MAY 6, 2008
Happy Cinco de Mayo to all my Mexican friends ..... and to those who are NOT Mexican but will utilize any excuse to drink tequila!!
We boarded the plane Thursday morning eager to commence our adventure in Singapore. We'd heard horror stories about China Eastern Airline and had therefore braced ourselves for a less than wonderful flying experience. But I am pleased to report that, at least in terms of service, China Eastern has Northwest Airlines beaten soundly!! The flight attendants (men and women) were smiling, polite, and expert. In spite of the fact that they were Chinese, they all spoke excellent English. The food was good. And unlike Northwest where once the food and beverages are served, the attendants are completely out of sight until time for serving the next meal, the Chinese attendants were a continual presence, up and down the aisles, chatting with the passengers, playing with the kids, constantly checking to see if any need could be met. We were more than impressed! Could have something to do with the fact that last year, China Eastern was purchased by Air France. Whatever the reason, they're definitely doing something right!
The 5 hour flight to Singapore was timely and relatively uneventful except for some major turbulence just prior to landing. The Singapore Changi Airport is brand new, huge, and very beautiful although their immigration system could be a bit speedier. As the airport walls are mostly glass, they have done a superior job of bringing the outdoors inside and making it almost appear that it is indeed an outdoor airport what with very high glass ceilings, tropical plants and palm trees everywhere. As we were soon to learn, all of Singapore is very lush, green, and full of wonderful flowers and plant life.
We knew the moment our taxi pulled away from the airport that we were NOT in China any longer! First, the driver spoke English! The comfortable vehicle was a larger Toyota called a Crown. It was clean, inside and out, had a beautiful leather interior, was quiet and had a lovely, smooth ride. There was no impulsive lane changing (due to the possibility that the other lane MIGHT be moving a minuscule bit faster) or speeding up to the speed of light only to slam on the brakes because the radar speed detector is just ahead ... OK, sorry, just venting a bit there. But the biggest difference was that not only was our taxi driver NOT blowing his horn like crazy, neither was any other driver!! The streets were clean, quiet, and orderly. Drivers waited patiently for lights to change, used their turn signals, and yielded to other vehicles and pedestrians making for a most pleasant and civilized drive to our hotel. Already, I was in heaven. You can't imagine the tension felt each time we travel in a vehicle in China (I know ... you'd think we be used to it by now). So to no longer have that sensation of constantly trying to calm the nerves during transport was SO relaxing!!
We had booked a room at the Shangri-La Rasa on Sentosa Island, a small barrier island just south of Singapore. The Shangri-La Rasa is a very nice resort which does an excellent job of utilizing the lush, tropical landscape into it's design. There were flowers and trees everywhere including inside the open air lobbies and restaurants. The sounds of water bubbling sweetly from fountains and ponds added to the "island" atmosphere. We could hear kids squealing happily from one end of the free-form pool area where several water slides wound themselves among the rocks and trees until they emptied into kid's wading pond. On all sides of the pool area, tourists lounged among the palm trees and were slathered with sunblock against the heat of the equatorial sun. A handful of adults enjoyed the jacuzzi jets of the spa areas that jutted out of either side of the "adult" end of the pool. Wild peacocks and peahens strolled here and there, and occasionally made that distinctive eerie screech just to make sure everyone knew they were there. The shade of the pool bar beckoned from across the expanse of water and suddenly a fruity, tropical drink (preferably with a parasol in it) sounded really refreshing! We found our room, checked the view from our room patio, and headed for the pool bar.
Sentosa Island forms the northern edge of a shipping lane into Singapore, and as such, our view from anywhere on the island included dozens of huge freighters, numerous tugboats, the rare cruise liner, and the occasional Asian style junk heading out to either fish or service the freighters moored in the harbor areas. Signs along the beach warned of not swimming in the waters due to the clean up of an oil slick, but as we had such a lovely pool area at our disposal, we hardly missed the opportunity to swim in the China Sea. It was interesting to watch the ships moving slowly through the water into port and trying to guess what each might be carrying. Some freighters were piled high with containers and sat very low in the water under the weight of their burdens. Others were obviously empty riding so high that the tips of their propellers stuck out of the water. Here and there, ferries zoomed quickly back and forth between the island and mainland prompting thoughts of Mackinaw Island and the Shepler Ferries there.
