Snippets from Shanghai

Susan and I are comfortably cozy in our 4-bed dorm room at the City Central Youth Hostel in Shanghai, though it seems no one else will be staying in our room tonight so it’s actually more like a private twin room, just with extra beds =) This place is a little out of the way – from Hongqiao Airport we took a bus, then the metro, then walked for 15 minutes to find it, but it’s quite large (at least 100 rooms of various kinds), very clean (including the bathrooms), and most importantly, it’s heated! Susan was especially happy after spending the past few days in an unheated apartment in Guangzhou – she doesn’t have to sleep with her coat on tonight =P

My day started fairly early with a border hop into Zhuhai, then a 2.5-hour bus ride on the Baiyun Airport Express bus. The Gongbei coach station where you catch the bus is a little confusing to find the first time, especially since CTS and Kwan Kee (two other bus companies) have ticket counters right there in the Gongbei Port Plaza mall. To get to the Baiyun Airport express, however, you have to go through the mall, out the NE exit, cross the road, and look for the KFC.

Baiyun Airport Express ticket counter

My ticket

However, finding this place is more than worth the effort – the other two companies don’t go to the airport, so they would drop you off someplace in Guangzhou and you’d have to get a local bus or taxi from there, which I imagine could be quite a hassle. Even better, the price is about the same as a regular bus to Guangzhou (80-85 RMB for one-way) and it’s a comfortable coach bus the whole way, with a few stops to pick up more passengers, but no transfers required. I will definitely be taking this bus back to Zhuhai next Monday.

The Guangzhou airport is probably one of the nicest ones I’ve seen, with elaborate floral displays and even bonsai trees scattered around the terminal. There’s a decent selection of shops and cafes, baggage-packing service, and checking in was a breeze with the China Southern kiosks. However, I have two complaints: (1) No free wireless – my netbook picked up plenty of available networks, but all required log-in information. (2) Loooong lines for the bathrooms – the one on the departure level had 20 women waiting for 4 stalls, so I went downstairs to the shopping level, where it was a little better (about 6 people waiting). At least they were Western-style toilets.

Luggage-packing service

LNY decorations on the departure level

I was understandably wary of flying a Chinese airline after hearing of/reading various horror stories, especially since many of those negative reviews couldn’t remember precisely which airline was involved (Southern? Eastern? China Air? Air China? Ahh!) However, the flight was surprisingly smooth and comfortable, certainly better than a comparable American airline. For about $100 USD, a two-hour flight included free (non-alcoholic) drink service, mild entertainment (there was some sort of TV show on, liberally interrupted by car commercials), and a hot meal (fish and vegetables with rice) that was spicier than expected but otherwise good.

Being on a budget, Susan and I opted to attempt public transport following the hostel’s directions. The bus and metro were straightforward: Take #941 to Zhongshan Park, then take Line 3 or 4 Metro to Caoyang Road. From there, however, we didn’t see the white UTEL billboard described in the directions, but we found a street map in the station, so we just started walking out Exit 3. It didn’t help that directions said to look for a McDonalds, of which there are three (or at least 3 signs) on the same block! We found our way with a little help from some convenience store clerks and eventually did see the UTEL billboard – the hostel itself is set back a ways from the main road, and the last 500 feet can seem a little creepy in the dark (watch out for cars), but it’s safe enough.

Actually, it’s more than safe enough, this place is more like a hotel. As mentioned above, there are at least 100 rooms between the two buildings, 5 floors per building with 10+ rooms on each floor, with the lobby/café in-between. Susan approves wholeheartedly of the copious hot water in the bathrooms, and our room is also very nice, with bunk beds, lockers (bring your own padlock), three chairs, and a small desk. The lobby is an intriguing mix of decorations, like a large stuffed sheep with red ribbon wrapped around the horns, an antique phone, and lots of books.

View of the lobby from the front entrance

Baaaa!

Some of the massive book collection off to the side of the lobby

After checking in and dropping off our stuff, we walked around the neighborhood a bit…unfortunately most places were closed since it’s the third day of the Lunar New Year, so most workers are still on vacation. The airline meal was pretty filling but by 8-ish we were in the mood for a snack, so we stopped by the KFC (only that and the McDonalds were open). It was sad to find that they didn’t have biscuits, but they did have some…unusual options like a shrimp burger, “corn salad” and what looked like cheesy egg tarts. Interestingly, the regular egg tarts offered were actually Portuguese style, just like what we would see in Macau!

That’s all for tonight, but tomorrow’s plan is an ambitious exploration of the Bund, Pudong, and the Old Town area, so time to sleep!