GUS GUIDE : First-Time Shanghai

Having been to Shanghai more times than i care to count, i henceforth proclaim myself as an "old China hand" and will proceed to give pointers to first-time visitors on how to survive this mega-metropolis.

The city of Shanghai is divided into two parts by the Huangpu River: Puxi (west, i.e. the "old" side) and Pudong (east, i.e. the "new" side). Most of the restaurants, museums and tourist spots are in Puxi, and i find this side to be quite charming. Meanwhile, Pudong is more of modern, high-rise buildings and industrial areas - rather blah, in my opinion. Keep this in mind, dear reader!

Here's a photo of the Puxi side waterfront: (Photo credit: Rebekah Pothaar)




1. Location is everything.

For first-time visitors, it is generally best to stay at a hotel close to the tourist spots. In Puxi, this generally means somewhere along Nanjing Road, with its (over-rated) pedestrian stretch. Good picks would be Howard Johnson, and Central Hotel.

In Pudong, this would be anywhere close to the Lujiazui financial district. This is an extremely expensive part of town to be in, though. A good bet would be Eton Hotel.

When booking accommodations online, do try to find out where exactly your hotel is! If the hotel blurb says something like, "only 20 minutes away from the airport", etc., rest assured this hotel is FAR, FAR AWAY from every tourist spot in Shanghai!!! (Pudong international airport is at least an hour away from the city centre, that's why)

Better to choose a hotel which is accessible or near the extensive Shanghai Metro lines.

2. Taxi drivers = NO Engrrish!

I can say with absolute certainty that 99.9999% of Shanghainese cab drivers do not speak nor understand a word of English. As for the remaining 0.0001%, well, they've gone off to become tourist guides. Ha ha (lame pun).

Before setting out, get the hotel concierge to write down the names of your destinations in Chinese characters, so you just show it to the taxi drivers. Also, get a small card with your hotel name and address written in both English and Chinese characters; otherwise, jabbering "Holiday Inn" or other hotel name in English to the cabbie will never get you anywhere.

One last thing, wait for the taxi receipt ("fa piao"). The cabbies are generally scrupulous about giving it (and your change) to you.

3. Dining

One touristy destination would be Xintiandi at Puxi side, literally meaning "Heaven on Earth", basically a shopping mall-cum-restaurant/live band complex for foreign visitors who prefer to stay in their comfort zones.

What makes this place interesting is the old "Shikumen"-style architecture, prevalent in Shanghai during the mid-19th century, which the developers retained.

In case someone mentions the Cool Docks ("Lao Ma Tou" in Chinese), forget it. This place is a third-rate, trying hard copycat of Xintiandi, and is quite inaccessible by public transport. And as the bubbly Sasha of Shanghai Novice told me, it's not a happening place at all.

4. Choose your view wisely.

Check out this photo of the Pudong skyline: (Photo credit: Rebekah Pothaar)

Standing front and center is the Oriental TV Tower, a standard stop of all tour group packages.
It boasts of a 360 degree view of the Shanghai skyline, especially lovely at night.

However, I'd much prefer the Shanghai World Financial Center (that tall building with a rectangular-shaped hole, sort of like a bottle-cap opener, slightly on the left side on the photo). Not only is it much less crowded, it makes for a much SCARIER experience.

Why? The SWFC has 3 different observatory decks on the 94th, 97th and 100th floors. Try the "Sky Walk" on the 100th floor, with its transparent, glass-walled walkways, and i guarantee you will pee in your pants.





5. Take a walk

For a more in-depth experience, join a local walking tour with Newman Tours. Interesting choices include their tour of the French Concession area in Puxi, the Bund; and even a Gangster tour, with Cops vs. Robbers shooting competition afterwards!

6. Get pampered

All this touring around will take its toll on your feet, and you'd be glad to know that surprisingly, Shanghai offers a bevy of day spas for relaxation. They're mostly in Puxi side, on/around the French Concession area.

Good choices include chains like Green Massage, Dragonfly; and stand-alone places like Apsara. I particularly recommend Peony Aroma Spa on Dagu Road, Jingan District. Lovely place, old-world ambiance and excellent massages to be had here!

7. Try the Maglev.

On the way to the airport, try the Maglev train (or in Communist Party-speak, "Shanghai Magnetic Levitation Demonstration Operation Line". Whew!)

This is supposedly the only commercial train line using magnetic levitation technology in the world right now. It connects the Shanghai Metro (Longyang Road station) to the Pudong International Airport. Despite topping out at around 400 km/hour, the ride is extremely smooth and the outside view doesn't pass by like a blur.

Tip: Show your passport and plane ticket to the person manning the Maglev ticket booth, and you get a RMB10.00 discount off the regular fare of RMB50.00.


So, dear reader (and first-time Shanghai visitor), have fun! Don't get Shanghai-d in Shanghai! :D

GUS GUIDE: First-Time LONDON

Before we start on our mini-guide for London (incidentally, my favorite part of the trip), i've noticed that most tourists tend to use the terms Great Britain, England and United Kingdom interchangeably. Whilst no harm is normally done, it is technically incorrect.

So, let us attempt to set the matter straight:

"United Kingdom" refers to the union of four separate countries, namely: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland (the other parts of Ireland are independent).

