SHANGHAI - We landed at Pudong International Airport a few minutes ahead of schedule. The terminal was nearly empty - yet another advantage of flying at night. No queues, no waiting, no noise. We breezed through customs and health inspection and were soon on our way out of the airport.
The magnetic levitation (maglev) train to the city was already closed when we arrived. I had wanted to ride into Shanghai on the fastest passenger train in the world - the 30 kilometer trip would have taken just seven minutes - but due to the very late hour we had to settle for a taxi.
We were soon on our way. The ride into the city was quick and painless. We rarely went below 80 kilometers per hour on the smooth highway. This was very different from highways in the Philippines, where going over 60 over unevenly paved roads is a rare treat. Our drive on the Outer Ring Highway took a little less than an hour, and we soon entered the city through the Lupu Bridge.
From the bridge it took us only a few more minutes to reach our residence for the next five days. The Blue Mountain Youth Hostel is located near the Huangpu River, just off Luban Road. It's in a quiet part of Shanghai, quite far away from the busy parts of the ciy. However, the proximity of Luban Lu Metro Station makes the major tourist attractions of Shanghai - like People's Square and the Bund - just a short subway ride away.
The hostel itself is two floors above street level. A steep staircase leads to the lobby and check in counter, opposite of which is a wall covered in hundreds of pictures of Shanghai. The lobby leads to a bar/library/computer center. Food and drinks are available at affordable prices - a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, a banana, and juice costs only 20 yuan - and books about Shanghai line the shelves. Three computers are available for use free of charge; the only
challenge in using them is in figuring out how to use the Chinese version of Windows 98, Chinese characters and all. It's a good thing that the bar also provides free Wi-fi - how I wish that I had my own laptop here.
Our rooms are adequate for our purposes - we're here to observe an eclipse, not sleep. UP AstroSoc's Shanghai eclipse team is spread across five different rooms, from 6-bed dorms to 3-bed suites. The rooms have soft beds, air conditioning, and television sets, although one would have to make do with Chinese cable TV - no CNN or Discovery Channel or HBO here.
We'll be making our first trip outside into the city tomorrow morning. I should get some sleep if I want to see the sights.
The magnetic levitation (maglev) train to the city was already closed when we arrived. I had wanted to ride into Shanghai on the fastest passenger train in the world - the 30 kilometer trip would have taken just seven minutes - but due to the very late hour we had to settle for a taxi.
We were soon on our way. The ride into the city was quick and painless. We rarely went below 80 kilometers per hour on the smooth highway. This was very different from highways in the Philippines, where going over 60 over unevenly paved roads is a rare treat. Our drive on the Outer Ring Highway took a little less than an hour, and we soon entered the city through the Lupu Bridge.
From the bridge it took us only a few more minutes to reach our residence for the next five days. The Blue Mountain Youth Hostel is located near the Huangpu River, just off Luban Road. It's in a quiet part of Shanghai, quite far away from the busy parts of the ciy. However, the proximity of Luban Lu Metro Station makes the major tourist attractions of Shanghai - like People's Square and the Bund - just a short subway ride away.
The hostel itself is two floors above street level. A steep staircase leads to the lobby and check in counter, opposite of which is a wall covered in hundreds of pictures of Shanghai. The lobby leads to a bar/library/computer center. Food and drinks are available at affordable prices - a breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, a banana, and juice costs only 20 yuan - and books about Shanghai line the shelves. Three computers are available for use free of charge; the only
challenge in using them is in figuring out how to use the Chinese version of Windows 98, Chinese characters and all. It's a good thing that the bar also provides free Wi-fi - how I wish that I had my own laptop here.
Our rooms are adequate for our purposes - we're here to observe an eclipse, not sleep. UP AstroSoc's Shanghai eclipse team is spread across five different rooms, from 6-bed dorms to 3-bed suites. The rooms have soft beds, air conditioning, and television sets, although one would have to make do with Chinese cable TV - no CNN or Discovery Channel or HBO here.
We'll be making our first trip outside into the city tomorrow morning. I should get some sleep if I want to see the sights.
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