Post 1: Arrival in Shanghai
The24 hour race to Shanghai has ended. Not surprisingly, I wasn’t ready (it was a combo between overworking myself, and work travel that kept me from focusing on preparations for China), but Deana had put together a nice packet of our info from flights to hotels-complete with maps. I usually do this in my little moleskin book, but it still sits devoid of any markings, paste-ins or stickers. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that, already jet lagged and travel weary on the 11ish hour flight, I pulled out the travel guide to see just how we were going to find our first hotel.
There’s a Maglev train that goes 430km/hr which I really wanted to ride, but varying reports including the guide book said it closed at: 5:30, 9 and/or 11pm. Option 2 which looked more and more unappetizing the sleepier I got (I pictured the “drunk bus” in Pompeii and having courteous Italians waking me up for my stop). I hated the idea of taking a taxi (I usually do internationally as I’m sure I’m paying too much about 90% of the time), but as we landed in Shanghai and got our bags, it was already passed 11pm (inconveniently also the time the taxi rates add a 10% surcharge which may or may not be like the “convenience” surcharge that Ticketmaster charges for using them.) Guess which option we ended up with.
So yeah, I might add here that (so far) getting through the airports has been easy as there have been people from the airlines with signs and English walking us through quarantine, immigration, and customs (fill out some forms, turn them in and you’re done).
So with passports stamps, packs collected and loaded, ATMs conquered, we stepped out side saw the taxi line and were swarmed by “private” taxis offering better prices than the taxis. Luckily I had just read my guidebook which spoke of a 140yuan ride into the center of town which we didn’t have to do, had a map of Shanghai or plotted where we needed to go (something I admit to needing to have done long ago).
“How much?” I asked.
“Real cheap. 250.”
Divide by 6 to get US dollars for the fun of it. Scornful look. “No.” I walk toward the taxi line. I didn’t even get one step away.
“Okay 200.”
Kept walking. “No.”
“Okay, how much?”
“140.”
“Okay you pay meter prices.”
Since this was an official taxi price we were bargaining for, I said, “We’ll take a taxi.”
“Taxi has surcharge. You pay K price” (I never understood what the K price was, but assume it got lost in translation.)
I had forgotten about the 10% surcharge and there was a chance we had to take 2 taxis, but I doubted it. I made the mistake of looking at my watch. It was 11:02-the surcharge had started. She saw my hesitation and pounced.
“Okay, 180.”
“Okay.” Although I know we paid more than we should’ve, she was satisfied and I was mostly satisfied, so it true haggling fashion, it was a good bargain.
We followed her into the parking garage where she used her cell phone and a car raced up, loaded our bags and we were off into the muggy Shanghai night.
There’s a Maglev train that goes 430km/hr which I really wanted to ride, but varying reports including the guide book said it closed at: 5:30, 9 and/or 11pm. Option 2 which looked more and more unappetizing the sleepier I got (I pictured the “drunk bus” in Pompeii and having courteous Italians waking me up for my stop). I hated the idea of taking a taxi (I usually do internationally as I’m sure I’m paying too much about 90% of the time), but as we landed in Shanghai and got our bags, it was already passed 11pm (inconveniently also the time the taxi rates add a 10% surcharge which may or may not be like the “convenience” surcharge that Ticketmaster charges for using them.) Guess which option we ended up with.
So yeah, I might add here that (so far) getting through the airports has been easy as there have been people from the airlines with signs and English walking us through quarantine, immigration, and customs (fill out some forms, turn them in and you’re done).
So with passports stamps, packs collected and loaded, ATMs conquered, we stepped out side saw the taxi line and were swarmed by “private” taxis offering better prices than the taxis. Luckily I had just read my guidebook which spoke of a 140yuan ride into the center of town which we didn’t have to do, had a map of Shanghai or plotted where we needed to go (something I admit to needing to have done long ago).
“How much?” I asked.
“Real cheap. 250.”
Divide by 6 to get US dollars for the fun of it. Scornful look. “No.” I walk toward the taxi line. I didn’t even get one step away.
“Okay 200.”
Kept walking. “No.”
“Okay, how much?”
“140.”
“Okay you pay meter prices.”
Since this was an official taxi price we were bargaining for, I said, “We’ll take a taxi.”
“Taxi has surcharge. You pay K price” (I never understood what the K price was, but assume it got lost in translation.)
I had forgotten about the 10% surcharge and there was a chance we had to take 2 taxis, but I doubted it. I made the mistake of looking at my watch. It was 11:02-the surcharge had started. She saw my hesitation and pounced.
“Okay, 180.”
“Okay.” Although I know we paid more than we should’ve, she was satisfied and I was mostly satisfied, so it true haggling fashion, it was a good bargain.
We followed her into the parking garage where she used her cell phone and a car raced up, loaded our bags and we were off into the muggy Shanghai night.