Bright Lights Big City

Taken From Avenue of the Stars, Kowloon, Hong Kong
2012

Shanghai and A Smile

First Impression – Shanghai is like Singapore – only, it is pokerfaced.

 

My very first trip to China is a history of sorts for me – I went there few days before Beijing rolled out the red carpet for the 2008 Olympics and arrived on the year’s hottest day in Shanghai on record – a whooping 39niner on the Celsius scale.  

 

Yep. It was summer in Shanghai alright but 38-39 degrees at nighttime is just as mean as it can be.

 

Shanghai is PROC’s largest city with a population of 20M and is listed among the cities with the fastest growing economies in the world.  Special Economic Zones aside, it is a city characterized by tall, glass encased office buildings and tens and thousands of condominiums.  

 

The city is an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western architecture that displays the styles of traditional Chinese building designs but garnishes them with an undeniable European flair.  Shanghai proudly showcases one of the most appealing lines of art deco buildings.  Evoking quiet history through its the turn of the 20th century feel – the city has everything from the Classical, Romantic, Parisian, Tudor, Old Chicago or even London.

 

Much like Singapore or Macau – without a smile.

 

Arriving at the Pudong International Airport (PVG),  Shanghai’s gateway to the world situated 40 km to the east of the city,one gets an eerie feeling of a city in a robotic pace.  It’s like everyone was programmed to do something ala Stepford Wives.  It might have something to do with the language barrier but still, I was expecting to see even half a smile from a local.

 

We took off from the airport via the much vaunted Maglev Train which at that time was touted to be the fastest in the world.  Engineered with magnetic levitation technology, the train does not touch the tracks and hits a maximum speed of 431 km/h (267 mph). 

 

Regular train speed goes at 301 km/h and costs ¥50 one way (¥40 if you have a flight ticket) or ¥80 for a round-trip ticket (good for up to seven days from date of purchase). There is a “VIP Class”, which gets you snacks but the coach is not much different environment from the regular ones.   Schedule of train departure is every 15-30 minutes.

 

Touring the city, I was amazed by hustle and bustle which seemed like watching a TV in mute.

 

First Sightseeing Stop was the The Oriental Pearl Radio & TV) located in Lujiazui, Pudong district, by the side of Huangpu River and opposite of The Bund.  At 468 m (1,535 feet) high, it used to be the tallest structure in China from 1994–2007, before it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center.

 

Queuing to get to the observation deck can be tedious with only a handful of elevators servicing the visitors. Even at a pace of 7 meters per seconds, the elevators prove to be inadequate on a busy day for the tower.  

 

The observation deck at 263 metres high and 45 metres in diameter is the best place to get a view of the city and the distant views of Sheshan, the Chongming Island and the Changjiang River.

 

 

 

There is also a higher level where one can venture out to a glass-bottomed balcony and have pictures taken.  For one with an extreme case of acrophobia, I couldn’t care to walk out.  Ticket Prices are at 30-40 Yuan.

 

The colonial feeling is relieved after a refreshing visit to The Bund, a famous sightseeing stop where one can take awe at the blending of ancient and modern architectural influences. 

 

This waterfront district is the city’s most famous landmark with about a thousand visitors daily. The word Bund means “embankment on the waterfront” and runs from Persian /Indian origins.  From the open space fronting the river, one can see the Oriental TV Tower on the opposite side and a cool row of international trading houses and five star hotels on Zhongzian Road.

 

 

At night, one must try out the Evening Huangpu Cruise which can take you a rendezvous on a river which divides the Bund into two sections, Pu Dong and Pu Xi, relating to the “east of river” and “west of river”.

Shanghai locals honor the Huangpu as “the” Mother River and visitors will find the waterways bathing in excellent, colorful lighting. 

Position yourselves on the upper decks to get the most of the river cruise.

 

When you still have some time to spare, you can try visiting the Yuyuan Gardens or see the exciting Chinese Acrobats in one of the theaters in Shanghai.

 

All in all, it was a unique and disarming experience in this eerily quiet but lovely city.

 

Still, I wanted to see that familiar, warm smile I am used to back home.

 

Going home, I was half relieved that I’ll be finally off the frying pan.  Just before checking in for my departure to Manila, I ran off to a nearest wash room and changed my shirt. After freshening up, I tried to squeeze in all my things in my wee, little travel bag.  Sadly, I couldn’t close the zipper up.  I tried in various positions but I just couldn’t.  The lady in-charge of the wash room saw me wrestling my luggage. She quickly dropped her broom and dust pan and squeezed my bag with all her might.  Finally, I get to close my bag for checking-in.

 

I said “thank you” and gave her a wide smile. She smiled back – wider than I did.

 

At last, a smile!

