I didn't waste any time in hauling them around town. I figure they had a lot to see and a little time to do it. We met at a well-known landmark in front of our mall.
I did let them check into the hotel before we went to the river on the Pudong side (the east side of the Huangpu River) for a walk and gawk at the scenery and people.
Actually, people were gawking at us. We were like minor celebrities. Many people (Chinese) wanted to have their picture taken with us. Apparently, it's considered good luck to have your photo taken with a Westerner. Sorry, Rakesh. Blondes are stopped far more frequently than we were.
Classic buildings on the Bund, the Puxi side
Dad and Wendy's cruise ship.
No, not the ferry in front, the ship that is mostly hidden by the ferry. You can just make out the ship's aft.
So strange, their ship in Shanghai.
We continued our walk, attracting a lot of attention.
Now I know how Hollywood stars feel. The pressure! The paparazzi! Oh my!
We had to take refuge in a nearby restaurant. Oh, alright. We were planning on going there anyway. I just like being dramatic.
This place was amazing! If you ever come to Shanghai, I will take you here, The Binjiang One, for brunch. It is so good and such a good deal.
My first entree, grilled beef tenderloin with green peppercorn sauce and potatoes. Yes, you read right. My first entree. You could have as many as you wanted.
My second entree, but it was a vegetable lasagne, so that doesn't really count.
A small selection of desserts.
After, we all headed downstairs to the Snow Bar. Yes, that's what they called it, not an ice bar. Our waiter-now-bartender explained that the bar will have real ice furnishings in the winter. Even though everything was made of plastic, it was still plenty cold. We really needed our North Face parkas.
The vodka shots did have a thawing effect.
Even Dad indulged!
I so know where to go now in January and February when I am homesick for snow and cold.
Rakesh bids farewell to the Snow Bar
Next stop was Jin Mao Tower, a new 88 storey high building. They charge 88RMB entrance fee (you get it?) and when you go up, you have a spectacular view of Shanghai. Jin Mao is not as tall as the SWFC (Shanghai World Financial Centre) aka the Bottle Opener, but it is way less crowded, which is a bonus, especially on the weekend.
Obviously not my photo. I'm good, but I'm not that good.
I love all the surfaces of this building.
Before we went up, we had to opportunity to meet Jacky Chan. I was so excited!
O.K. He is wax, but his influence made me do the Asian "V".
A better view of Dad and Wendy's cruise shop.
The mind still wobbles to think that they were here in Shanghai.
You can still see their ship and the Oriental Pearl Tower.
Closer view of the Oriental Pearl Tower
Looking down the Huangpu River
The angles of Jin Mao Tower
The aptly named Bottle Opener
There was some kitschy stuff in the Jin Mao Tower, but where would a tourist attraction be without this?
Or this....
Some sort of wish/prayer tree
Or this...
Wendy needs to grow some more to fit into Yao Ming's sneakers.
Or these...
I don't think this is immediately evident, but these are the oysters where we received our free pearl. Yes, it was a genuine pearl, but then, of course, they wanted to set it for you in one of their numerous "exquisite selective fittings". The loose pearls did make a neat souvenir.
Dad and Rakesh
After we had seen enough, I allowed Dad and Wendy to go back to the hotel to get ready for dinner chez Patel. I had really wanted them to come to our place in Shanghai. A house feels more like a home when it's had family visit. I have to stop writing on this topic. My eyeballs are starting to sweat.
Anyway... eyeballs still sweaty, but here goes...
We ordered in Thai food.
After dinner computer time, looking at each other's photos and stuff.
I swear, we are not sponsored by Apple. Maybe we should be.
Then I let Dad and Wendy go back to the hotel so they could sleep. That was nice of me, wasn't it?
No comments:
Post a Comment