The trip back to China was much more comfortable after Rich snagged us a free upgrade to Business Class. Even Ang had her very own Business Class seat. I think all the other passengers were happy that she was a well-behaved quiet baby. One of the perks of flying business class is access to the airport lounge. We were able to spend an hour in the lounge in Chicago and were happy to see that there was a special family room that helped keep Ang entertained.
Unfortunately, jet lag got the best of us the first few days back in China and we spent a lot of time at home just trying to get adjusted to the new time zone. Ang decided that she was not going to sleep from about 2am to 5am so all three of us (me, mom and Rich) took shifts trying to tire her out. Once we started getting a little more sleep I was finally able to show my mom around a bit. We managed to squeeze in quite a bit of sightseeing while also getting some quality Ang time.On Saturday afternoon we took the local ferry and explored Puxi - including the Bund and Yu Yuan. The Bund is currently under heavy construction and there wasn't much to see (other than dirt and trucks). We wandered around some of the local streets and I showed off some of my favorite cheap shopping spots. These parts of Shanghai can be overwhelming because they are always very crowded and you are constantly heckled to buy a handbag, watch, pen or any other gadget they might have to sell. Being that we went on a Saturday, it was more crowded than usual so we ended up going to the Bund Center (Westin hotel) for drinks to help relax. We found the mess of wires pictured below outside the State Grid office quite entertaining. It's also always funny to see Starbucks tucked right into the chaos of the city!
Sorry for the sideways pic!!! If you tilt your head to the left you can see Starbucks tucked right into the Chinese Yu Yuan buildings.
I think I have decided that my favorite spot in Shanghai is Taikang Lu. It caters to ex-pats but isn't overly touristy. Unfortunately the area is not stroller friendly so its easier to navigate without Ang. There are all sorts of shops and restaurants that are scattered throughout alley ways. Many locals still live in the area so you can take in a bit of the locals lifestyle while browsing very cute shops. We spent one very fun afternoon wandering around there.
We both managed to find things to buy in Taikang Lu. Again, sorry for the sideways pic!
It is well known that massage is very cheap in Shanghai. Rich and I have been trying to get out for weekly massages - usually on Sunday evening we take turns going out. I've found a favorite place very nearby and took my mom there one afternoon. We arrived to find that they were booked full so we ended up at the hair salon instead. I just had my hair washed and blow dried and she went for a trim (very brave). Her hair ended up a little too short but it was worth it for the experience (in my opinion). We did make it back to the massage place before she left and were treated to some wonderful foot massages. You can't beat 70 minutes of massage for about $10 USD. I think if we had been there earlier in the week my mom would have been going back every day she was here!
Rich had some crazy hours at work when we first arrived back but once things slowed down he joined us for a few evenings out. One night we went to Xintiandi (a popular expat area with lots of trendy restaurants, bars and shopping) for dinner and as we were being seated were told we would have a good view of the stage. Little did we know that dinner included a live performance by a Chinese instrument band which was very interesting. I've attached a photo at the right, although I don't think it does it justice. We also tried a very popular Chinese restaurant on the Bund that was fantastic. This was followed by drinks at one of our favorite spots on the Bund - New Heights - it offers really great views of both sides of the river.
The greeters at Lost Heaven and the view from New Heights (on the Bund, Puxi side)
Of course, no visit to Shanghai is complete without a visit to the fake markets. We managed to fit these in the day before Mom flew back home. I discovered that arriving at the market soon after it opens means much more aggressive shop owners which can be fun if you are in the right mood. I managed to get into the right mood after we arrived and had lots of fun negotiating good prices for everything we wanted.
We have many more visitors planned for the coming months and are very excited about showing everybody around. We joke that rooms are booking up fast for the summer months as it seems we have lots of people planning trips for June and July. I've been keeping a list of my favorite sites so that I can put together great itineraries for all of our visitors. So just let us know when you are coming and we will have the beds ready and the fun planned!!
Thanks for coming to visit us Grammy, we miss you!!!
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