about for the whole of the Bangkok gtg if there is nothing else to talk about. Are you staying on longer in Bejing so you can get your free bed? I note that we stayed at a Westin for the Honolulu gtg. They had a price list for buying the bed... the price includes sheets, pillows, duvets, etc and the King size was over $3000.

Up early, in the very nice pool when it opened at 6:00 a.m. It was 25 meters, not the 25 yards to which I’m accustomed. As I was doing laps, I was calculating the appropriate number of laps to swim ½ mile. It was swimming. What else was I going to do? Reflect upon the meaning of life? I may be shallow, but I swim deep.

Breakfast was a baguettes and some pastries set out by the hotel. Beth and I are having a running debate over whether these pastries are there for the taking or merely on display. She thinks that they are on display outside the coffee shop to lure in customers with the delicious appearance. I think they’re there for the taking. I note that there are a few plates and a set of tongs in front of the display. I’ve acted on my belief for all the days we’ve been here. Beth is worries about security cameras.

Beth had observed a street of shops close to our hotel on yesterday’s return cab ride, Fuchengmennei Dajie. We walked about ½ mile north from the hotel. The street is lined with small shops selling Lucite trophies, Shop after shop. Apparently, there are many, mnay trophy winners in China. We walked east and popped down a hutong to the right (north) to take a look. This was lined with shops selling groceries and many barbers. We took a sharp left about 150 yards down and saw a wet market and in we went. The produce and meat were all beautifully displayed. Each item was placed for optimum curb appeal (do they have curbs in markets?). Many pictures were taken. The mushrooms were especially good looking.


Walked down the hutong and bought a sesame cake from a vendor who was very amused to be selling to us. It cost ½ RMB. Delicious. If she were open at 6:00 a.m. I would walk up and actually pay for her pastries. Farther down, we bought a small moon cake with a date filling and the beautiful symbols embossed in the dough, 5 RMB. Also delicious.

Back to the main drag and turned east again. We literally stumbled over the White Dagoba. This was built by Kublai Kahn in 1231 and rebuilt several times. The history is described in an interior museum. The white stupa tower above the local skyline. It’s enormous. The gift shop had some beautiful stuff. I rang the bell for 1 RMB. This is worth a look, but not a must see.

Back out onto the street to catch a cab to Wangfuxing for a walk from the Lonely Planet Guide. This took us down the main shopping street in Beijing. It begins at Oriental Place across from the Beijing hotel. We popped into the Arts and Crafts Emporium, but it was much more emporium than arts and crafts. Out and wandered further up Wangfujing Dajie. It turns into a pure pedestrian street, very nice respite, and is jammed with Chinese. We went down a hutong south of the Haoyou Emporiumthat led to Haoyou market, with food stalls and tourist items. We managed to take a pass on the scorpions on a skewer that were on offer. They were still alive and squirming on the stick. It’s the place to go when you get a hankering for scorpion.

Back onto the main drag and walked up to Shuaifuyan Hutong (a right turn) for something more reasonable to eat. We went into Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, but left; they were pushing the big duck meal when we wanted a fast meal. We went to a place across the street described in Lonely Planet as Goubuli Restaurant, but the English sign had it listed as “Go Believe Restaurant,” close enough for pandas. We got delicious xlb’s and dark spinach dumplings and some greens. Wonderful. The passing on the duck was lucky for us and the duck.

Back onto the street and more wandering. Took a left onto Donghuamen Dajie. The night market was empty, but we’ve seen lots of those. We saw a piece of the old city wall and went on a search for the Courtyard restaurant, just to see it. Never found it, but we did stumble across a DragonFly location, one of a chain of massage places. We had wonderful one-hour foot massages in a very peaceful setting for 135 yuan. Beth said the massage helped a lot with a foot problem.

Back to the street, took a left onto Nanchizi Dajie. Some nice galleries and a great little park at the end.

Took the subway (Line 1) back to Fuxingmen station and a walk back to the Westin.

Now the bad part. The cigar store was closed, so no Montecristo. Fortunately, pandas are prepared and I smoked an Ashton Cabinet that I had brought. I sat across from the Westin watching a fantastic fountain. It’s computerized and has hundreds of outlets that spew at various strengths in changing patterns. For those of you that have seen the fountain at the Northwest Terminal in Detroit, this Beijing fountain is its grandfather.

Here's an issue. I went for a run at 5:00 a.m. this morning and when I was finished I walked over to the 24 hour convenience store to buy some water and pepsi. Of course, it was closed. The trick was further extended by its name "Hi 24". This is an anti-panda plot. 24 hour stores that are not open 24 hours. I guess the key is that the 24 hours are not necessarily consecutive.

Hi 24 got lost in translation. Sounds like a very busy day...

there is a recession worldwide...they no longer are open 24 hours.. duh

looks like a fun day..

Despite your peculiar culinary proclivities early on, I am getting a big picture about this adventure...sounds very interesting. It might move up on my Asia list. Andy thanks for providing solid entertainment (with Bob´s harmony lines) while I´m in the Delta lounge awaiting our flight home from Barcelona.

We really like beijing. Some of you may remember the thread about side trips from Shanghai. The gist of which was that many of you virtually demanded that we visit Beijing while we were in China. I'm glad to say that you were absolutely right. The city is lots of fun with many fascinating sites and really good food. The traffic and bad air are just a bonus. We're really glad we came.

On the no helmet issue, they ride scooters without helmets, but helmets on motorcycles. I did notice that the bicycles and the scooters move at a very sedate pace unlike the US.

Yes, we do remember those delicate deliberations on the itinerary. So very glad that your visit to Beijing was so successful! And now you are getting out just in time, before the madness of the holiday celebration. Happy onward travels.

I am actually really enjoying this report.....there I said it. The writing style is getting better and better......more entertaining and descriptive with a great sense of humor.

Then I remember that an attorney is writing this and I am brought back to reality

Aloha!

peter remember attorneys do nothin about prep, content, ect, they are just talking heads

Yankees just clinched the Eastern Division Title by sweeping the RS - enjoyed watching one of the victories at the Cathedral-in-the-Bronx yesterday. Hearing "Go Johnny, Go" (Johnny B. Goode) over the Stadium's pristine sound system when Damon singled in 2 runs was worth the trip. You would probably get better Chinese food in China than at the Stadium though. Now the REAL season begins - I assume you plan to return to the USA for that.

Oh, and in spite of anything Bob says, I have been enjoying and paying close attention to your report in spite of the gaffes and temporary food lapses.

