Huan yin lai dao shang hai! (Welcome to Shanghai!)

I was lucky to stay in a hotel right across Nanjing (East). Nanjing is divided into two—East and West. The East side is where most tourists go at night. It was one busy strip of commercial buildings, Chinese boutiques, and coffee shops. Buildings light up the street at night. There were also small trams (2 Yuan/way) where you can ride and see the whole stretch of the street if you are too lazy to walk.

The tram

The vibrant East Nanjing Road at night

A guy who plays saxophone in one of the building’s veranda would come out (same time, same spot) and play some nice sweet old song, and people can dance as the music filled the whole strip.

A guy plays saxophone at a building's veranda.

Sweet old couples dancing

The West side is the Nanjing’s highstreet and commercial district. Famous designer brands of watches and clothes boutiques, as well as malls (such as Plaza 66) with hi-so brands can be found there. If you are into designer brands, then Plaza 66 is the place for you.

West Nanjing Road

Coffee shops everywhere

Since I have the whole day alone on my second day, I decided to take a city tour to maximize my time, and seriously it saved me a lot from the transpo fare. For only 100RMB (valid for 24 hours), Big Bus Tours brings you around the Puxi and Pudong districts—hop on/hop off style. The fee includes a bottle of water and earphones so you could listen to the personal commentary available in eight languages.

Big Bus Tours

Audio commentary in 8 languages

The city tour is divided into three major areas—The Shanghai City (red route on the map), Pudong (blue route), and Temple tour (green route), a total of 22 tourist spots. I started at 10am and finished at 4pm. The most interesting route for me is the Pudong area.

Big Bus Tours route map

Here are some of the places that I find interesting.

The Red Route:

* The Clock Tower – when the clock strikes 6PM you can hear the clock echo like a bell across the People’s Square garden.

The clock tower. There's also a fine dining alfresco resto on top.

* Shanghai Grand Theater – equipped with an automatic mechanical stage, the largest and said to be the most advanced in Asia, the Shanghai theater consists of three theaters for performing stage plays, opera, ballet, dance drama, symphony, and chamber music.

The Shanghai Grand Theater that looks like "The Peak" in Hong Kong.

* Xin Tian Di – literally means “New Heaven and Earth” (weee!I still know my Mandarin). Xin Tian Di is located at the French concession, a district known as “Paris of the East”. You’ll see old shikumen houses—red brick antique walls and tiles restored and converted into posh dining shops. The ambience lets you experience the 1920s and 21^st century feel. I love this place especially the Starbucks outlet.

Xin Tian Di shikumen houses

Inner streets

one of the shops inside Xin Tian Di

Strip of restaurants

The best Starbucks outlet I've seen so far.

The Blue Route:

* The Bund – located at Zhongshan Road, The Bund is composed of old historical buildings lining along the Huangpu River, facing Pudong area. Back in the days when we see pictures in black and white, it housed different bank and trading houses, consulate, and newspaper offices. Today, it houses 52 restored buildings in different architectural style such as Art Deco, Baroque, Romanesque , Gothic, Neo-classical, etc.

The Bund

The Bund at night

Pudong Financial District

L-R: Peace Hotel (formerly the Sassoon House), Bank of China (formerly the Bank of China), Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (formerly the Yokohama Species Bank)

on the right is Agricultural Bank of China (formerly the Yangzi Building)

the former China Merchants Bank Building

Bangkok Bank

The Shanghai Bull or Bund Financial Bull created by Arturo Di Modica (who also created the Charging Bull in New York) is placed at the Bund as the location symbolizes China's European colonial capitalism. "The bull is symbolic of perseverance, diligence and wealth in Chinese culture. The animal's confident stance represented a bullish and prosperous future for the rising financial center." -- Di Monica

* Cool Docks – the map says Cool Docks is Shanghai’s nightlife scene, but I have to disagree. Since it was close during the day I went back in the evening and was quite surprised that it’s not the kind of nightlife I would expect from a vibrant city like Shanghai.  It was quiet. The place was surprisingly not full on a Friday night then I realized it was a place for dining in a more intimate setting.  With that in view, Cool Docks rock! Again, the Starbucks outlet is nice. There’s a fountain area in the middle, surrounded by chic restaurants and some sleek bars. My date wanted to have a dining experience with a view, so we dined at a Greek restaurant named “Mythos”—overlooking the Pudong skyscrapers.

