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There’s Still a Bit of Old China Left in Glitzy New Shanghai
Blog: Hole In The Donut - 20 September 2010
Shanghai has a scintillating skyline, a thriving economy verging on capitalism, and a nouveau-riche citizenry that dresses in the most fashionable attire and owns the latest electronic gadgets, but to a large degree it has lost its Chinese soul. Except for the thousands of Chinese who choke its streets and sidewalks, Shanghai could be a [...]
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Taking the Overnight Bullet Train to Shanghai
Blog: Hole In The Donut - 18 September 2010
Though my original plans called for me to take the night train from Shanghai to Beijing to meet up with my cousins in preparation for sleeping on the Great Wall of China, it was just not meant to be. For two days I schlepped back and forth between my hostel and three different train station [...]
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How to Not Be Disappointed at the 2010 World Expo
Blog: Living the Dream: RTW - 15 September 2010
There are a few certainties within the world of travel when it comes to site seeing. The most common of which is that the least anticipated sites will end up being a favorite while the top ones tend to fall a bit short. After reading dozens upon dozens of reviews of the World Expo 2010
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China First Impressions - What Communism?
Blog: Living the Dream: RTW - 14 September 2010
China is a beast into itself. Over one billion people in the country is something I just can't comprehend. That is four Chinese persons for every one America, confined to a slightly smaller land area. It is a bit chaotic to think that the first city on my tour of the country (Sha
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Osaka to Shanghai on the Su Zhou Hao Ferry
Blog: Living the Dream: RTW - 13 September 2010
I can't say that I am much of one for slow travel. I get impatient and anxious if I am in a city for more than a just few days. This is partly because I would rather pack more in my travel allotment, accounting for time and money, then spending more time at one particular spot.
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World Expo 2010, Shanghai, China — Quick View and Photos
Blog: Travel China and the World - 13 September 2010
On a recent trip to Shanghai, I had the opportunity to spend a brief amount of time visiting the World Expo 2010. Prior to going to the Expo, I must admit, I had tons of reservations — I am not much of a big crowds guy, so was not really enthusiastic about hitting the [...]
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favorite world expo pavilions
Blog: The Road Forks - 7 September 2010
surprising beauty World Expo 2010 statue
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Getting Around the Great Firewall and Other Frustrations in China
Blog: Hole In The Donut - 6 September 2010
The “Sleeping Dragon” is wide awake and on the alert. After settling in to my hostel in Shanghai, I tried to connect to my blog. The connection was abysmally slow, but it was infinitely better than the connections to Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, which were nonexistent. To my chagrin, I soon discovered that China has [...]
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Move Over Times Square – Shanghai Is Entering, Stage Left
Blog: Hole In The Donut - 3 September 2010
I should have gone right to bed when I arrived at the hostel in Shanghai, China late yesterday afternoon. During the week prior to my departure I’d had a total of perhaps 20 hours of sleep; in the final three days, only four hours. So much remained to be done and I was running out [...]
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how to do world expo 2010
Blog: The Road Forks - 3 September 2010
in shanghai World Expo 2010 slogan
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Lonely Planet Shanghai Updates (August 2010)
Blog: Christopher Pitts - 19 August 2010
When I first visited Shanghai 15 years ago, I was not impressed. It was, in fact, my least favorite part of China. As one friend said, aptly summing up the sentiments of many foreign students at the time, “Shanghai can eat my shorts.” But since then, things have improved exponentially. I sympathize with those who [...]
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Review: First-time in Meilong Holiday Inn Express
Blog: First-time Traveler - 28 July 2010
Shanghai, being a metropolitan city, is not always a cheap place to visit. If you know how to strike a bargain, then you’d probably hit a gold mine. That’s what happened to our accommodations. We stayed in a hotel with services that made us extra comfortable, yet got a discounted rate. Meilong Holiday Inn Express [...]