Dinner at South Beauty, a short walk from our hotel towards the subway. It was really good. We had the best Kung Pao Chicken I’ve ever had. It put the poor imitations I’ve had in the US to shame. It was delicious. Also had a green beans with pork and preserved vegetables that was great. Spare ribs that were very good. Sesame dumplings that were good and a sandwich-style dumpling that was interesting. It would have made a great lunch, but they were only good while the other things were unbelievable. Waddled back to the ranch.

Up early, sore from exercise, so I took a day off. Breakfast was a baguette and some pastries. Took a cab to just south of Tienanmen Square and began our walk, There were ten items on our list and we only got to two of them, but it was still a very full day. Beijing is full of delights. We started on a newly renovated pedestrian walk on Qianmen Dajie. These were all high end stores. I noticed that while the walkway was full of Chinese, hardly anyone was entering any of the stores. There’s a tram that runs from end to end, but we walked the entire lenghth.. Doubled back on a parallel street, Liangshdian Dajie, to Dashalan Jie. This was much more interesting a commercial street lined with stores and lots of people going in and out. We bought another calligraphy brush. Went into Neiliansheng Shoes where Beth ogled and ogled. This had Beijing cloth shoes and was recommended in a guide book. Beth bought several pairs and I walked the rest of the day carrying the boxes that were tied together. Continued down Dashalan and I bought a cheap stamp that was carved to order. As we went down, we saw some hostels and a lot of young westerners after it changed to Tiesshuxle Jie. This is where we saw the laundry by the kilo.

Walked north on Nanxinhua Jie. There were many stores selling musical instruments. I engaged one of the shopkeepers is a pleasant conversation. Up to Liulichang Jie, another really interesting commercial street. There were lots of art supplies and other calligraphy stuff. Very nice for a stroll. We went into a very nice art gallery on the right with some beautiful that were way out of our price range. Doubled back, crossed Nanxinhua Jie and continued west on Liulichang. This part was tree-lined and also pleasant. Turned left at Nanjiu Xiang and saw many more local shops. There were several games of Chinese chess with the sudden slapping of pieces. Right on Xicaochang Jie and walked to Xuanwumenwai Dajie. We did pass a WalMart super center and managed

We were starving and I applied the rule of crowded restaurants and we went to Gao Li Gao #7 on the right. This place had tables with grills in the center. We had chicken (delicious), pork (so so) and sweet potatoes (good). It was a test of our manual dexterity that we barely passed. It was a very nice lunch.

Having completed item two of our ten, we were exhausted and we took a cab back to the Westin.

Cigar, Montecristo #1, and a sauna and a rest. Another brutal day in Beijing!

Dinner at South Beauty. Completely different dishes. Two great dishes. Beef with noodles and grilled green chili peppers. Both were superb. The wontons were good, but the minced chicken with vegetables was not good. We each had a bite and kept to the dishes we really liked. Staggered back to the Westin.

BTW, we're leaving Beijing today and I'm not sure what the internet situation will be at the Grand Meridien in Shanghai. Therefore, the posts may lessen in frequncy or disappear until October 3.

The weather in Beijing has been very temperate. A little rain one day, but the rest have been dry, if cloudy. Beth has looked at the forecast for Shanghai and it looks like rain almost every day.

I am amazed at the amount of walking you are doing, didn't know pandas are so fit!

Have a safe flight to Shanghai and make sure you go the right airport in Beijing!

Not sure which I'm enjoying reading more, the report or the commentary
Wish there were some pix, great report so far

you could go to an internet cafe and pay to go on line....

btw, the laundry by the kilo, they do not use soap..

Beijing wasn't high on my list. It moves up thanks to this. Mmmmm, lots of tasty face-stuffing. Now I know why pandas are so roly-poly.

I'm really glad the Pandas finally decided to include Beijing. How can you go to China and not visit the Great Wall, it's like going to India and not visiting the Taj Mahal.

you don't know the panda.....how can you go to shanghai and on the first day eat italian food?????????

Clark -- See Gpanda's first 9/24 post -- they did make it to the Wall.

Gpanda, so glad you liked the duck at Da Dong. My mouth is watering just thinking of it. I'm enjoying your report. Hope the rest of your trip goes well. Many thanks! trav

At a Starbucks around the corner from the meridien. To get online, a barista had to use his phone number and a password. Really loving Shanghai.

Used Logan Airport in Boston as a base for a number of years, I note that Beijing and both Shanghai airports are much more pleasant. At Logan, they make you feel like they’re doing you a favor to administer your flight. The security and gate process is akin to herding cattle for slaughter. Here, it feels like you’re taking a trip.

Deplaning at Hongqiao, we got our luggage and got in the taxi line. There must have been over a hundred people in this line. It moved smoothly without a hitch. If this happened at Logan, there would e a riot. We had gotten the concierge at the Westin to write the name and address of the Grand Meridien in Chinese characters, so I just gave it to the driver and off we went. Sort of. The traffic was bad. If we had hit this type of traffic on our previous Shanghai airport journeys, we never would have made the flight from Hongqiao. We crawled along and arrived at the Meridien.

This is one of those tricky hotels where the lobby is on the 11th floor. To get to your room, you go from the ground to the lobby and then another elevator from the lobby to your floor. They claimed we got an upgrade, but I suspect it was merely a higher floor. The room is beautiful. Very light colored wood with black insets. The view looks out over People’s Park.

After unpacking, we went for an early dinner. We used a fodors post (We cut and paste and the posters name was not there) to go to Taiking Food Company. This is three doors down from Shanghai No. 1 Dept. Store. It is a number of stalls selling candies, pastries, dried meet etc. We went up to the second floor to get some dumplings. We had chicken soup dumplings with very light dough and some crab dumplings that were slightly larger and pan-fried. Both were very good. We also had spare ribs and noodles in broth. This was decent. We noticed that many of the customers got a much larger dumpling, about the size of my hand. It looked like it had very light dough and was handled deftly by the other patrons. I’m sure we would have made a mess of it. As it was, I got a number of dumpling dots on my shirt eating the small dumplings we got.

Off to the Shanghai Circus world. We had booked tickets through the Rui Jin Hotel, when we were previously here. It’s easy to get to from the Meridien. Walk to the subway and six stops along Line 1. It’s easy to buy tickets, the machines have an English option. It was about 6:30 p.m. and the subway was jammed. People’s Park is a transfer station and there were lines of people flowing in every direction. We got in line behind the door for the train we wanted. We could not get on the first train. When the second came, we were close to the opening and I got on easily. The door sounded and Beth managed to slip on as the last passenger allowed on the train. It was close.