"Great Britain" refers to only England, Wales and Scotland. (Thus, the full official name of the UK is "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland")

"England" is the largest country in the United Kingdom, and its capital is London. So, beware! England may be part of the United Kingdom, but not everyone in Great Britain or the United Kingdom is English!

Anyway, onwards to the must-sees and must-dos in London!

1. Do enter the historic buildings.

By all means, take one of those half-day or full-day city bus sightseeing tours that promise to bring you to the House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (where Will married Kate), St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London (where the Crown Jewels are kept), Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Royal Albert Hall, etc. all in one go.





But do come back and go inside the places that actually interested or intrigued you, rather than just being content with photos of yourself with these historic buildings in the background.

2. Take a walk with London Walks.

A guided walking tour is the perfect way to get more in-depth commentary (and gossip) about your specific interests, and meeting fellow tourists.

London Walks operates tours on every day of the year (including Christmas); typically costs less than ten British pounds per person; and best of all, there's no need to reserve ahead of time. You just show up!

Their walks run the whole gamut, from movies (Harry Potter location spots) to music (Beatles Magical Mystery) to history to crime (Jack the Ripper) to haunted and hidden places in London, etc. So, if none of their walks interest you. . .well, you're probably not interesting.

3. Take a cab, just for the heck of it.

In my humble opinion, the London Underground / Metro / Tube is one of the most extensive and convenient in the world; and the bus system is pretty good, too.





So, why take a cab? Well, these black taxis really look cool in a retro sort of way. And the cab drivers have to pass a special test, called "The Knowledge" (sounds quite grand and impressive, doesn't it? :D), before they are allowed to get behind the wheel. Generally, it takes two to four years of study before one can take and pass the exam!

4. Notting Hill isn't for everyone.

If you love antiques, go ahead and visit Notting Hill on a weekday.

If you love markets and bargaining for antiques and other stuff, go on a Saturday morning and you'll enjoy the Portobello Road market.

But if you're a casual movie fan who was charmed by the movie "Notting Hill", starring Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, be prepared to be disappointed. VERY disappointed.

Why? Well, the travel bookshop owned by Hugh Grant has been sold, and is now closed. And the house with the blue door, where he lived? It's just a door, not a real house; and the door ain't blue anymore (it has been painted black).

In short, don't bother.

5. Brush up on your English.

But the English speak English, you might protest. True, but there are differences in word usage. It's a "bin", not a trash can; a "lift", not an elevator; a "loo", not a toilet or (God forbid) CR; a "flat", instead of apartment; "fags" (!!!) instead of cigarettes, and so on.

And don't ever ever ever refer to "football" as soccer.

GUS GUIDE: First-Time AMSTERDAM

Before anything else, did you know that "Holland" and "The Netherlands" are not one and the same? Surprising, huh? According to Archimon.nl (where i also got the map below), "Holland" is the former name for part of what is now known as "The Netherlands". The black part of this map is the current Holland, the rest of the map is not. Holland these days constitutes two out of a total of twelve provinces that make up The Netherlands.




Check out World Atlas for a more detailed explanation.

Of course, for tourists, it really doesn't matter so much; and we'll leave the technicalities to the locals and go our merry way.

1. Everyone speaks anglais.

You will be relieved to know that unlike the dear French, the locals in Amsterdam are all capable (and willing) of speaking English. In fact, they take pride in their ability to do so.

Knowing basic greetings in Dutch (especially if you are staying or going out with Dutch friends) is welcome, but not really essential.

2. Canal cruise is a crushing bore. Walk instead.

Most of the tourist attractions in Central Amsterdam are walking distance of each other, albeit a long walk at times.

A typical canal cruise lasts for an hour, with recorded commentary on board ("To your left is. . . .") which can be boring after the first ten minutes or so.

Whilst the house architecture is indeed lovely, it is a better use of time to walk and explore around on foot.

3. Visit the Anne Frank House. Visit the Anne Frank House. Visit the Anne Frank House.

For me, this is the one absolute must. Why? Simply because the evil that prematurely cut short the lives of Anne Frank and other Jews is still present in our world, and we must remember and never let it happen again.

4. There's a reason why it's called RED Light District.

Go ahead, and gawk, ogle, stare and salivate all you want over the girls at Amsterdam's infamous Red Light District. For the uninitiated, the girls rent these windows or glass doors per day, and attract customers by standing in various states of déshabillément.

The RLD is a safe place, even at night, mainly due to the sheer number of people curiously milling around and taking in the sights. Japanese tour groups (with the leader waving a small flag), present!

Should you desire to sample the goods, as it were, do steer clear of windows lit with blue lights. Why? Errr. . .i will quote from Amsterdam Advisor: "To indicate they [girls] aren't technically women, or born as such. They are transgenders, travestites. . ."

Caveat emptor, indeed!! :D

5. A coffee shop is not a coffee house, nor a cafe.

"Coffee shops" are places where anyone over the age of 18 can buy weed/hash/cannabis/marijuana, and smoke it right on the premises.

If you're not into smoking, there are "space cakes" (food products, such as muffins, brownies, etc., that have cannabis as an ingredient) available. Be aware, though, that these are 3-5X more potent that smoking marijuana, so you might get 'high' and hallucinate.

When in doubt, don't.