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First-time in the Shanghai World Expo 2010
Blog: First-time Traveler - 26 July 2010
As we touched down at Pudong International Airport in Shanghai, everything was World Expo mode. Even the expressways had special directional signs to the expo site. We were fortunate to have our visit timed during the World Expo, an internationally registered event (major expo) which happens every five years only and the venue held in [...]
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First-time in Shanghai
Blog: First-time Traveler - 26 July 2010
If you want to see the more modern face of China, Shanghai is the place to be. Everything seems to be on a rush in this metropolis. So, all we did was go with the flow of human traffic until our feet led us to the many highlights of Shanghai. Sightseeing Despite its modern structures, [...]
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Top Ten World Expo Pavilions
Blog: Christopher Pitts - 29 June 2010
Thinking about heading to the Expo? You’ve probably heard by now that some of the lines are really, really long. If you want to make the most of your time and avoid the waits, here are ten pavilions you shouldn’t miss. (Sampled on a Wednesday afternoon and Sunday night.) For more Expo tips, click here. [...]
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Lenscape #10
Blog: Our Travelations - 14 June 2010
Xi Tang is a small water town that has nine rivers that snake around and overlap each other. It is in Zhejiang province, just a couple of hours away from the busy and cosmopolitan Shanghai. Here you will find old-styled crafted stone bridges that link the different parts of the town. People use the waters [...]
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Shalom in Shanghai
Blog: GreenAroundTheGlobe - 3 June 2010
Hello! The Chinese man at the ticket counter greets us in English. Two, please. OK. Can I ask, are you Jewish? I am, I reply. Shalom! A huge grin comes across the man’s face.
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Top 5 Safety Tips Americans and other Westerners need to know NOW before traveling to a third world country.
Blog: Backpacking on the Cheap - 13 May 2010
When traveling / backpacking, it is important to note that not all third world countries have the same dangers to watch out for, but here are some that apply to most. 5) PROTECTING YOUR PERSONAL BOUNDARIES Severe poverty can bring out real desperation in people, which means that in the poorer countries, people will push [...]
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Things to Do in Shanghai with Kids
Blog: Ciao Bambino! - 11 May 2010
For some parents, visiting a big city causes big worries. I look at it just the opposite. Big cities mean there’s a bigger chance your family will have a great time. An added bonus, regardless of the where, language is rarely a barrier in big cities, making places like Shanghai a great family travel adventure. When you travel to China from the US, chances are your flight will bring you in or out of Beijing or Shanghai.
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Lonely Planet Shanghai Updates (May 2010)
Blog: Christopher Pitts - 2 May 2010
The World Expo officially kicked off on May 1st, and with its opening comes even more changes to the city that can’t sit still. In addition to the official website, you can also check out a few other sites. For an interactive map that includes a pavilion browser, go to http://expo.shanghaidaily.com. The blog Shanghai Expo [...]
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Shanghai to Hangzhou
Blog: Orn's travel blog - South-East Asia and China - 22 April 2010
We spend the last days in Shanghai just wandering around the city center, checking out the stores in the French Concession and the skyline of the Bund. We didn’t really do much in Shanghai in the sense of seeing places – more just went with the flow, which was a very nice change. The only [...]
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Not Shanghaied yet
Blog: Orn's travel blog - South-East Asia and China - 18 April 2010
Shanghai is China’s largest city and and the largest city proper in the world with a population of over twenty million. We’ve been in Shanghai now for two days and the difference from Beijing and Xi’an is obvious. The city is ultra modern, international and slick with huge skyscrapers towering the streets everywhere you look. [...]
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Lonely Planet Shanghai Updates (April 2010)
Blog: Christopher Pitts - 6 April 2010
New Of course the big news this month is the reopening of the Bund after some three years of construction dust and jackhammering. Most traffic has been diverted underground, though there are still five lanes in use. Also new is Hongqiao Airport’s Terminal 2 (where most carriers are now based – primarily domestic flights), and with it [...]
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Two Days on the Sea of Japan
Blog: To China... and Beyond! - 9 March 2010
This is the second of three posts on traveling in Japan on a budget. Yesterday, I wrote about the overall costs of a Japan trip.
