Day 3: 12 October 2005

Today’s plan is to go to the other side of the Huangpu river and see the sky scrapers as the Oriental Pearl (I think it used to be a telecommunication tower). It is the view from the Bund, where we were yesterday.

But on our way to the Metro station, some commotion was happening on the street ahead of us. With a few seconds, I saw the flames pouring out of the window on the top floor of these old town buildings. It was dramatic and a serious situation. Even worse, we saw somebody open the window and could not get out. The fire truck arrived within minutes after the phone call was made. Bamboo (?) ladders were raised and the brave firemen went in to the house. There was a lot of people on the street and the police was also quick to arrive to block of the pavement and the traffic. After a long while, a little First Aid/Ambulance arrived and I have to say it looked very basic, not to the western standard as the Fire truck was.

The fire was in house at the top left courner.

We walk up the Metro station at People Park. The Metro maps are easily to follow and we need to pay 3 yeun to go three stops. A very good price indeed. When we walked up the Ticket booth, the woman could not speak English but with some sign language we got the right ticket. The station has two Metro line called Line 1 and Line 2 – and we were not sure which one we should go on. We pop down to the platform closest to us and of course it was the wrong one. It was Line 2 should go on. We followed the signs which were easy to read. It was a bit of a walk and the tunnel was really wide. I could see that in the Peak hour this would probably be packed.

On the platform they had plasma TVs showing ads and the count down, with seconds, when the next train was due. So very impressive and I so wish that the London Tube could have the same standard. There were markings on the platform where one should stand to enter the train. Two men had seen there was one seat on the train and both were equally determined to get it. I have to say, not even Londoners chase seats with that intensiveness.

The Plaza of International Media Centre, home of the Oriental Pearl, is striking. There are many different sky scrapers, it is breath taking. The dullest one is the Citi Group – just square and nothing else. It is exactly that same as at Canary Wharf. We walked up the Oriental Pearl building and the price for going up to all three levels is 100 yeun. The tour was sort organised and followed some logic but we could not fully work it out. The first stop was on floor 239 and the view was great. You cannot see the end of the city of Shanghai and you see all loads of high raises being used for residents. You walk around in a full circle and then it is in the lift again to go to top level at 350 meter.

Pitcure taken by Boyfriend's digital camera


Picture taken with my moblie phone, Nokia 6260

I stopped by at the souvenir counter to see if there was anything cool for my key ring - and there was. It is just my little thing, I have more souvenirs then keys on my key ring but it is a daily reminder of some the trips I have done.

Then we took the lift down the 239 floor. The level that we had not seen was the 90 meter and we struggled to find the lift that would take us there. With some help from a girt from Shanghai and her Japanese (boy)friend we got there in the end. But coming out on this level was not really breath taking since we had already been on the other levels. But let face it, being 90 meters up in a cool building is something good.

Our next item was to go to the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel. I really like the look of this building. We knew it would be a bit of walk but neither of us expected a kamikai walk with running over the zebra crossing with a green light, zig zaging through the traffic jam. This part of town is not made for walking. We finally made it to the hotel and strode in purposefully like we had the right to look around. There is this bar on floor 87 called Cloud 9. I was more causally dressed in my boyfriend so I was a bit nervous. The bar was closed so we settled for the café on floor 54 instead. We had a really nice lunch and the prices were not too bad either. After lunch, we took a taxi home and the cost for the journey only was only 10 yeun. (70 pence)

I have to say that I am happier to stay at our hotel – Magnificent Plaza Hotel - which is not nearly as nice as Hyatt hotel but at least we are living in the middle of it and can walk to most area in central Shanghai. At the Hyatt, you must go by taxi and one would miss so much of the street life.

When we came back to the hotel, boyfriend was a bit more tired then I but I was happy to take late afternoon nap. When I woke up, I had a mother of all headaches. That knocked me out for the rest of the evening even tough I drank water, cola light and took a headache pills. Nothing helped.