 

She couldn’t speak a single word in English.  But it seemed like she opened the whole People’s Republic of China for me

 

 

 

Saigon and the Dance of the Motorcycles

 

My Ho Chi Minh (HCMC from hereon) experience was fairly enjoyable and tiring at the same time. The rendezvous started via Philippine Airlines PR592 which flew to the Broadway-famous city without much hassle. Tan Sonh Nhat International Airport is a lot better than other Southeast Asian City Airports. There is wide span of area allocated for the immigration counters which I would estimate at around 50 counters which quickly extinguishes the whole idea of a “long queue”. In stark contrast, Manila’s T2 has only about 8 to 10 counters crammed in a very small space with arriving passengers taking each other’s oxygen.

Talk about first impressions.

More famously known as Saigon, HCMC is a small city of 10 Million people and is often mistaken as Vietnam’s capital – Hanoi is the capital. Characterized by narrow streets and a raucous mix of old and new architecture.  What makes Saigon distinct is its on-going love affair with motorcycles – an astounding 7 million motorcycles for its 10 million-population. That is almost one motorcycle to one adult or maybe an adolescent! For most of the three-lane roads of Saigon, two lanes are almost eaten out by motorcycles. With the current improvement works and construction all around Saigon, it will be easy to assume the Vietnam government is getting ready to promote the city as the next hot tourism destination in Southeast Asia. Small as it is, the city has some areas of interests which are mostly of historic of nature. There’s the Rex Hotel, the Reunification Palace and the War Museum. The latter being a showcase of war atrocities committed to the Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War through pictures, actual warfare weapons, fighter planes and tanks. The destination I was really looking forward to was the Notre Dame Cathedral; a very beautiful Roman Catholic Church built in the 1800s. It turned out to be the trip’s biggest disappointment because when we finally got to the area, it was raining so hard, and there was no chance to do photography. I tried to make the most of the visit by going inside the church where photograph-seeking tourists were limited to the foyer area so as not to disturb the church-goers. The church interiors were designed in typical baroque style – very European in execution.

The trip’s highlight was the visit to Cu Chi Tunnel, a popular tourist sightseeing spot in Saigon although the place was a rough two-hour drive from the city proper. Cu Chi Tunnel was basically a showcase of the Vietnamese warfare ingenuity – a complex web of tunnels stretching 250 km from Saigon to the border of Cambodia. Not exactly your soothing nature fare as most tourist attractions are, Cu Chi has land mines, traps, armories and the complete warfare A-Z. It is like visiting the set of Nam, Tour of Duty (aww, admit it, you know this TV show).

Our flight back to Manila was 10am. Our pick-up time from the hotel is 6:30am. The distance between is 8 kilometers. Can you imagine? All because we had to inch our way amidst a sea of a million motorcycles. It was a sight which will be tattooed on my mind for a long time.

Hotel Review: L Hotel Elan (Hong Kong)

L’HOTEL ELAN, 38 Chong Yip Street, KWUN TONG (KOWLOON). 258 rooms.

Opened June 2012

L Hotel Elan is the fourth and newest under the “L Hotel” chain of hotels in Hong Kong.  Unlike its , L Hotel Nina and L Hotel South Island, this particular one is much nearer to the city action at about ten to twenty minutes from Tsim Tsam Tsui.

It has a boutique hotel air with a small lobby and a top floor (35th floor) reception area.

We were fortunate to have booked in the hotel a few months after its opening and we were glad to have made the choice.

Being a very new hotel, the room is completely clean and modern.  Everything can be controlled with an in-room service Ipad! With some swiping actions on the gadget, you can control lighting, the flat screen TV and you can even command it to do express check-out.

Like one still needs to ask, each room is equipped with complimentary WIFI service.

The Bathroom has a glass partition which you can change into frosted or clear by a flick of a switch.

The mini bar comes with 8 bottled drinks with a choice of beers, juices and soda.  All, on the house.

And all of these comes at a small price to pay about USD120 dollars per night on web booking.

If you’re concerned about transportation — fret no more.  You can avail of their shuttle service to and from Tsim Tsam Tsui and Airport Express Station every hour.

The hotel reception members are still new, hence not as swift as we’d expect them too but they are courteous and helpful.

All in all, L Hotel Elan is one nice experience we would like to relive again and again.

RATING (HIGHEST IS FIVE)

L HOTEL ELAN

VALUE FOR MONEY – 5 STARS

ROOM CLEANLINESS – 5 STARS

AMENITIES – 5 STARS

STAFF AND EMPLOYEES COURTESY – 4 STARS

LOCATION – 3 STARS

A Day In a Life in Macau

Just how big (or how small?) is Macau? At 28 square kilometers, it is about the size of a town in the United States. And when you’re in Hong Kong and you have some time to spare, why not consider a fun day trip to this former Portuguese territory?

