Thursday - 14 February 2008

I packed while watching Discovery Channel and thinking of the Bloodhound Gang. I left the hotel at 06:00am, paid up for my extras at the desk and walked to Nanjing Road East Metro and got the tube to Longyang Road (4Y). I took the Mag Lev Train to the airport (40Y - inc discount). I had some rice soup and Tofu at the airport - I had a bout 40 minutes to wait before check in. Check in was quick and easy. Went through security. It was a very long walkd to my Gate and I had a last portion of dumplings (with fries!) and a farewell Tsing-Tao Beer before boarding the plane. Take Off was 11:10 ish.meal on the plane was chicken, potatoes, gateau, salad and red wine. I watched "Knocked up" and "Rush Hour 3" and watched the strange desert scenery beneath us. We also flew over the Oresund bridge/tunnel which links Sweden and Denmark. We landed at about 15:30 (15 mins early). I had a sandwich, crisps and diet coke at Heathrow Central Bus Station. I arrived back in Newport 20 minutes late at about 20:05pm and got a taxi home.

Wednesday - 13 February 2008

I took a stroll to raffles Mall then back along Hankou Lu. I called in at a few shops and bought some Jasmin tea to take home. I had lunch at a self service restaurant for 20Y. That was 10Y for Beef Stew, 6Y for Pak Choi, 2Y for rics and 2Y for a hard boiled egg covered in brown stuff. I met Zoe at South Shanxi Road and wen went to the Garden bookshop. We then went to a 4 storey H&M store. How can anyone spent 2 and a half hours in H&M? We took the Metro to Hangshen Road and went to Zapata's - it was closed. We went to Sasha's but Zoe went home so I had a couple of beers in O'Malley's 25Y happy hour. I met an English Couple who had been teaching English in Shanghai for 18 months and were enjoying their stay. I took a taxi to Malones at Tongyen Road and had Steak and Fries (with Mushrooms in Garlic Butter and veg) for 150Y. I took a tube to People's Square and bought a few souvenir type things in Raffles Mall, plus a couple of large mugs from Starbucks. I walked back to the hotel with some chocolate that I bought in a small 24 hour shop. It's 23:00 as I write this and I'm watching Harry Potter on HBO which is enough to send me to zzzzzz's and I wke up at 04:30 on Saint Valentines Day - Thursday 14 February 2008.

Tuesday - 12 February 2008

I was up and showered by 11:00am - the maid will be amazed! For breakfast I had a bowl of noodles at my favourite noodle shop and tried some gorgeous meat-stuffed dumplings (1Y each) from a stall further up Shandong Xhong Lu. I went into Hongji mall then headed for Starbucks. I met this back packing guy from Nottingham who had just hiked up from Beijing and needed an English speaker to talk to. I met Zoe and weent to Plaza 66 to change her flights. We walked on through Zongshan Park and to Zoe's flat. We went to Samba's but it was closed so we went to Cafe Monmartre which was really good. I headed back to the Hotel and watched "Shakespeare in Love" on HBO. Still troubled with Jet Lag, it's 03:15am on Wednesday 13 February 2008 as I write this.

Monday - 11 February 2008

The maid woke me at 10:30. I went out, bought some postcards (of Yu Gardens), wrote them and posted them. For breakfast I had 3 meat skewers (3Y each) and one really nice stuffed bread for 1.5Y. I was meeting Zoe at 15:00 at the Taikan Road. I got the Metro to South Shanxi Road and walked south to Taikan Road. where I met Zoe at the Hollywood Video Shop. We toured some small arty shops in a small area known as "The Lanes" and then walked back up the Ruijin Road and called in at Face Bar for some snacks and beer. Face Bar is located in a very Colonial 1920's mansion. We took the Metro out to the Science & Tech Museum where there is a fakes market. Zoe bought an Anna Sui designer purse and a Gucci watch.

We got the tube back to the Jin'an Temple and ended up at the City Diner for Burger and Fries. I had a coffee in Starbuck's at People's Square before heading back to the Hotel before the clock ticked over into Tuesday 12 February 2008.

Sunday - 10 February 2008

I slept until about 12:30 - Where was the maid? I left the hotel about 13:15. Strolled down Guangdong Lu towards Peoples Square. Had 4 meat kebabs from the corner stall (3Y each). Wandered the streets and got conned by thre young Chinese advertising a Chinese Tea Ceremony at a cost of about 900Y. I got the tube to Pudong and was late for my meeting with Zoe by 45 minutes. Good job the European face was eay to spot inthe crowds. We did the Riverside Walk and then went to the Super Brand Mall where we had a very good meal at the Blue Frog. The beer was BOGOF - not sure that was a sensible idea. Got the tube back to Peoples Square and Zoe went home. I went to the hotel and then to O'Malley's to see England v Italy. I got the time difference wrong, hurrah! 'cos I missed an absymal England first half performance. England won the game just. Chelsea v Liverpool was on after, I watched that, but wasn't really interested, and left 5 mins before the end to get a quick getaway by taxi from outside O'Malley's. Got back to the hotel at about 02:00am on Monday - 11 February 2008 with only some Ferrero Rocher to eat (bad planning!).