Of course, there was a trick. After three stations, everyone detrained and the car went dark. Even I figured out that that train was going nowhere and we got off. We waited for the next train and got back on track. Just a little special Shanghia trick for the panda..

The acrobat show was super. There were many different portions, some more acrobatic than the others. One of my favorites was one guy who juggled a single heavy porcelain jar, balancing it on his head and flipping it up in the air from the back of his neck. There was another great act where a number of guys were diving through hoops. The whole show is great and a must see.

Easy subway back to the Meridien. Of course, we were unable to figure out the complex lighting system and had to read in bed with all of the lights in the room on. The master switch shut them all off for sleep.

Forgot to mention that at the Westin, there was no 4th floor. Apparently 4 is an unlucky number. This was carried further at the Westin. There was no 14th floor nor was there a 24th floor. For good measure, there was also no 13th floor. I guess they were covering all of their bases. Here at the Meridien, there is no 4th floor, but there is a 14th, 24th and 34 floor.

Glad to know that you had a safe flight to Shanghai!

Up late. Went out for sustenance at 7:00 a.m. only to discover that nothing opens until 7:30. How can this be? If the name of your establishment is “Mr. Donut”, don’t you think it would be a good idea to open early? Especially, when you’re across the street from a hotel that has a lot of westerners. Nope. Had to go back.

Another great day in China. We started off on a walk covering two different walks in a Frommers guide. I’m pleased to report that unlike Beijing, we managed to complete our assignment. First stop was the Shanghai Urban Planning Center, about two blocks away from The Meridien. This is another must see. On the third floor is a madel of how shanghai is going to look in 2010. Amazing! The enormity of Shanghai is before you. It spreads out forever. On the fifth floor is a gallery with nicely displayed posters of the communist party. These were spectacular. On the first floor was a temporary photo exhibit that was great. A very nice stop.

Lights out and good sleep, that's important. You'll have to let me know your comparison of the Meridien and the Ruijin.

4 sounds like death in chinese, no one wants to die in a hotel!

so were there 2 or 3 floor 7's and 8's??

4 sounds like death

3 sounds like life

You want to be on the 3rd, the 33rd, or the 333rd floor

2 is ok too too

especially for weddings when the character for "joy" is doubled so it's a "joy-joy" (because there are TWO happy people in a wedding)

panda often asks for the 334th floor

7 is Ok seven seven

But 8

Ah 8! means getting wealthy

Lots of Chinese like to have 8 in their phone numbers, house numbers, buy 8 pairs of socks instead of 1, twist themselves into an 8-like pretzel...

8 is a very lucky number.

panda panda: really glad you're having such a wonderful time!

Too confusing ...all those numbers. Glad you are haveing a good time. Which location do you like better? Is one of your hotel choices more centrally located for tourist activities? How is the shoes shopping Beth? Anything interesting?

lets see the reason to go to some location is based on the shoe shopping....now that is the same logic that one would expect from gpanda.....he might ask, "how is the italian food in china or korea or paraguay...?"

We then began walking east on Nanjing Lu. This is a pedestrian walkway that is lined with shops. Some of the shops were filled with Chinese shopping and shopping. We started with the “Big Four”. Department stores from bygone days. One, Shanghia No. 1 Dept. Store remains true to its origins. The others have been converted to different retail. Walked down to Century square. Bought two cigars and continued down Nanjing Lu. A nice stroll. There are little toy-like trolleys running in both directions carrying Chinese from one end of the pedestrian mall to the other. More about these later.

The mall ends three blocks short of the bund, but we soldiered on. Took a right on the Bund after looking at the Peace Hoetl and the Palace Hotel. Both built by the Sassoons who had a large presence in Shanghai. Both appeared to be undergoing restoration. Just not with the fever pitch that most Chinese construction projects have.

The bund promenade was closed, but we walked down the street side ogling the wonderful buildings. We popped into a few lobbys that were beautiful. No. 12, Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank was particularly nice. The inside has a mural depicting eight major financial centers and below that pictures of men illustrating the virtues in Latin. In this building, I struck up a conversation with a young Chinese man. I’m not making this up. He said his name was Jerry and when I asked about its derivation he said that he was a big fan of the cartoon “Tom and Jerry”. We talked about the murals and he accompanied us down the Bund looking at buildings. When I asked what he wanted do for work, he said he wanted to be a guide for Chinese in new Zealand. Of course, he’s never been to New Zealand, but hey, why not dream big.

For lunch, we looked for a dumpling place, but did not find one. Eventually we went to a place at 136 Sichuan Rd. Only Chinese. No menu and certainly no pictures. They cooked at a station to the right. We ordered by pointing to dishes. We had noodles with bok choy and small bits of pork. Excellent. We also got a chicken leg with rice and a soup with clear noodles. Also, very good. The rice was particularly flavorful. With two cans of soda, the bill was 26 RMB.

Walked back to the Meridien back on Nanjing Lu. A Dominican cigar. While I was smoking it, a young Chinese man began talking to me. He worked for a chemical company in Tianjin. In on business. We talked about China’s environmental concerns. He claimed the government was getting better after the Olympics.

For dinner, we went to New Heights at 3 on the Bund. This is a building with an Armani store on the bottom and several restaurants on the upper floors. New Heights in on the seventh floor. It has a very nice view of the river and an oblique view of Pudong. Throughout dinner, we watched the fantastic neon show on the buildings. Several of them had changing displays that beckoned the approach of the holiday. We had duck spring rolls, vegetarian lasagna and pork tenderloin with a sesame sauce and a delicious eggplant eggroll. All were very good. For dessert, we had tapioca pudding with mango and coconut ice cream. The bill was with an added tip was 650 RMB. That’s approximately 24 times what we paid for lunch. Nonethelss, it was casual and chic with a knockout view.

Now, at 6:30 p.m., we went down to get a taxi. The line was nine customers deep and not moving at all. We waited 10 minutes with only one cab and decided on an alternate plan. We took the trolley down Nanjing Lu and walked the rest of the way. 2 RMB each. We got there 20 minutes late, but no problem.
Another different custom in China is the umbrella coverage issue. Whenever you enter a hotel, restaurant or museum, they provide a plastic sheath for your umbrella. While your there, the water drips down into the end of the sheath. It’s very handy for protecting from water drips. Of course, it wastes an incredible amount of plastic. By the end of our stay, Beth and I may have each used about 50 of these plastic sheaths.