You can start the adventure by getting a one way ferry ticket at the China Hong Kong Ferry Terminal in Tsim Tsam Tsui. It can be accessed through via an in-town outlet mall on Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Ticket Counters are on the second floor along with the Baggage Check In and the departure gates. Turbojet operates the ferries from Kowloon to the Macau Outer Harbor Terminal. Fare for one way is HKD 153.00 for daytime sailing one way.

Remember to travel light as the ferries charge extra fees on bulky luggages.

Wait for your sailing schedule as indicated in your tickets, the check in at the designated Turbojet Counter for your pre-departure and for seat assignments. Upon entry, you will pass through the Hong Kong Immigration counters so don’t forget to bring your passports.

From there, you will wait for your boarding near your departure gate. The terminal is clean and comfortable. They even have some small duty free stores within the facility.

And off you go to Destination: Macau.

It will take you about an hour from Kowloon, Hong Kong to Macau. Upon arrival, all visitors from China, Hong Kong and foreign countries have to clear immigration and customs checks. Most countries enjoy visa-free privileges in Macau. However, Bangladeshi, Nepalese, Nigerian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan and Vietnamese citizens must apply for a Macau visa at a Chinese embassy before their travel.

The line at the Macau Immigration in the ferry terminal can be a bit long and tedious so be sure to walk fast upon disembarkation.

Once outside the terminal you can walk to your left for five to ten minutes and visit the Fisherman’s Wharf – a small theme park and shopping area. The complex includes more than 150 stores and restaurants in buildings designed in the style of different world seaports such as Cape Town, Amsterdam and Venice.

After exploring the park, you can go back to the front of the Macau Ferry terminal and use the underpass to cross to the Hotel and Casino Free Shuttle Car Park. Several hotels in Macau offer free bus rides to tourists. Take the Grand Emperor Hotel Shuttle which will take you to the hotel in Avenida Commercial De Macau. From there you can take a 15-20 minute walk to Senado Square in Avenida Do Infante Henrique.

If you wish to take the public bus, you can try to catch Bus No. 3 to visit Senado Square. Be warned though that, understanding the Bus System is a bit tricky. The information written on Bus Stations are complicated. Asking the drivers won’t help too as most of them don’t understand English. Bus rides in the Macau Peninsula costs about 3.20 MOT

The Senado Square, or Largo do Senado is a gravel, limestone and tessera stone lined plaza in the center of Macau. The area is ensconced in history with the old buildings with European architecture like the Leal Senado, the General Post Office, and St. Dominic’s Church. The hand laid Portuguese Pavement in bright yellow catches up with the lively and eclectic mix of locals and tourists crowding this most popular sightseeing spot in this city.

Upon reaching St Dominic’s Church, turn right and head to Ruins of St Paul or Ruínas de São Paulo and stand in awe of what was left of a 17^th century cathedral, “Mater Dei”, a church that was dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. This structure has been declared as a one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites in 2005.

After your must-do souvenir shots, go back to Senado Square for your next destination. But don’t forget to sample Macau delicacies including the beef jerky and the creamy Portuguese Egg Tarts of Koi Kei Bakery. You can also do some souvenir shopping and even look for gym shoes!

You can use your Hong Kong Dollars as most stores accept the currency, your change however would be in Macau Pattaca.

Cross the street from Senado Square and take Bus No. 5 to get to A-ma temple by getting off the bus station of the same name.

Situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, the Temple of A-ma is one of the oldest and most famous Taoist temples in Macau. The temple and was built in 1488 to honor Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

The temple evokes far eastern Zen with visitors and locals alike praying to the Gods for their personal desires – lighting candles, incenses and chanting silently.

Ride the next bus No. 21 or MT4 to get to the famous Macau Tower. This tower which measures 338 in height from ground level to its summit is actually an observation deck with panoramic views, restaurants, shopping malls and a thrilling walking tour around the outer rim called the Skywalk X. At the level of 233 meters, the Macau Tower Bungee Jump by from outer rim, is the second highest commercial sky jump in the world.

Take the same bus to get the other side of Macau, Taipa Island where the grandmother of all casinos, The Venetian Hotel proudly stands.

Owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, The Venetian is a 40-story, 10,500,000-square-foot structure in Cotai Strip. It is the largest single structure hotel building in Asia, The sixth-largest building in the world by area and the largest casino in the world.

Aside from the hotel an the casino, it has a unique shopping strip set along the flavors of Italy’s Venice Canals with soprano singing Gondola paddlers.

After some shopping and dining, head on to the Cotai Ferry Terminal, where you can take the Cotai Jet ferry going back to Kowloon. Travel time is the same at one hour and fare is the same as TurboJet’s.

Before doing my one day Macau, I did a lot of research but the experience is a lot different when you’re actually there.

Macau is lot different than most cities in China. The European air intertwined with unique far east culture is a journey to treasure in itself.