A haute Chinese restaurant at Cool Docks

Greek food in Shanghai

The view from Mythos...just perfect for a romantic dinner

* Nanpu Bridge – crossing the Huangpu River from The Bund to Pudong, we passed thru Nanpu bridge and is said to be the third longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, the first in China. It’s a spiral bridge, with 6 vehicle lanes to minimize the amount of land used.

Nanpu Bridge

Nanpu Bridge spiral road (source: shanghai.gov.cn)

* Residential Flats – from the Nanpu bridge you’ll see high-rise flats and low-rise housing. I learned that the housing project in Shanghai is subsidized by the government to help locals acquire a place of their own. Oh, what happened to our “PAG-IBIG” contributions?

low-rise residential houses

high-rise residential flats

* Oriental Pearl TV Tower – see this tower in the internet and you know it’s Shanghai.  Oriental Tower is the highest TV and radio tower in Asia and third highest in the world (CN Tower in Toronto as the 1^st, and Ostankino Tower in Moscow as the 2^nd).

Oriental Pearl TV Tower

* Jin Mao Tower – Along with the Oriental Tower, Jin Mao is one of the most important skyscraper in Pudong. It houses different offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel.

Jin Mao Tower

* Shanghai World Financial Center – standing tall alongside Jin Mao Tower, SWFC houses offices, hotels, observation decks, and shopping malls.

Shanghai World Financial Center

Green Route:

* Shanghai Elevated Roads – Six-level skyways…WHOA!

one of the entry points to the elevated road

Elevated Roads (source: shanghai.gov.cn)

* Jing’an Temple – literally means “Temple of Peace and Tranquility”, Jing’An is a Buddhist temple and it’s a must-stop for me. The temple was originally situated in a different location then later transferred to its current location during the Song Dynasty, and was rebuilt only once during the Qing Dynasty. It was kinda weird though that the temple is right next to a busy mall.

Jing'an Temple tucked in the middle of high-rise buildings and malls

temple grounds

Statue of the Sakyamuni, the first Buddha of Buddhism, is made out of Burmese white jade.

The Mahavira Hall is supported by 46 columns and is constructed entirely from Myanmar Teak.

Placed inside the Mahavira Hall, the Jing'an Silver Buddha is a statue of the Sakyamuni Buddha sitting on a lotus base in meditation.

Guanyin Bodhisattva (Buddhist Goddess of Mercy) is made out of thousand-year old camphor wood. *wai*

* Residential Houses – typical Shanghainese residential area.

residential houses

more residential houses

I love the color of the red brick walls

* Plaza 66 – I already visited this mall on my first day then I found out during the tour that Plaza 66 is one of the most renowned hi-so mall in Shanghai. It consists of a shopping mall and two skyscrapers. The mall houses the flagship store of some designer brands like Louis Vuitton, Celine, Hermes, Prada, Chanel, Cartier, Bvlgari, and a lot more.

a souvenir from Shanghai..weeee~~~

There were at least 3 more interesting places such as Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, and Huai Hai Road but the weather was too hot that day, so I decided to advance to the next stop.

Other worthy-of-note facts:

* THEY DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH…not a single word for crying out loud. You ask in English, they will reply in Mandarin. So yeah, it’s really an advantage if you can understand. That saves a lot of time, hehehe.

* I have heard that arrogant Chinese locals are Shanghainese, and they feel more superior compared to those from the capital.

* China in general is a huge smoking lounge. Even if you are a smoker, surely you will be irritated when you are sitting in an air-conditioned food court,enjoying your food and someone next to you started lighting up a ciggie.

* Still about smoking, either you can buy at a convenience store or from a boutique. LOL! Yeah, a boutique for cigarettes.

* Some locals are quite rude. My first-hand experience: We were having a foot massage, and the rooms are separated by curtain partition. I was awakened by a sudden deafening sound of the television from the other room. I was really pissed off, so I decided to turn up our TV even louder. I was already reaching volume 30 but the sound from the other room is still earsplitting. Z?o G?o!!!! I stopped at volume 35 until it made the guy peeped through the curtains.

It was a great Shanghainese adventure for me. The city is beautiful and vibrant, but yeah one trip could be enough.?

