By the time my leave application was approved (it was a very long and tedious process), the China Eastern flight times I wanted was no longer available. Luckily, Ron had enough Krisflyer miles and was generous to give them to me (and Tim) as a belated prezzie. Thanks a bunch, Ron!
So I booked the SQ airtix on Tues evening and flew to Shanghai two nights later. Chop chop curry pok lei....
Since I have never been to Shanghai and had heard so much about the Maglev, I decided to try it instead of taking the cab to Hilton where Tim was staying.
The Maglev took just 7 mins to travel from the Pudong Airport to Longyang Subway at a max speed of 300 mph. At the Longyang Subway, I squeezed with the morning working crowd to take Metro Line 2 to Jin'an Temple and then walked for about 10 mins before turning up at Tim's room at 8am, just before his alarm clock went off. I can still rem how happy he was to see me standing at his door.
Tim had to work that Friday, so after having lunch with him and his colleague at a Hunan restaurant, I went off by myself on my little quest around Pu Xi.
My sis told me that Nan Jing Bu Xing Jie is a shopping district I should visit and Ais informed me that it is along Nan Jing Xi Lu. After checking the map, I figured it wasn't too far from the restaurant so I decided to walk instead of "da di" (taking a cab). After walking for about an hour along Nan Jing Xi Lu, I still did not see the Nan Jing Bu Xing Jie sign that my sis took photo with (apparently that sign is along Nan Jing DONG Lu which is two subway stations away!). Feeling tired, I then decided to look for the Spa that Wen recommended which was supposedly near the intersection of Shi Meng Yi Lu and Da Gu Lu. After about half an hour, I finally found the place and enjoyed a full body massage and foot reflexology for just RMB 150 (equivalent to approximately S$35).
By the time I finished the massage, it was already 515pm. Ais told me to meet him at Huai Hai Lu and Song Shan Lu and I should take a cab along Da Gu Lu, a one way street. Two cabbies refused to pick me up. Apparently to go to Huai Hai Lu, the cab had to make a big detour and it would take forever just to make the detour as the traffic was just too crazy at that time. I was told to go to the big road perpendicular to Da Gu Lu to take a cab instead. When I walked to that road, I realized it was almost impossible to get a cab because the traffic was just too heavy and no cab would stop. With no empty cab in sight, I decided to walk toward Tim's office (approximately one and a half hr away), hoping that I might be able to get a cab if I walked far enough from the big roads. With the map in hand, I found my bearings and managed to walk in the right direction toward his office.
I am so proud of myself! Never have I travelled alone by myself in a foreign land before. Granted, I had gone on work trips alone before in the US but I would usually take a cab. And whenever I go on self-drive trips with Tim, he will do all the planning, driving and map reading. I would just sleep. So technically, I have always gone on "packaged" tours instead of free and easy ones.
Who says Women can't Read Maps? And no Tim, I am not going to do the planning for our next trip, wherever it may be.