Up early, went for swim in the very good pool. Steam bath, very good for pandas. We had arranged to meet a young Shanghai woman in our lobby at 7;20 a.m. This connection was made by Beth. She had eaten XLB’s in Chinatown in Boston and was seated at a table with a Chinese woman. Beth mentioned that we were going to Shanghai and the woman gave beth the phone number of a close friend. We called her when we returned to Shanghai and arranged the meet. She was very nice. A trainer for a large bank, with a husband and three year old. Beth, being Beth, had brought a few books for the son. They were well received. It was interesting to talk to a native.

It was raining hard so we planned an inside day.

OK, this could have happened to anyone. How was I supposed to know that there are two museums with the name Shanghai in people’s Park? A simple mistake. We wanted to go the Shanghai Museum We went to Shanghai Art Museum. . In a beautiful old building, but the paintings were repetitive propaganda. All of them had smiling workers going about their difficult tasks. I can assure you that this is never true in Boston. If anyone, and I do mean anyone, even elderly women, has a difficult task there is endless whining, complaining and moaning. The only smile is the supervisor standing around watching someone else do the dirty work. Therefore, I did not regard these paintings as New Realism. Plus, they weren’t very good. Even the gift shop was tedious.

To regain our vim and vigor, we went to Jia Jia Tong Bao at 90 Hong He Lu. We had two recommendations, Ekscrunchy and Shanghianese. It’s a right at the Park Hotel off of Nanjing Lu. We had the crab and pork soup dumplings and chicken and pork soup dumplings. We used the YJ’s method of biting off the top, letting them cool and popping the rest in your mouth. Delicious. Light. A perfect lunch.

We then went to MOCA in People’s park. It had a wonderful very modern exhibit with lots of video and interactive displays from Belgians and Chinese. Afterwards, we walked in beautiful People’s Park in the rain (obviously Beth’s idea). There’s a great pond with huge lotus leaves.

Back to the ranch for further planning. Tried to make massage reservations at Dragonfly, but were defeated by circumstances. We went to Mei Gong instead. Beth had gone to Shanghaiexpats.com and searched for massages. This place was recommended highly. It’s near the Mayfair Hotel at the Zhongshan Park metro stop. It’s at 1315 Dingxi Lu.

The subway trip out there was amazing, it was the night before national Day and everyone wanted to return home quickly. It was during rush hour and People’s Park is a transfer station, Lines 1,2 and 8. It was jammed. Beth made a tactical mistake and wore flip flops to avoid getting another pair of shoes wet. She had to watch her toes. Jammed into a train, off we went. Four stops later we exited and walked forever to the Dingxi Lu exit. Found the place.

These were wonderful massages. The best we’ve had in China. Beth had an hour foot and an hour Chinese. I had an hour physiotherapy and an hour Chinese. Beth loved her massage. My masseuse has fingers like pliers. Apparently her English did not extend to the word “softer”. When I started crying, she let up a little. I was very relaxed afterwards.

Walking back to the Metro, we popped into Daniang Dumplings for Pork with Chinese Celery, vegetarian and bean curd and chives. Two drinks and the entire bill was 18 RMB. These were good.

The ride back on the Metro was a lot less intense.

Several side items. I note for the record that Seth made four suggestions for Shanghai activities and we've already done them with two full days left.

Also, Seth informs me that if westerners get cell phones, the number always has a boatload of fours.

Also, while it has rained two days, the temperature for our trip has been poerfect. Right around 70 degrees.

Looking out of our Meridien window, the large buildings stretch to the horizon.

Bob is just jealous. He feels abandonment issues and is acting out. his only solace is that he will get to be with the pandas in BKK in November and Bali in May. He may find that this is enough panda time.

The Boston GTG is only nine days away. The excitement is evident even here in Shanghai.

Listen, you must make a trip to a water town! And go to the Shanghai Museum ...

finally a decent report...bravo....only noted a few errors...where were you going at 6:30 when the taxi wait was so long? and you were 1/2 hour late??

It's still raining. It's good for my fur. Shanghai is a water town. People from Tongli will start coming here for the water attractions. Nanjing Lu is a sea of umbrellas as far as the eye can see. We did get to Shanghai Museum, will report thereon later.

Bob-pay attention! We were going to New heights a restaurant on the Bund. Try to follow along on this simple narrative.

Panda...the order of your report does leave us in doubt as to where you were going at 6:30, and arrived 20 min late. It is called proof reading, and before you say it I am guilty of not doing it also.

I need to know that you saw some fireworks Thursday night for the 60th anniversary celebrations (of the PRC). The videos that I've seen have been indescribably spectacular, esp the ones from Tienanmen Sq

don--he is saving his energy for the 60th celebration in cambridge when he returns...

I wonder if the PRC has to get a colonoscopy now.

Don-we did not see any fireworks, but we did watch the celebration in Beijing on tape on TV.

I note that in one paragraph, I speak of dinner at New Heights. In the very NEXT paragraph, I speak of waiting for a cab at 6:30 p.m.. This is not rocket science. Pandas eat dinner around 6:30. The restaurant is on the Bund, a cab ride from the Meridien. What do they put in the Needham water?

Beth bought a pastry last night at Paris Baguette and I went to the Starbucks to get online. There’re things happening in my family and at work that require my gentle touch. It’s still raining cats and dogs, so today the plan was to actually go to the Shanghai Museum.

Walked to the museum by crossing People’s Way through a pedestrian tunnel. These are easy ways to cross very busy streets. Some have connections to the Metro. Having a good map to keep your bearings is very helpful.

The Shanghai Museum is very good. Much different than the Shanghai Art Museum. We spent three hours walking through the galleries. We were especially taken with the furniture and jade on the fourth floor. The Museum had a number of people, but was not overcrowded. The building is relatively new, but very nice. The galleries are easy to maneuver. Unfortunately, the minority arts exhibit was closed. Just coincidental that it was National Day. BTW, all the museums had security checks like airports. Metal detectors and X-rays of bags. The good news is thst the Shanghia Museum was free.

Walked over to JJT for some more delicious dumplings. Definitely worth repeating. Two orders of dumplings, soup and two drinks cost 34.5 RMB.

