He Said:

We ran into JP and his daughter, Vicky, about two minutes after grabbing our last bag from the luggage belt . After a bum rush at the elevator door, our first experience with the Chinese way of no lines or queuing order, we hopped in the van driven by our Shanghai chauffeur, Wushifu, and we were off.

The highway was immaculate. No trash or weeds on the side of the road. No graffiti. No accumulating gravel or accident remnants on the shoulder. Lights everywhere. Even small flashing ones to signify where the lane ends and the shoulder begins. The drivers, on the other hand, are much less orderly in the traditional sense.

Carolina and their son, Tomas, were waiting for us at The Kerry in Pudong. The Kerry is attached to a big mall, something quite prevalent in China. Maybe it's the convenience of having so many options in one place. Maybe it's shelter from the polluted air. Maybe it's all of the above and more.

The malls are filled with great restaurants, though. No Panda Express food courts here. We settled into a booth at one of the Chinese restaurants (yes, there were other options like Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, etc .), we ordered Tsing Tao ping-da (cold beer, sp?), and pointed to a bunch of pictures on the menu we wanted to try – Chinese winter melon, stewed bullfrog, garlic scallops, and others. It was time for bed after a couple of beers at the microbrewery downstairs.

It gets light early here. All of China is on the same time despite the fact the country is so large. The only time zone is aligned with Beijing, so in the eastern regions of the country, the sun comes up quick. Add this to the fact we were all experiencing jet lag, and it led to an early morning. I think all three of us were awake before 4:30.

That morning started off slow. We let the three kids play in the massive play area attached to The Kerry, and then we took a long nap. The touring part of the day began around 3:30, when Wushifu came to pick us up in the van. We drove further into Pudong, and the buildings started to rise.

Pudong is the more modern, financial part of Shanghai . Most of the famous skyscrapers are located in this section, which was literally flat and basically empty until the last decade or so. Imagine the entire borough of Manhattan constructed in roughly 20 years. We walked along this sleek and futuristic elevated walkway with views of the city’s newest and most incredible architecture. It was like being in Tomorrowland.

One of the crown jewels of the Shanghai skyline, and probably its most iconic structure, is the Pearl Tower. The Pearl Tower was completed in 1994, was the tallest building in China until seven years ago, and functions as a TV antenna for CCTV. With two strollers, we were rushed into a different line past all the other people who were waiting to get on the elevators. Within 20 minutes of buying our tickets, we were at the observation deck overlooking the entire city. With three western kids and one stroller that has a spot for two kids (this is a rarity because of the single-child policies), we received a lot of attention, thus beginning our many experiences of people taking pictures of or with our kids . The views were spectacular, but a lot of the attention was focused on Sebastian, Vicky, and Tomas.

When we walked out of the Shanghai History Museum underneath the tower, the light show was in full effect. Pan-Asian music cut through the sticky air, and the colors shifted from blue to green to purple to red and back to blue. We met up with JP, and walked along the river looking at the illuminated buildings of The Bund and the river cruises on the Huangpu. Not seeing a suitable restaurant, we wound up at a nearby dumpling place called Din Tai Fung. I cannot even begin to say how good they were. The dumplings were perfect, and the wontons had the texture of silk. We ordered some with hairy crab, a local delicacy known for being some the sweetest crab meat in the world.

The next day we headed for Nanshi, or the Old Town. After being dropped off at an intersection with traditional Chinese architecture, the first of the trip, we almost immediately ran into an English-speaking local wearing a White Castle hat . He walked us through the narrow alleyways of food stalls and vendors and fake Rolex watches until we made our way to Yuyuan Gardens.

The gardens are one of Shanghai’s premier escapes from modernity, though the curving rooflines still frame vistas of towering skyscrapers. Founded in the mid 1500’s, the classical gardens are an example of Ming-dynasty design and contain alcoves, doorways, carp ponds, and a series of pavilions that make the gardens seem much larger than they actually are.

After Yuyaun Gardens we went to the Temple of the Town God and dropped in on the other Taoist gods including the God of Literature. From there we walked down Old Street, known for its vendors and Mao-era keepsakes. And we finished our Old Town visit with a trip to the Huxinting Teahouse, which is historic and one of the most famous teahouses in all of China. The building sits in the middle of a small pond, and the zigzags in the approaching bridges are designed to prevent evil spirits, who can only travel in straight lines .

After Nanshi, we headed to a river cruise along the Huangpu with great views of both The Bund and Pudong – classic art deco on one side, modern skyscrapers on the other. We saw tattered barges heading both to and from the far western regions of China, some riding high in the water, some riding low. Finally, we strolled along The Bund.

Shanghai has a history filled with colonial powers, from the British to the French. The Bund is the architectural representation of this period. Basically, a curve in the river is lined with old, historical architecture from this period. They used to be foreign banks, then government buildings, and now they are banks again. This was the Wall Street of China and also happens to be its most famous promenade. It’s a place to see and be seen. And when you’re a group of westerners with kids, a stroll along The Bund makes you feel like David Beckham or Bono or some other famous celebrity. Everyone stares, and everyone takes pictures of you .

