we take the maglev and eat hairy crabs!

So we arrive in Shanghai - late as usual - which wouldn't be a huge issue except that we have scheduled to take the Maglev train (the world's fastest bullet train) in to the city from the airport and dusk is coming quickly...

so we scoot to the train after giving over our actual luggage to the driver who will pick us up at the city station and take us to our hotel and proceed quickly to the Maglev station- where we hop on the next train (in the VIP car) and zoom into the city... this train is not running at top top speed because that is reserved for the most congested times of day but it still tops out at more than 320 km/h ( about 200 mph) and our ride is less than ten minutes! (kind of the good news and bad - because it is waaay cool to go that fast - with no noise or vibration...)

so here are the photos and then maybe a little video - if I can get that to work- it was nightfall by the time we were on the train so difficult to really get a sense of how FAST we were going...

 our guide Christine- reflected in the window at the station before we leave-

the trip is quick (video after photos)- we arrive and see the next train came in above us while we were waiting for our driver-  and I have included a lot of photos of that process so you can see how the train zoomed in and then slowed to a point where the photos had much more clarity-

 

empty tracks-

 

train zooms in-

getting slower-

and even slower-

here is the video-

we check into the hotel and find fabulous rooms awaiting us - before we head up to the Chinese restaurant in the original section of the old hotel which is right on the Bund-

It is hairy crab season and we have booked the hairy crab feast so we get a chance to sample this seasonal delicacy... in all its challenges LOL and deliciousness... on to hairy crabs!

 

 

 

above- Oh YUM! - below- All Gone!

the fruit was a bit blurry LOL- by the end of the evening- we paired the meal with an Alsatian-

below a shot of the lovely dining room- which as I said was on the top floor of the original building which was an old gentleman's club that sat right along the Bund..

so off we went to bed in our fabulous rooms - so we could be ready for our really big day of touring in Shanghai tomorrow- Christine has rearranged our schedule so that it follows a logical pattern of developing our knowledge of the city...she is a very smart young lady and obviously going places...