Walking back, I went into Magic Hair to get my hair cut. My style is “boy’s regular”, so I suspected it would be fine. The young guy that shampooed my hair took so long, it was like he did each strand individually. I chose the middle of three price level of haircuts, [by the] Creative Stylist. The cut was fine. I did notice that these guys were the only males I had seen in China with earrings. Popped into the lobby of the old Park Hotel on the square. Beautiful Art Deco railings and décor. I asked about the room rate and it was 658 RM plus 15%. The building next door, self-identified as the former Foreign YMCA was undergoing extensive renovations. We could see into the second floor and it looked like an expansive room like a ballroom. Also saw the Pacific Hotel. Not as nice as the Park Hotel.
Back at the room, we watched the replay of the 60th National Day parade in Beijing. Unbelievable pageantry. Tiananmen Square is full of people holding up pom poms of various colors in coordination to show characters, numbers and patterns against a solid background, changing frequently. Marching before the grandstands were an endless colorful chain of various groups and floats. Some were dancing, others twirling, some just marching.

The rain has finally stopped. Nanjing Lu is alive with people going in and out of shops, lining up for moon cakes and generally enjoying themselves. On the subject of Mooncakes, every hotel we’ve stayed in has a separate desk in the lobby with boxes and boxes of mooncakes. They’re taken out of the box and placed in individual bags. I’ve only seen a few picked up, but the allotment of mooncakes shrinks quickly and the supply is constantly replenished.

Did I mention that the Shanghai night is alive with neon? There are signs of every color lighting up the night. It’s sort of like an endless Times Square with no apparent boundaries. Most of the signs have Chinese characters, but a few are in English.

We went to the 789 Bar at the top of the Meridien. The view towards Pudong was nice, but the bar was nothing special. We ate dinner at the Cantonese restaurant in the hotel, hoping for something relatively light. The beef with black pepper was decent. The Roast belly pork was not. Nearly inedible. The stir-fried seasonal vegetables was decent. Notice I used “was”. This is because the vegetables turned out to be one vegetable, spinach. It was lackluster.

We then went for a walk on a very crowded Nanjing Lu. Popped into a shop and bought a food goodies for the GTG. We also bought a world famous mooncake across the street. It was 2.80 RMB and better than anything we had for dinner. It’s easy to see why people lined up for these.

I have noticed that at most restaurants, you are seated, handed one menu for two people. Then the waitperson comes to your table expecting you to order immediately. We never could. We always had to wait. They seemed to go with the western flow.

so moon cakes are good, they are all over the place, they are in and out of boxes and bags....they move quickly....they are very popular......

MAYBE THE READERS WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE HELL MOON CAKES ARE, EINSTEIN????????????????????????????????????????????

and unlike the water in cambridge, which is pink, the needham water is delicious like any bottled water one might purchase at B&C or in europe...

thank god this dreary "report" will end in the next couple of days....then we will have to go all through it again in person, and then again at the pre-GTG dinner and then at the GTG, and then at the post GTG dinner.... how much can one group be expected to endure??

and then on the flight to thailand

To alleviate Bob's pain while the Panda is probably out and about in Shanghai:

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/mooncake/a/moonfestival.htm

I'm certain the Panda will respond in full upon return to his hotel and his cigar.

thanks for this explanation... as with all things panda we get only 4% of the explanation....thank god for other fodorites who get the whole story....

i wonder if his contained a sausage and he thought it was a wonderful dessert??

Glad it stopped raining. Sounds like it didn't hamper your plans too much. When do you come home?

Bob: You're quite welcome!

Now, we all await the next chapter in this wonderful saga of eating and eating and eating - more dumplings stories please!

how about a description of the dumplings....or some PICTURES

Yes, pictures please. I can't believe this fabulous trip is almost over!

The pictures will be forthcoming after we return to the cozy confines of Cambridge. Let's see, is there anyone who doesn't know what a dumpling looks like? They are roughly spherical or oblong, with dough on the outside and a filling (hence the name) on the inside. The soup dumplings have a small amount of liquid that resides between the dough and the filling. They are beige and have pinched edges near the top where they have been closed. This prosaic description does not do them justice. They can be mouthfuls of delicious taste. I believe that I have surpassed my goal of eating one dumpling for every Fodorite. It was ambitious, but I'm the panda for the job.

Is it clear to everyone else how much Bob misses me? He clearly feels a disturbance in the force when I'm on the other side of the world. I'm sure he takes great solace in my iminent return (notice, I did not say eminent return).

Up late, 6:00 a.m. Went to Starbucks to check on work and post on Fodors. No penalty for this panda.

Left at 8:30, took a cab to Xian Tian Di. Walked down the two blocks. Just a few stores were open. Walked east on Zizhong Rd, through Taipingqiao Park,, to the antiques market on Dongtai Rd. Bought a few knick knacks, including a fur hat with ear flaps (my lifelong desire, and walked east on Zizhong Rd. Went north on Renmin Rd. Went into a produce market to the left. Just like the market in Beijing, all of the items were thoughtfully displayed and everything looked clean. Bought a few dried longans for snacking. Turned left on Liuhekou and left again on Ji’an Rd. In the middle of the block is an amazing market selling crickets, grasshoppers, birds and live millipedes for bird food.
Walked back to Xin Tian Di, stopping at the Shanghai Museum Shop. Beth bought a bracelet and a jade pendant. Had lunch at the famous Ding Tai Feng (DTF), a Taiwanese restaurant with outlets all over the world. Had noodles with meat sauce and vegetables, Pok Choi and XLB’s. Our opinion of the dumplings was that the dough was lighter than JJT, but the filling not quite as tasty. Still superb. The bill was 80 RMB, more than twice JJT, but the setting was more relaxed.

Now, we had suffered from a little confusion. We wanted to go the walking street with art galleries and thought it was on Taicang Rd, right by Xin Tian Di. It turns out the street we actually wanted was Taikang Rd. An easy mistake.

We walked over to Sinan Lu in the French Concession and south to the much-sought- after Taikang Rd. About 25 minutes, but the weather was nice and it was easy. Walked down Taikang Rd., turning into the numbered alleys to the right as we went west. We saw several really good paintings in one, but they were out of our price range. The best was listed at $4000 USD. Need a second job for that purchase. As we progressed the alleys became much more crowded. The alleys are maze-like and full of cafes and shops. Very pleasant on a beautiful day. Had gelato for nourishment.