Established in early 90s, Saint’s Alp is the first to introduce in Hong Kong the leisure style Taiwanese teahouse concept bringing in bubble tea and other Taiwanese drinks.

Let me share here our fave treats.

It's always a happy feeling seeing this signage.

love, love this! Classic Toast with butter & condensed milk.

Classic Toast (Peanut Butter/Strawberry Jam/Butter & Condensed Milk/Coconut Butter). HK$14

Tasty tentacles

Crispy Squid with Salted Spices. HK$22

Yummy too

Deep-fried Cuttlefish Balls. HK$22

Matcha Nature with Matcha Agar and Mixed Berries Sorbies

Matcha Nature with Matcha Agar. HK$23

Mixed Berries Sorbie. HK$24

Double Chocolate

Double Chocolate Sorbie. HK$24

Our favorite branch in Mongkok but we did not see it the last time we went there. It was probably closed already

I am not a fan of milk tea but, my eyes popped out when I saw the logo of this teahouse in one of the establishments being constructed along Katipunan few months ago.

And guess what? It’s open now. Lez gooow!?

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Saint’s Alp Teahouse branches in Hong Kong here.

Saint’s Alp Teahouse Philippines

2nd Floor Regis Center

Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights,

Quezon City (in front of Ateneo de Manila University)

?

The flights are tight, and I had a hard time booking with consideration to our preference— since we are to layover in Singapore, we might as well have a few drinks, just like the usual, in the city before dozing off to catch the earliest flight to the final destination.  This arrangement would require sleeping at a transit hotel inside Changi, something that we have been doing in the past, being practical that is.

Few weeks later, we are still on the waiting list which pushed us to decide to drop the bookings with those big airlines and get a slot via Tiger Airways. The flights are even tighter, and we had no choice. We will disembark Singapore at 0145H giving us only 4 and a half hours window until we check-in for the 2^nd leg of the trip. Okay, drop the booze we need to sleep.

We probably got too excited and totally forgot it’s a budget airline. There’s no way we can book at Changi’s transit hotel because the budget airport is a different terminal. We do not know how it looks like. We do not know where to eat there. Budget airline does not offer in-flight snacks, and we will be starving by then.

So, I asked Google. Yes, we can take a shuttle to Terminal 2 (Changi).  We can eat there but still we cannot check-in at the transit hotel. Now the challenge is how and where to find the best seat—to sleep on. It might not be a comfy one. We cannot even take a decent shower for crying out loud. Nevertheless, one thing is for sure it’s another adventure we both did not expect would knock our doors.

I will soon have a shot like this

I have confidence with Singapore. If they have hotel, a movie theater, and a swimming pool in major airports, the budget terminal will surely be better than our NAIA.

There’s always a first time and seriously, this is getting really exciting.?

Dean & Deluca. This posh New York retailer store known for its gourmet and specialty foods such as hors d’ oeuvres and appetizer, array of herbs & spices, coffee, teas, breads & dairy products, premium wines & spirits, and also high-end dining & kitchenware has arrived in Bangkok making Thailand the first Dean & Deluca outlet in Southeast Asia (they also have in Japan, Taiwan, Middle East, and soon to open in South Korea).

I saw D&D Mahanakhon by accident as I was walking to the BTS Station in Chong Nonsi, which happened to be just across our hotel. Lucky to have few hours left before going to the airport, we had a quick breakfast there and stuffed our faces with generous servings of Salmon Terriyaki with greens on the side and layered of pancakes with whipped cream, fresh blueberries, bananas, and strawberry. And of course, I will never leave the place without getting their signature canvass tote—and it’s too nice to use as a grocery bag.

How to get there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Chong Nonsi Station. 92 Naratiwasrachanakarin Road, Silom, Bangkok 10500, Thailand, +662 234 1434

Uniqlo. Japan’s leading clothing retail chain, known to have adopted the strategies of the American brand “The Gap” (SPA or Special retailer of Private-label Apparel strategy), is coming to Bangkok this September. They will open a 2,500sqm (huge!) boutique in Central World Mall in Pathumwan. Uniqlo is known for their basic tees, chic casual wear for men & women, comfy jeans. But to me, I know Uniqlo as a great source of 3D jeans. I am telling you, you will be amazed and think that there’s something magical about them; it fits just as perfectly, like custom-made, faultless. No more panic-buying-coz-I-don’t-know-when-I’ll-be-back-again-in-HK. Uniqlo Thailand, you make my heart sing! (I just hope the price will be so much like those in Japan because seriously it’s a bit higher in HK).

