March 17
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!!!
At midnight we embarked a pilot to guide the ship through the outer shipping lanes. We then began our 6 hour, 69 mile pilotage through the inner shipping lanes, narrow channels and the River Yangtze up to Shanghai and our berth in the heart of the city.
When we got up this morning at 5:00 a.m. we were already at the dock. It looked terrible with a heavy overcast and some rain. Our balcony is not facing the Pudong side which is where all the new modernistic buildings are but rather the old city. (The picture below is of the famous Pearl Tower which was difficult to see in the haze.)
We left the ship at 8:30 because we had to go thru immigration by 9:00 if we intended to go ashore. First off we headed to the Bund, one of Shanghai’s primary tourist attractions. The Bund is a mile-long area of historical architecture in various styles that line the Huangpu River. It was a mile walk to the Bund. While walking there I was attacked by a Chinese man carrying a shoe shine kit asking if I want a shine. I said no as I was wearing sport shoes. I continued walking away and he chased me and motioned to my shoe where he had put a big glop of a white substance. I continued walking and he finally left. (This is just one of the many scams in this city.)
The views from the Bund were amazing. We decided to get off the Bund and walk down Nanjing Rd, Shanghai’s premier shopping district and find a bank where we could exchange some of our money for Yuan’s. The banks did not open until 10, so we continued down Nanjing for a couple miles. Every high end store in the States was there as well as Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, Subway, and others. The banks finally opened and we were able to exchange some money. With cash in our hands and tired already from walking, we stopped at McDonald’s and had a couple of Big Mac’s. (Strange, since we don’t eat at McDonald’s at home.) While we were walking I received a lot of strange looks as I was wearing a green shirt and my Saint Patrick Day beads. Walking in cities that have millions of people can be a real challenge, you learn to just be as aggressive as they are.
We headed back to the Bund and passed an Apple Store which was packed. At least 200 people were in the store apparently buying the new I-Pad. On the street you can buy anything, we were offered Rolex watches, Omega watches, I-Phones, I Pad’s, Coach purses, Prada, all so authentic! It was annoying but fun at the same time, but if you said anything other than No it was hard to get rid of them.
Finally back on the Bund we strolled along just watching the people doing Tia Chi. There was also a bride and groom having their wedding pictures taken. It was a very busy place, I wonder how many people are there on a nice day. It never rained all day, we have been so lucking on this cruise. It has always cleared up for us although it did stay hazy today. We understand that Tokyo had a small earthquake and tsunami the day after we left.
After walking to the end of the Bund we took Zhongshan Dong Lu Road and headed to the Old Town. We walked for a while but were really getting tired and decided to walk back to Nanjing Road and spend our remaining Chinese Yuans. Instead of walking on the Bund we took Zhongshan Dong Lu Road which runs ajacent to the Bund. We went inside a tea store and thought about buying some tea to bring home. It was a small package and I miscaculated the price, I thought it was $13.00 US but it was $130.00, it must have weighed no more than 6 ounces. We walked all the way back to Nanjing Rd, part of which is a pedistran section. It is a lot safer as scooters and bikes do not obey traffic laws and will run you over. If you hear a horn you better be prepared to move aside. We succeeded in spending our Yuan so we headed back to the ship. I had to stop and rest several times all day but I think the majority of my breathing problems are over. We kept a few Yuan’s so I could buy some Chinese beer which I will add to the beer list. Near the ship they also tried to sell junk. I bought Betty and I matching Rolex’s plus one other large Rolex, all three for $10.00. The amazing thing they are still running. It made us think of Bill & Shirley as Bill bought some on our last world cruise. (My genuine Rolex keeps falling off my wrist, I’m sure I will lose it shortly.)
Back at the ship, we collapsed, then took showers and headed to dinner in the dining room for a traditional St. Patrick’s Day dinner. Or at least as traditional as it can be when cooked by Italian chefs, we’ve never had gravy on corned beef before. I had to have a Guinness with dinner, missed Kegs and Eggs breakfast at home.
The entertainment was the Shanghai Zhoukou Folkloric Show featuring the Zhoukou Acrobats. It was very good, the only thing wrong was the size of the stage as it was too small. After enjoying another Guinness I went out to take some night pictures of the lighted city. We returned to the room and went to sleep early. I woke up just as we sailed out of Shanghai at 11:00pm and watched as we sailed back down the river. I never saw so many ships in my life, no wonder we have a pilot and it takes so long to go the 69 miles to the open sea. (The river is filled with barges carrying coal and sand. The picture below is one of the many dinner boats that go out, each more colorful than the last.) The ship then set a southerly course along the Chinese coast toward the Taiwan Strait.