Caught a cab to Changle Lu in the northwest portion of the French Concession. Went to the Pottery Workshop on Fumin Lu and Madame Mao’s Dowry across the street. Popped into Brocade Country with some very nice stuff from the provinces. Cab back to the Meridien. The streets were again alive with people. Throngs. In the French Concession, there were many fewer people on the streets. They were snapping photographs and strolling at a leisurely pace. A very nice last day in China.

We got really lucky for dinner. We were really tired after a long day and could not face a trek for dinner. We thought we would eat at South Beauty in the same building as the Meridien. However, when the concierge tried to make reservations for us, he was told that it was booked due to a wedding party. We were flummoxed. Thought about walking to a vegetarian place nearby, but Beth was pooped. We “settled” for the Italian restaurant at the Meridian, Favola. We figured a pizza and off to bed for the flight home. We got lucky again because they brought some very nice bread and we decided not to get pizza. We split the fire-roasted spring chicken and pasta with Amatriciana sauce. Both were really good. The chicken was delicious. The pasta and sauce were great. A wonderful meal. Who knew?

A slight digression (as if this report has anything else). We’ve noticed that the chicken in China is much more flavorful than the chicken in the US. The white meat has a lot of flavor and does not need the eternal saucing that you see in the US. Frank Perdue has done us a great disservice. The chickens are smaller, but much tastier. A short walk after dinner walk and collapsed back in the room.

Groan. Did you have to do this?

I can just see Bob's posts on yet another Italian dinner in China!

Otherwise, very much enjoying your TR and sorry it has to end.

easy---you are again right....OMG, ITALIAN FOR THE FIRST MEAL AND ITALIAN FOR THE LAST MEAL....why the hell didn't you go to rome?? i bet if they serve XLB's on the plane you will ask for italian ones....

nicky has a fabulous restaurant for us in bkk....small house not far from sh-la....and they don't serve italian...

in advance, welcome home, and of course we missed you but only slightly....its beth we really missed....the wise one...

have a good flight, talk to you next week...

B&K

robert just reports an unbelievable fare to india for 8 months of 2010... any interest??

Safe trip home. Did you have to? Italian? Now if I want Ital on one of our trip Bob won't go for it as he won't want to be put in the same category as you. Oh, dear!!! Great trip report by the way. Love to Beth.

Great report Andy and very timely with no penalties involved unless you consider going back home to be near Bob a penalty,lol.

Which city did you like better Shanghai or Beijing? Do you see yourself returning one day?

Have a safe trip home.

Aloha!

btw, nothing wrong with Italian food, personally love it!

Get home safe - the REAL baseball season is starting soon...

We expect your DETAILED trip report within 10 days of your return.

GOD, they are home...stand by for a barage

I;m on the wrong computer, so I will go a little out of sequence. Someone nicer Than I can help Bob make sense of it.The Pandas have landed. We are girding our loins for the upcoming assualt by fodorites on Friday. Many of them have never been to the center of the Universe withouy adult supervision. The PVG-EWR leg was easy, lots of room and very helpful staff. Again, the in-seat entertainment selections were certainly passable. The meals were acceptable and served at proper times.

Naturally, the EWR-BOS flight did not liveup to these standards. It was a tiny plane. If Bob and I had both been on it, we would have been asked to sit one to a side. The entry way required me to bend my neck six inches downward. Even Beth demanded her 1/2 of the seating room. Hence, I spent most of the flight blocking the aisle.

Unbelievably enough, the checked baggage was only 10-15 minutes later than we thought possible. The airport was closing down for the curfew. In Terminal A, where we got off, there was not onesingle ticket agent open. That means no more flights that night from Terminal A. Therefore, there was no need to have any of the baggage handlers processing incoming luggage. There was none! In theory, the entire baggage handling staff could have been assigned to assist in the deplaning of the luggage from our flight. Nope. We went down and the carousel was dead. After about 10 minutes, an alarm went off and the carousel began turning. Non-Bostonians might think this was a good sign. Us locals know better. It took at least 10 minuted after the horn for the first piece of luggage to appear. Maybe someone at the airport gets some kind of roayalties kickback for the alarm sound.

An easy cab home.

so he is flying in coach and he expects seats to be wide, doors to be twice normal height and baggage to be delivered on a trolley directly to the taxi stand.... do you think this is thailand??

we are glad that you have returned safely, without being detained, and look forward to a fun weekend upcoming at the Boston GTG and to your soiree on friday nite...

Glad you made it home safe & sound. See you soon.

Up early, one last swim in the pool. An advantage to this is that on the plane from Beijing to Shanghai, my shaving cream exploded and the steam bath afterwards softens the whiskers.
Went for a long walk in People’s Park. There were many people ballroom dancing at the back of the Meridien, just off Nanjing Lu. In the park, we saw an elderly Chinese man giving martial arts instruction to a westerner. The older man moved with grace and fluidity. The westerner did not. Also saw a performance of singers next to MOCA. The kids were having a great time on the rides in the amusement park section. Close to Nanjing Lu west, there were hundreds of single page flyers attached by clothespins to bushes. We asked a man what they were. He said that they were flyers posted by parents seeking mates for their children. He read us one of these, single man, university grad, handsome. A phone number was given at the bottom. We did see a number of Chinese people examining these flyers. The man said that other parents would take note of the information and relay it to their children.

One thing I noticed was that all the westerners that we saw that were under 35 years old were there on business. Those over 35, on holiday.

Easy check out. The cab ride to Pudong was thrilling. He went at warp speed. A couple of close calls. Easy check in. We met a young guy in line that had been in Shanghai doing lighting for a Broadway type show. He said the Chinese people love Broadway musicals and there’s lots of work. He said his housing was paid for and he got 400 RMB per diem.

Easy flight back. Plane was half full. Unfortunately, I can report that a giant panda does not fit in a supine position on three seats across.

Welcome back
Timely reports EKS eat your heart out.

BRILLIANT report.....

Welcome back, safe and sound. I hope you at least brought back a few recipes. We expect perfect soup dumplings will be flying out of your kitchen after just one or two tries.

Welcome home!

Panda, you might have been more comfortable in your speedo
sleeping across of three seats, yes, we all missed you and enjoyed your report. I bet the cats missed you too.

What a great read, thank you.
How was the air quality?

brilliant??? not so sure.....remember the lack of some descriptions, like dumplings for one ...

guess what he just told me he is cooking for dinner....you guessed it: I T A L I A N....... worms with red sauce...

Thanks everyone (well almost everyone) for your kind words.