Other General Observations - They have a touchpad at the customs agent’s desk to rate your satisfaction with his/her service. The airport has free luggage carts. All the cabs are older model Volkswagens.

Sebastian Said:

Pearl Tower - Go up up up. Inside big ball. Take a picture.
Shanghai History Museum Wax Figures - Go find baby chicken.
Yuyuan Gardens - Feed fishies. More turtles.

She Said:

Having never traveled across the International Date Line, I wasn't prepared for the feeling of vertigo I felt on the first night or the serious jet lag we experienced. Carolina was already well versed in helping visitors through this and helped us plan our first day to try and get Sebastian (and us) adjusted. Poor little man’s circadian rhythm was rocked, and he was up and ready to party at 3:30 am . Somehow we kept him tame until the other kids woke up and started our day.

We are essentially staying at a huge hotel in our friends’ corporate apartment, which is attached to a mall, pool, spa, play area, and restaurants - basically a little city in a big city. When Chad opened the blinds the first morning, we got our first view of Shanghai from the 12^th floor, and it was amazing. I was officially excited and ready to explore.
 
Sidebar on heat, humidity, and air pollution: Growing up in Florida didn't even begin to prepare me for the oppressive heat that is China in the summer. There are good and bad days with air quality, so when in China, you plan your days with both things in mind. Today was about a thousand degrees, but the air quality index was a mere 48 (supposedly anything below 150 is "ok").

We started at a massive play area in the hotel building, which Sebastian absolutely loved. He ran around like a crazy man and went down a huge slide on some kind of burlap rug while sitting on our laps . I was chomping at the bit to get out and see stuff, but in the spirit of helping Seb adapt, I sucked it up at this Gymboree-like play area on steroids for a few hours.

Our hope was for an early nap and then head to the Pearl Tower (Shanghai icon) given the clear, less polluted day. Three hours later, we had to be woken up to begin touring. While in Shanghai, JP and Carolina have a driver since they are not allowed to drive. This is amazing for many obvious reasons, but the fascinating part is that he speaks no English, and they do not speak Mandarin. Communication on pick up times and locations happens between iPhones, iPads, translators, and pictures. It's pretty fun to watch, especially when it works!  

I was amazed at the modern and well manicured look of Shanghai on our first ride through the city. I expected it to feel like NY, but the only vibe I think we both got was Disney World’s Tomorrowland. We headed to the Pearl Tower to walk around and ride to the top for sweeping views of the city . This is where bizarro world began.  

I had read about the Chinese having an affinity for tourists and wanting to take their photos, but nothing can prepare you for the real thing. Men, woman, and children all stopped to look at and pose with Sebastian. Photo after photo, people treated him like he was a movie star. They pulled out their iPads, iPhones, and cameras and asked (sometimes just tried to grab him) to photograph him. He was totally freaked out by this, especially the ones that wanted to touch his hair and face (which I threw elbows to avoid). He clung to me for dear life, and we fought our way through crowds to get to the top of the tower.

The only thing crazier to me than strangers taking his photo was the looks Carolina got with her double stroller. People were in awe of this and stopped left and right to check it out like she was pushing a Porsche. You will not find two kids per family here very often, hence, the strange looks at this contraption that is a double stroller .

It was hotter than hell, and I realized that Sebastian has never been in weather like this before. He was dripping with sweat like the rest of us, but also kinda confused by the water ("raining mommy"?). Maneuvering through the crowds that culturally have no regard for personal space or waiting their turn felt like being on the 7 train to Flushing all over again! But, despite the heat, pushy crowds, and exploitation of my child, I loved every minute. After a quick run through the museum downstairs, we met up with JP for some dinner. We walked the river, which felt kinda like a boardwalk, and found an awesome dumpling restaurant.

The next day, we slept until 6 am but Sebastian slept until 8! I was praying that this meant we were through the jet lag. Another full touring day was on the agenda, our hostess and travel guide extraordinaire took us to a different part of town surrounding Yuyuan, the Old Town. After a short walk through what felt very much like Mott street in Chinatown NY, our first stop was the Yuyuan gardens .

Gardens in China would be exactly how I'd like to set up my garden if I had one. Not just fruits, flowers, or veggies, but areas for vegetation, meditation, well manicured plants, different types of trees, etc. Sebastian loved climbing up the rocks, feeding the fish, and looking for Buddhas. We found an air conditioned place to eat for lunch and continued on our journey through this aromatic, crowded, over stimulating space. We stopped at a beautiful teahouse, and after clinking glasses with Victoria, Sebastian tried rose and green tea.

Next stop, a walk on The Bund and river boat tour. The river boat was a simple ride on the river but a nice way to see Shanghai architecture. The walk on The Bund allowed both boys to take a snooze in the stroller, despite the typhoon winds! We completed our marathon touring day with a nice Thai dinner and happily showered from an entire days worth of shvitzing!