Shanghai

Our taxi to Xi’an airport from our hotel cost Y150, again infuriating me at the way we had been overcharged two nights ago. I believe in karma, though, so that dude is going to get his one way or the other. The flight to Shanghai was uneventful, and we found ourselves in yet another modern airport facility. However, this building was without heating again – I can imagine out of the way, boony places with no heating, but this was an international airport for a major world city. I have no idea what is going here.

Although there were multiple transportation options, Saeeda and I decided to go for the maglev – the bullet train that whisks passenger at 400+ km/h to the city. The picture below is a little hazy, but you can just make out the digital odometer.


The ride is nothing short of thrilling, and looking out the window feels like someone is fast forwarding life. However, as an example of how haphazard development in China has been since the boom started, this maglev train deposits you in the middle of nowhere in the city, and you have to catch a taxi to your final destination.

Our hotel was located in the booming Pudong district, which rivals any downtown in the West with its towers, transportation, and entertainment options. We decided to make the Jin Mao building our first destination, since Jin Mao is currently the third tallest building in the world, and one that affords excellent views of the city. Unlike Beijing, Shanghai exudes a cosmopolitan vibe that is reflected in its buildings. The view from the top of the building was amazing for the immediate vicinity, but marred by the ridiculous smog that prevented you from seeing any reasonable distance, as you can see below. There’s a lot of work to be done before the Olympics.


After Jin Mao, Saeeda and I decided to make our last stop of the day the excellent Shanghai museum, one of the finest in China, and honestly, one of the finest that we have ever been to. The museum does a great job of educating the visitor on the China's agglomeration of different peoples and ethnicities, and makes it clear that China is not homogenous by any cultural measure. I was impressed, and look forward to exploring Shanghai more tomorrow.