The air quality was just fine. No problem whatsoever. I brought advair just in case, but we never had any issues. There was no smell in the air and our eyes did not water. Having read J. Maarten Troost's book about China, we were prepared for the worst.

The cats missed Beth a lot. Their opinion of me is unclear.

We saw them making dumplings and it's not something that would be easy. They roll the dough and snap off appropriate amounts with a quick motion. The filling is placed in the dough and off it goes.

Your cats made dumplings?

When to China Town tonight and for dessert bought a Moon Cake.
Thought of you, it was delicious.

Welcome home!

How are te cat-made dumplings? Can you bring some to the GTG?

Enjoyed riding along on your trip.

Please post video of cats making dumplings on You Tube.

see others pick up easily on errors or poor expression....

what stuffing do the cat's use in theirs' ? cat nip

The cats making dumplings is top secret. Only a few select pandas are allowed to see this mysterious process. It would cause quite a stir, if it became well-known. However, it should be obvious that the clever crimping on the top of the dumplings cannot be made by the human hand. Count the number of crimps. More than five. A dew claw is needed.

Jet lag had me up at 3:00 a.m. this morning.

What planet have I been on? How is it possible that you have finished this report..the usual time from arrival home to completion is approximately 361.2 days.

You are screwing up the average and putting pressure on the laggards.....

Welcome back from Tuscany Madam!

The timeliness of this report demonstrates that it is possible with diligence. The purpose of the penalty is to encourage TIMELY reporting, so that the community of Fodorites can keep up with each other. Most of us do not go galivanting off to other places without reporting on where we've been. It is a sister to "Be Here Now".

one criteria for a trip report is that it be meaty and informative as well as complete....i find this report to be neither...

Thank you, my Dear Agent Hanuman. You appear to be one of the few in this crowd with manners. I went to Ischia, but that is close enough for me! I was trying to remain in hiding so that I do not have suspend all tasks of daily living in order to pursue the relevant trip report. But, of course, I have now blown my cover.

Please note that before he left, Panda badgered me to give him my "top 3," (or Top 5, I don't recall) things to do in Shanghai. One of the mandates I gave him was to partake of the foxtrotting/lindy hopping. Did he follow my advice?

What do you think?

he is a social outcast....he does not dance

"one criteria"

Don-they don't speak or write English in Needham. There's no reason to believe that he is familiar with the distiction between the singular and the plural anything.

EKS-imagine your a regular participant in the dancing in Shanghai and suddenly a large, furry creature joins in and begins to move in a non-rhythmic fashion. Would this be pleasant? One would think not. I was trying to remain unobtrusive.

Pandas do not badger. That would be cross-mammal contamination. A definite no-no.

i do know the correct spelling of 'you're' however

I will match a jet-lagged Panda up against a Neanderthal needhamite anytime and anywhere. For the record, I spelled "your" correctly, I just used the wrong homonym. One shudders to think of Bob's definition for homonym.

I like the idea of a badger-ing panda.


Is this your blog, Panda?


http://andypanda.co.uk/blog/?p=7

yes true its the correct word spelling, just the wrong word einstein

This should make you laugh:

http://j-walkblog.com/index.php?/weblog/posts/panda_bread/

<Secret video released!!

Video of Panda activity in China -- either an aerobics routine or some twisted cult exercise -- has apparently been smuggled out of the country and made available on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7gzL61bSUU

Okay, here's my contribution:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzRH3iTQPrk

you people have way tooooooo much time on your hands....if only our panda was that cute

Thanks for all the panda views. While they are all far cuter than I, have they finished their trip reports?

For those that think we have too much time on our hands - I was forwarded the panda sneezing link from a friend (who obviously DID have too much time on his hands) and chose to post it here (while this panda was not that cute, it did finish its trip report). It took me about 10 seconds to do this. Of course, I do waste countless hours reading the trip reports of Gpanda and others...

Craig-the time is not wasted. We are enriched by the experiences of others. Plus, we get to belong to a community of travelers.

I was forwarded the panda sneezing link

Typical of stripe-team fannery. Only original stuff from me, freshly edited.

will this thread ever end!!!

Well, I'm back from my Europe trip and catching up on the parts I have missed. Bravo Panda for a great and timely TR. I'd like my ?? answered, comparison between the 2 Shanghai hotel, please?

And how about photos? The Boston GTG sounded and looked great. Thank Bob for the photos of that.

Wow - 200 posts - LYNN, can I get a copy of your trip report?

Shanghainese. The answer is that both hotels were very good. We're really glad we stayed in the two different locations. The French Concession can best be enjoyed when one is staying there. However, the Meridien's location is super for diving into the middle of Shanghai. Both were enjoyed by the pandas. The Rui Jin was nice, but there was construction going on in the middle of the property, so the idyllic setting was somewhat disturbed. The Meridien was more luxurious, but it was a much larger hotel and more anonymous. Also, the great restaurants were gone from the RJ. If we had to pick just one, it would be the Meridien because of its central location. When we return, we will again stay at two hotels, one in the FC and one centrally located.

Craig-I'll be glad to send you a copy, but you forgot your E-mail address as did half the responders to Lynn.

Finally catching up on all the entries post 9-27 in this wonderful report, and went back and paid better attention to the first portion.

You stayed at Rui Jin! I wanted to arrange a special dinner for a few of us at Lan Na Thai in that complex so I went over at lunch time one day in order to scope out the property and make a dinner reservation -- I thought. They had closed down and moved away (although the on-line resources that I consulted ahead of time didn't tip their hand). A new restaurant, Colours, had opened up but even at the peak of lunch time there were no diners in evidence, none. The two hostesses seemed glad of my attention and walked me around at leisure. Alarmed at the lack of any lunch-time trade, I eventually decided to make a reservation elsewhere. Question: Were Lan Na Thai and Face Bar already gone when you were there?

Between us, we covered three Shanghai branches of Din Tai Fung and made a fair dent in China's dumpling inventory but fortunately it's a renewable resource. I was amused to read how much you enjoyed South Beauty's kung pao sauce. Other SB dishes such as "4 treasures of the scholar" were less dazzling but that sauce was a marvel. We had it on both scallops and chicken. We went to the Xintiandi branch of South Beauty but I suspect that the other option was more charming.

I have to chuckle at how familiar some of the sources of confusion are. In Shanghai, the top 3 are probably 1) SHA vs PVG, 2) Shanghai Museum vs. Shanghai Art Museum, and (trickiest of all, I think) Tai Kang Lu vs. Tai Cang Lu.