Saturday - 09 February 2008

Jet Lag - I was awake between 02:30 and 05:30., and was thinking that the gym opens at 06:30, next thing I knew the maid was waking me up at 10:15. I borrowed a phone charger adapter from hotel housekeeping and walked to the Post Office on Hubei, strolled to Nanjing Lu. Went into a noodle cafe for breakfast. Back to the hotel for a snooze - v. tired!

After snoozes with New Year firecracker disturbances arranged to meet Zoe at Hengshan Lu station (exit 1). She was late! We went to the library and bought 1 hours internet access each. You needed passport ID to access the internet. We walked to a tube station and got the tube to Pudong. We walked to "The Kitchen" for an extremely nice but rather expensive pizza and cannelloni meal. We walked to the Jin Mao Tower - it was rather a tricky job getting to it on foot because of all the wide dual carriageway roads surrounding it. Took the lift to the bar on th 87th floor and had cocktails.

Zoe taxied home and I went to O'Malley's to watch Wales v Scotland (Wales won 30 - 15). I started to watch Ireland lose to France but left after an hour. Thought I might have trouble getting a taxi back to the City Centre since it was 3am on Sunday 10 February 2008. Not sleepy, so finished off some Ferrero Rocher in bed.

Friday 08 February 2008

After being awake for a couple of hours, I fell asleep again, I suppose, at about 5:00am. The maid woke me at 10:30. I got up and went out and strolled the local area. I fixed the position of the "China Post" office on Hubei between Hankou and Fouzhou avenues. I found a noodle shop close to the junction of Shandong and Guangdong and had a big bowl of noodles for beakfast for 5Y.

I wandered down to Raffles Mall where I was due to meet Zoe. We had ice-cream and coffee in Starbucks then walked over to tour the Old Town.

The Old Town was chaotically crowded. There were thousands of people - this being the Chinese New Year and a public holiday I guess. The zig-zag path for instance was unapproachable because of the numbers of people in the area. The YuYuan Gardens were a pleasant change and quiet shelter away from the seething mass of humanity.

We walked for a while and had a Chinese meal.

We then walked for another while and then got a taxi to O'Malley's. Then got a tube back to People's Square. Zoe got a taxi home at this point. I walked the length of Nankou Road and back along Fuzhou Road then had a beer in the hotel bar (Wan an) 69Y!

Struggled to get to sleep (Jet Lag) and woke up at 02:30am on Saturday - 09 February 2008

Thursday - 07 February 2008

I met Zoe at Shanghai Airport and we got a taxi to the Bund Hotel 151Y.

After a quick shower we walked to The Bund, then north on the Bund to Nanjing Road East, then headed west to Peoples Square - The queues for dumplings were so long that we had a coffee in Starbucks instead! Well actually I had a Vanilla Latte Grande which was 33Y.

We had a quick breeze round Raffles Mall (see pic) then more walking - through Peoples Park and along Nanjing Road West (a long walk).

I had a couple of Chinese beers in a local cafe then we went for a a meal at Malone's at about 6pm. I had a Burger and Fries - but it was a really good proper ground beef Burger and Fries!

I tubed it back to Peoples Square, and strolled around the vicinity of the hotel. I bought some water and a sausage on a stick (just to try it!) from a small open all day (24 hours) shop. I was shattered and so went to bed at 8pm, I was Jet lagged but was awake again at 03:00am on Friday - 08 February 2008.

Wednesday - 06 February 2008

Set out for Heathrow at 7:30am - ish, taxi to bus station and a bacon buttie in Ferris Cafe - yum!

I got the coach to Heathrow 08:10 - 10:45. I was already checked in on-line at Virgin Atlantic web site so bag drop was a doddle. I collected cash that I ordered on-line at Travelex and was through security by 11:15.

I shopped (!) a bit then had a panino and a beer @ O'Neill's. The Flight was due to take off at 13:45 for the 11 hour flight - Local time in Shanghai +8 hours.

I arrived in Shanghai at 09:10 on Thursday - 07 February 2008

Tuesday 05 February 2008

I just packed and did my flight check in on-line at Virgin Atlantic's web site and got ready to set out for my trip to Shanghai on Wednesday 06 February 2008