How to get there: Take the BTS Skytrain to Chit Lom or Siam Station then walk going to the intersection of Rachaprasong.

Ikea.  Can I just say, “Wow!”. And I also hear the cupboards in our kitchen say “wow”. Lol, my pamangkins are whispering “wow” too.

Ikea Thailand will be opening this coming November in Bangna (city outside Bangkok, near the airport—don’t worry BTS Bangna will be opening soon, but you can take a taxi though) and it’s going to be the largest Ikea store in the Southeast Asia with a 45,000sqm space; 1300 parking spaces, 7500 items to “wow” you, and 700-seat restaurant and café.

Though easily, we can raid Ikea in our neighboring countries like Singapore, Malaysia, or Hong Kong however the excess baggage will be a problem. In Bangkok, you can easily find forwarders to ship your goodies with a low-cost rate.

How to get there: I will let you know asap.

A taste of New York, Japan, and Sweden…oh Thailand, you are truly amazing!?

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****some photos grabbed from Uniqlo and Ikea.

And so we arrived there, started the tour with a video presentation of what really happened during the Vietnam War against the Americans,1954-1975 (and I wanna sing, the heat is on in Saigon) and how the infamous Cu Chi Tunnel played a major role to defeat the B-52 bomb pilots and the sons of Uncle Sam.

It was truly amazing! I was in deep awe how the Vi?t c?ng (or the People’s Liberation Armed Forces who fought with the United States and the South Vietnam during the Vietnam War) fooled the Americans in so many ways, with resiliency, dexterity, smart strategies, and hard work considering the 6-footer fighters were armed with bombs, jets, and all those war stuff.

Part of this tour is to let the tourist crawl under the 121km long tunnel (only to some parts which they preserved as tourist attraction) to somehow get the feel of the Viet Cong’s life during the war. There were 5 exit points but I opted to finish the whole tunnel—duck-walking, crawling, sweating it off until my thighs and knees tremble with exhaustion. Though some parts have been made bigger for large sized Westerner visitors, it’s still so narrow I had to slide sideways in one of the curves.

There are also shooting range which the tourists can fire a real AK-47, M16, M60 rifle, Carbine, etc for I think 37,000VND per bullet but the minimum bullet you need to get is 10. I was not lucky to find a group to share it with me, so better luck next time. We ended the tour with cassava and tea snacks, the food the Viet Congs have eaten during their years under the tunnel.

It was a great adventure for me. This tour really changed the way I look at the Vietnamese. If we all could only show great valor in our battles in life just like what the Viet Congs did, even a 6-footer wave of problems will surely be defeated.

Oh by the way, I am not claustrophobic.

The first stop is to let the tourist go down the make shift tunnel hole—which has been resized 20% bigger than the original size. So the tour guide keeps on reminding the group especially the “huge” westerners that it might give them a hard time sliding down and getting out because of the narrow hole. I know for sure that I will fit in, so being very atribida, I volunteered to be the first one.

Yes naman, ang yabang ko. I never realized that it might be too deep for my height, and that even if I fit in just perfectly I overlooked the depth. So there I was, slid down with much ease and space that even if I went down with my backpack, I can still dance. 

Everyone was looking at me, anticipating, probably thinking if they would fit in there too. It was so quiet. I’ve gotten nervous. I was asked to close the lid for few seconds and gather enough force to move out. They are minding the right technique in moving up because of the body size and I was being taught the style. The thing is, though it was big enough for me the problem I have is how to push because you see the hole is chest-deep for me. LOLOLOL! Note: there’s nothing down there that I can step onto for that one big push up. Some gestured to help, but the tour guide said to do it on my own—act like a real Viet Cong! LOL!

Daaaarn! I was slithering like a snake…crawling up with my arms in synch with my both two legs struggling to find space. I think I scared the hell out of those westerners because I know for sure I looked gawky with bra straps and cleavage popping out, and I don’t care! I just needed to get out.

It was one memorable adventure for me. I was all alone—in a jungle where a lot of people died, no one to turn to, not even have some one I know to tell me I have some dried leaves on my hair. Hahahaha!

Cu Chi, you amazed me to the core! Hands down to the Viet Congs!