You had a better visit to the Arts and Crafts Museum than I did and you remind me that I wanted to go to MOCA and Mme Mao's Dowery, among other things.

I'd like to see Shanghai again after all the Expo 2010 sprucing up is done and the guests have come and gone. I miss seeing the Bund in its former splendor.

One more question: I got multiple answers to the question, "What is happening to the Peace Hotel post-renovation?" Do you know the answer?

Thanks for a great report. I am still musing over what the Chinese hotelier's notion of a "heavenly bed" is in an above-board hotel, but I probably shouldn't.

Both restaurants at the Rui Jin were closed when we were there. We were very diappointed. We did not try Colours. It did not look appetising.

We did manage to accomplish all three confusions. No harm, just muddled through. Glad to see we hit the high spots.

Don't know much about the Peace Hotel plans. They were working feverishly, so I guess they were trying to finish ahead of the Expo.

I am really enjoying your report MaryA.

Topping for Kerry.

i thought this report had been removed as objectionable...

Panda: I am finally getting to savor every word. Although the lashings of lasagna in Shanghai do present a troubling picture.

Panda: The Fuyou antiques "market" on Fangbang Lu--is this in the Yu Gardens section of the old town?

Does anyone know if the outdoor market around Dongtai Lu is still ongoing?

Which of these, or other, would be a good place to see the whole range of decent quality "antiques" in one place?

Fangbang Lu and the market are a little south of the Yu Gardens. It is a very short walk. So I guess it is in the Yu Gardens section.

Pandas are way too hip to know anything about antiques.

Wow, Thanks Gpanda! Thoroughly enjoyable! I really loved the witty banter between you and fellow Fodorites! Too many examples to recount but, as a cat owner, those dumpling making cats are what I want! Mine just make stinky messes! If your lot ever have kittens - I want one...badly. Incidentally and off the track, here in Oz (maybe everywhere else?) we say..."Don't have kittens" as the equivalent of Bart Simpson's... "Don't have a cow, man" but your kittens would really be worth having!

Kerry-"Don't have kittens" is used here in the US, but not very often. The Fodorite banter is an essential part of the trip reports. It keeps us on our furry toes. When you write a report, we'll chime in when appropriate.

I look forward to that! I have two trip reports listed on Edinburgh , Brugges and Tokyo and I would love some of your witty banter on them as your posts really have some of the best funny lines on Fodor's! I laughed at your "Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable" motto. I love a good laugh and look forward to more from you. I do appreciate yours and others help on Shanghai.Thanks-Kerry

EK: Decent quality antiques for sale do not exist, Dongtai Lu is as fun as burying your bowls at home in the backyard overnight, dig them out and take them to Dongtai for sale.

Hi S: That is why I put the word antiques in quotes in my post above! I bought some nice things at DongTai Lu area 3 years ago...they were pretty inexpensive and I do not care if they are "real" or not--they certainly look pretty on my shelves. (Not that I need any more "stuff!")

I was just wondering if that area is still a good bet, or if there are any other areas for these old-looking decorative items, ethnic jewelry, ceramics, odds and ends...


I liked the concentration of small shops in the DongTai Lu area.. it was pleasant to wander around and look at everything, even if I did get yelled at by a rather cranky vendor for offering what must have been an insulting low price on the rubber ear with the acupuncture markings that I wanted for my sister.

Like this:



http://www.chinesecultureonline.com/d:AA:Acupuncture-Supplies/944.html

sorry, panda--I just had an idea. How could I find a shop selling acupuncture supplies? I bet they would have some interesting gift items..

A sister? How can this be? Did the space module have two occupants? I can just imagine family vacations in their youth. Yikes!

Ek: I don't know of any other place than Dongdai Road (I think it's spelled that way instead of Dongtai) for your finds, if you liked it, ask your hotel desk if it's still open before you go there. I'm not going to Shanghai till October so you beat me.

I don't recall if you visited the Art Alley on Taikang Road, it's a more expensive area but quite pleasant.

Panda: I am reading up on the weekend "antiques"/"ghost" market at 457 Fangbang Lu. My info says that is gets started at 5am. Happily, I will be in Shanghai on the weekend. Question: What day and what time did you go there?

As for the space module: It took you long enough to notice.

We visited the antiques market on Saturday. We got there around 9:30-10:00 and it was in full swing, i.e., all spots taken by vendors. There were many purchasers, but it was not overly crowded. A nice place to start a day of wandering in the old twon section.

In re the space module: I've tried to keep it under wraps, but the alien nature keeps rising to the top, e.g., a proclivity for reviving dead threads.

Please note the use of "i.e." and "e.g." in the same post. A lawyer's dream.

i thought a lawyers' dream was all about $$$ and greed

Certainly a banker would be our expert on "$$$ and greed". After all, don't they take a Hypocritical Oath? Plus, Bob thinking? A guess there's a first time for everything. Why would he start now?

Hey GPanda,
Could you share ocntact information for Kong Lin, your guide in Beijing. I am planning my summer China trip and need a guide. Tong told me to contact you for expert advice!
Thanks.

Pdombrowski1@aol.com

Will do wiseguy.

Gpanda:

I have a question for Beth if you would be so kind as to relay it. Wondering how she likes her Neiliansheng shoes purchased in Beijing. (For anyone interested, this is the store that sells the traditional many-layered cloth shoes).

I wandered through the store on my last trip but I am not a very savvy shopper (alas) so I just admired and left. Now that I am going back to Beijing and Shanghai next month, I am thinking about going back for a pair. Any insights or advice about the shopping/trying on experience and particular products would be most welcome. Thanks.

her feet have now adjusted from being bound

Beth says it was a gorgeous store with fabulous stuff. She bought four pairs of shoes. She claims she thought about shipping a container home for resale opportunities. About the shoes, she says they're great.

Is this thread still going and going and going and going?

Thinking pink rabbit with drum instead of panda would be a more appropriate symbol.

Please give my best to Beth. My hotmail address was one that got hacked into last year and I've simply given up trying to monitor the daily flood of ads.

Happy new Year, y'all!

Some of the best Chinese antiques can be found in small towns in New England. Those Yankee traders brought back lots of stuff from China.

Forget the rabbit, pandas have an inexhaustable supply of energy. I do note that the last several times this thread was excavated, it was some other random poster that brought it back up.

ET-Beth and Karen are going to next Wednesday's repeat of the Met opera. It's kinda cold, so they probably won't be wearing cloth shoes.