Gpanda's China Trip Report
Sep 21st, 2009 | 02:20 AM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
Gpanda's China Trip Report
I'm here in the lobby of the Rui Jin Hotel in Shanghai. Time is limited, so off we go.
Up at 3:15 a.m. for last minute arrangements. Taxi to Logan. Using the kiosk with passport reader was easy. Of course, we needed an agent anyway to check our Visas. We were early enough to catch an earlier flight to Newark. It was a Turbo Prop and Beth was uneasy. This was not helped by the fact that there was a sound emanting from the rear of the plane that sounded like a beehive. I suggested that they were winding the rubber band tightly. Newark is a much better place to wait than Logan Terminal A, a wasteland.
The flight from EWR-PVG was very good. It was a new 777-200 that was only ¾ full. The in seat screen had lots of movies, etc. The food was passable. My beef was mediocre, but Beth said the fish was good. Onlanding, there was a health form and a line, but no temperature taking. I guess they’re waiting for flu season to kick in. Beth and I had flu shots a week before leaving. Immigration and customs was simple.
The taxi line was non-existent. We walked up and got a cab. The ride into town was quick. We noticed apartment building after apartment building. New and newer springing up along the freeway. We crossed the river on Lupo Bridge and got on Rui Jin Lu #2, Here the traffic crawled slowly. The entrance to the hotel was undergoing construction so we had to circle the block to enter from Maemaeng Lu. There was a wedding going on, but we slipped through and easily checked in. We were in the new building, so we rode a golf cart back to bnear Maemeng Lu. This property is 17 acres with a very nice open space that once was a dog track.
Quick showers and we went out exploring in the waning daylight. The flight arrived from EWR at about 2:00 p.m., so there was still some light. Our goal was to find a Frommers recommended restaurant Di Shui Dong at Maoment Dan Lu 56. We exited onto Maemeng but went right coming across several reastaurants, Las tapas, Penne et Vino, Blue Frog and a Moroccan restaurant. WE wandered around the block and saw a China Construction Bank at the corner of Rui Jin and Fuxing. This is important because it shares woth Bank of America and ATM charges are waived. We walked back to maemeng and turned right. There were a number of womens’ clothes storres followed by a number on men’s tailors. We walked by the Shanxi Metro stop and eventually found the restaurant.
Walked back to the hotel with the intention of eating at Xiao Nan Guo at the hotel. Unfortunately, we were told it was closed. We quickly reconfigured and ate at Pane et Vino, a short walk, I had the taglatelle with mushrooms and beth had the ravioli. Both were good, but not exceptional. The bill with a glass of beer and a diet coke was 386 CNY. Back to the hotel and collapsed.
Up at 3:15 a.m. for last minute arrangements. Taxi to Logan. Using the kiosk with passport reader was easy. Of course, we needed an agent anyway to check our Visas. We were early enough to catch an earlier flight to Newark. It was a Turbo Prop and Beth was uneasy. This was not helped by the fact that there was a sound emanting from the rear of the plane that sounded like a beehive. I suggested that they were winding the rubber band tightly. Newark is a much better place to wait than Logan Terminal A, a wasteland.
The flight from EWR-PVG was very good. It was a new 777-200 that was only ¾ full. The in seat screen had lots of movies, etc. The food was passable. My beef was mediocre, but Beth said the fish was good. Onlanding, there was a health form and a line, but no temperature taking. I guess they’re waiting for flu season to kick in. Beth and I had flu shots a week before leaving. Immigration and customs was simple.
The taxi line was non-existent. We walked up and got a cab. The ride into town was quick. We noticed apartment building after apartment building. New and newer springing up along the freeway. We crossed the river on Lupo Bridge and got on Rui Jin Lu #2, Here the traffic crawled slowly. The entrance to the hotel was undergoing construction so we had to circle the block to enter from Maemaeng Lu. There was a wedding going on, but we slipped through and easily checked in. We were in the new building, so we rode a golf cart back to bnear Maemeng Lu. This property is 17 acres with a very nice open space that once was a dog track.
Quick showers and we went out exploring in the waning daylight. The flight arrived from EWR at about 2:00 p.m., so there was still some light. Our goal was to find a Frommers recommended restaurant Di Shui Dong at Maoment Dan Lu 56. We exited onto Maemeng but went right coming across several reastaurants, Las tapas, Penne et Vino, Blue Frog and a Moroccan restaurant. WE wandered around the block and saw a China Construction Bank at the corner of Rui Jin and Fuxing. This is important because it shares woth Bank of America and ATM charges are waived. We walked back to maemeng and turned right. There were a number of womens’ clothes storres followed by a number on men’s tailors. We walked by the Shanxi Metro stop and eventually found the restaurant.
Walked back to the hotel with the intention of eating at Xiao Nan Guo at the hotel. Unfortunately, we were told it was closed. We quickly reconfigured and ate at Pane et Vino, a short walk, I had the taglatelle with mushrooms and beth had the ravioli. Both were good, but not exceptional. The bill with a glass of beer and a diet coke was 386 CNY. Back to the hotel and collapsed.
Sep 21st, 2009 | 03:45 AM
#2
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,160
Likes: 0
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!
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!
Sep 21st, 2009 | 05:17 AM
#6
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 779
Likes: 0
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.
And yes, we do need to find a name for the Massachusetts Panda lost in Shanghai.
Trending Topics
Sep 21st, 2009 | 06:30 AM
#9
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,408
Likes: 0
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!
Sep 21st, 2009 | 08:55 AM
#12
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,854
Likes: 0
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!
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!
Sep 21st, 2009 | 09:00 AM
#13
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 29,053
Likes: 0
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...
Sep 21st, 2009 | 11:16 AM
#17
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 612
Likes: 0
>>>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, 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 ...
Sep 21st, 2009 | 12:43 PM
#19
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 6,664
Likes: 0
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.
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.
