Top: Shanghai by Day
Bottom: The Busy Bund
Days 1-2
Flight and
Arrival: The Pole and The Pollution
We boarded
our Cathay Pacific Boeing 777 to Hong Kong at approximately 1:10 a.m. March 7
in Newark. Cathay is Hong Kong’s flag
carrier, and the Newark to Hong Kong route is new – its inaugural run occurred
only one week prior to ours. To
Shanghai, we flew Dragonair, a Cathay subsidiary.
To reduce
mileage and save travel time, the flight took a “transpolar” or “great circle”
route, meaning that it went Northward and then over the Arctic Ocean.
Typically, these routes pass within a hundred or so miles on either side of the
North Pole, but – and I am not sure if this is even possible – our in-flight
screens showed that we passed directly over the pole! En route, I saw cracks in the polar ice, and
daylight and darkness shifted back-and-forth at least four times during the
nearly 16 hours aloft.
Unfortunately,
I did not have to wait for the pollution part of the China and Hong Kong
experience, as the scenic mountain-backed Hong Kong and South China Sea landing
to which I was looking forward was anticlimactically obscured due to smog. This
experience would sadly repeat during our connecting flight’s landing in
Shanghai, and in all ensuing arrivals during this trip.
At Shanghai
Pudong International Airport, we met our lively and wonderful tour guide,
David. His pride for his home city was
apparent, and his knowledge and friendliness are unforgettable!
Adriana D'Andrea at the Shanghai Jade Buddha Temple
The Yu Garden, Chinatown, Shanghai
Days 2 - 4
Shanghai
Old and New
As we rode
the highway from the airport through the Shanghai haze, I observed numerous new
residential neighborhoods of luxury single-family homes, and townhouse and
high-rise apartment complexes. Apartment buildings, which, by their
architectural style, appeared to have been constructed very recently, still had
grimy edifices. Presumably, this is an
effect of constant pollution. I also
noted a large conspicuously patched crack on the side of one such
building. Laundry hung on most terraces
and in front of windows, as most Chinese, our tour guide said, cannot afford
washing machines. The buildings might be
modern, but the look was already old-world.
We arrived
at our American hotel (Marriott Courtyard).
As if to drive the point that China is rapidly growing, I opened the
curtains in my room and saw that it overlooked a construction site. This scenario, like the pollution, repeated
itself exactly in Beijing – put down luggage, open curtains, view construction
site below.
At our
first meal in China, we participated in the first of many “Lazy-Susan-style”
(as our tour guide described it) meals.
This mode affords one the opportunity to enjoy several different dishes,
even if in small portions.
The Jade
Buddha Temple was our first visited site. I witnessed people praying, kneeling
and using incense, as they do in other faiths.
The materials – gold, jade and marble – were stunning. The lovely Yuyuan
Gardens teamed with Chinese enjoying a Saturday afternoon. We visited a part of town ironically known as
“Chinatown.” Shanghai, like Hong Kong, had an international settlement, so its
old city became known as “Chinatown.” A large market resides here, and I
enjoyed the power of haggling. At home,
I can negotiate prices for certain goods and services, such as home contracting
or automobiles, but I cannot do the same for the vast majority of goods. I liked not waiting for discounts and being
able to assert a price and settle on the spot.
Shanghai’s
latitude is more Southerly than New Jersey’s, so the climate was early
Spring-like with trees budding and annuals already planted. This, perhaps, or
the pollution, or a combination of both, induced my allergies badly, and I was
vindicated in packing nasal decongestant in addition to facemasks. I thought I would see more Chinese wearing
these masks themselves to cope with the pollution, but perhaps they are tired
of wearing them at this point.
