Glittering Shanghai Nights
Just got into Shanghai a couple days ago, and we have to say, it's definitely one of the most cosmopolitan cities either of us has been in. Dirk says, "Beijing is to Washington, DC as Shanghai is to Manhattan." The people are heartbreakingly skinny and beautiful and chic. There go any of my plans to get a fabulous new wardrobe here...
Last night we decided to take a night out on the town, something that we haven't really been able to do, what with the day-long excursions to Tianenmen Square, various temples, and hiking trips we've been on--mostly, we'd get to the hotel and collapse in bed by 8:30. First, we dolled up. Dirk was wearing a very handsome blazer and I put on a low-cut black cocktail dress with my sparkly, sparkly Indian flats (thank you, Candyce!). On the way down to the lobby, we picked up an older Chinese man who could simply not stop staring. Awkward.
We walked down the Bund, which is the stretch of land right on the Huangpu River with all the crazy skyscrapers I'm sure every one of you has seen, alongside gorgeous classical buildings over a century old. We decided to take a river cruise, and got onto a ship with two large golden dragons on the bow and lights strung all over it. For an hour, we drank "Hella" lagers (eliciting stares from the locals, who apparently could not conceive of a girl matching her dinner companion drink for drink) and gazed at the skyline from the water. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen..
After getting off the boat, we decided to trek on over to the Peace Hotel, one of the buildings we noticed on our cruise. The rooftop deck was incredible, with even better views than could be seen on the water. Our waiters had bowties and cumberbunds! As much as we loved being in the rural areas, this was definitely a nice change of pace, to be sipping sidecars in China's biggest city among the beautiful elite.
Today we are back in our walking clothes, ready to hit "Old Town", an area where the traditional architecture has been preserved. Moving away from bowing servants on glittering rooftops, we'll be back on street level with the bickering hawkers and pushy salesmen. Just where we like to be :)
Last night we decided to take a night out on the town, something that we haven't really been able to do, what with the day-long excursions to Tianenmen Square, various temples, and hiking trips we've been on--mostly, we'd get to the hotel and collapse in bed by 8:30. First, we dolled up. Dirk was wearing a very handsome blazer and I put on a low-cut black cocktail dress with my sparkly, sparkly Indian flats (thank you, Candyce!). On the way down to the lobby, we picked up an older Chinese man who could simply not stop staring. Awkward.
We walked down the Bund, which is the stretch of land right on the Huangpu River with all the crazy skyscrapers I'm sure every one of you has seen, alongside gorgeous classical buildings over a century old. We decided to take a river cruise, and got onto a ship with two large golden dragons on the bow and lights strung all over it. For an hour, we drank "Hella" lagers (eliciting stares from the locals, who apparently could not conceive of a girl matching her dinner companion drink for drink) and gazed at the skyline from the water. One of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen..
After getting off the boat, we decided to trek on over to the Peace Hotel, one of the buildings we noticed on our cruise. The rooftop deck was incredible, with even better views than could be seen on the water. Our waiters had bowties and cumberbunds! As much as we loved being in the rural areas, this was definitely a nice change of pace, to be sipping sidecars in China's biggest city among the beautiful elite.
Today we are back in our walking clothes, ready to hit "Old Town", an area where the traditional architecture has been preserved. Moving away from bowing servants on glittering rooftops, we'll be back on street level with the bickering hawkers and pushy salesmen. Just where we like to be :)