After a few minutes of sticker shock at the pool bar (drinks were anywhere from $15 to $20 each ... one US dollar equals approximately $1.35 Singapore), we comforted ourselves in the fact that it was happy hour and the drinks for the moment were 2 for 1. Also, they were VERY strong (well, they should be for that price!) so we settled in for a couple and started inquiring about our options for dinner. It wasn't long before the smell from the Thursday night BBQ (a weekly special at the Shangri-La Rasa) became an enormous enticement. A huge grill was set up very near an outdoor buffet area, and we hardly bothered to sit down before we were piling our plates high with shrimp, mussels, salmon, white fish, beef, pork, chicken, and lamb hot off the grill along with salads, potatoes, cob corn, and numerous other sides to complement the grilled meats. YUM!! The seafood was fantastic as all the seafood in Singapore is caught locally and is of course served very fresh! Just inside the restaurant (we were eating on the patio), was another large buffet of sushi, fresh fruits, and desserts. I was wishing I had another stomach so that I could just keep eating!!
The next morning dawned just a touch gloomily, and as I was showering a gusty squall blew over the island causing us to worry about what to do with ourselves in case of inclement weather. We needn't have worried though. Twenty minutes later, it was over and the sun dried up the last of the mist that had settled over the area. We'd noted the previous evening that the island boasted a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which is almost as good as a Starbucks, so we set off on foot to see if we could discover it. Along the way, we scoped out the area for interests. There were several restaurants, bars, cafes, and beachy gift shops along a very nice brick walk that was lined with gorgeous tropical plants, trees, and flowers. An attraction caught our attention where, for a small fee, a person could try their hand at the flying trapeze in the safety of a harness over a net. And right behind it was an open air Italian restaurant called Trapizza (is that too cute or what?). We'd noticed this place the night before as we watched pizzas being tossed by hand and smiled when we saw several low tables set up just outside the kitchen where children were given scraps of dough to either press into shapes or toss themselves.
The island has a series of trams, and here and there, tram stops were available for a free ride to just about anywhere on the island. Numerous restrooms with showers, lockers, and changing areas were available every half mile or so for beach goers to utilize. It was definitely a popular spot for not only tourists, but locals as well who had packed their families and a few picnic baskets for a day at the beach.
We found the coffee place, got our caffeine fix, and continued to check out the territory. Our room included a mini-bar so we hit a 7-Eleven for some beer and snacks at prices a bit more reasonable than the resort's. The shoreline, a comfortable lounge chair, and trashy novels called to us back at the resort, but we also knew that we wouldn't want to do that forever, and figured some exploring was in order just in case we got bored. We noted a place where some kind of seaside show (the star was some kind of tropical fish called Oscar) called Sounds of the Sea took place that included fireworks, fountains, lasers, music, and fire shooting high into the air (we could see it pretty well from our 9th story room in the hotel). There was a "ski lift" type ride that took folks up the hill where a luge ride could be taken back down to the beach, or for the less adventurous, the lift could be taken back down again. Something called a Merlion (a giant cement statue of a combination of lion and mermaid ... OK, maybe it's called a mer-man) could be seen in the distance. Well, at least we could see the lion's head anyway. There was a dolphin show which is famed to be the only show in the world where you can see pink dolphins, and for a cost, one could swim and pet the dolphins at certain times of the day.
More nightclubs, ice cream shops, gift shops, and cafes peppered the beach, and each area seemed to have it's own theme depending upon the area in which it was located on the beach. There was another one of those "Indiana Jones" swinging bridges (although this one was MUCH superior to the ones we experienced at Lake of 1000 Islands) which could be crossed to a small out island that marked the most southern spot in all of Asia.
After a nice walk, we made our way back to the resort, changed into our swim suits, and opted for lounge chairs in a peaceful area just behind the resort along the water's edge. It was shadier there, and also quite a bit quieter away from the noise and activity of the pool, but not so far away that a quick trip to the pool bar couldn't be made easily. We had just gotten nicely settled with our books under a large beach umbrella when Randy redirected my attention from my novel to the rocky edge of the beach just a few feet away from our lounge chairs. A 5 foot monitor lizard had just crawled out of the bushes and was lumbering across the lawn directly in front of us!! We just stared with our mouths hanging open .... and of course, we hadn't brought down the camera from our room .... shazbot!! Having no idea if these beasts were dangerous or not, we just held our breath and watched him. He appeared to be on a mission down the beach, and while he certainly took note of our presence, seemed to have no interest in us whatsoever (we were probably a bit more than he wanted for lunch). Well, it was incredible to see this guy! Of course, he created quite a stir down the beach where several other guests were less content to simply watch than we were. One lady jumped up, grabbed her hat, and was quickly away to the relative safety of the pool. Further down the beach, a portly man grabbed his cell phone, crouched down behind his lounge chair and stuck out his mobile for a few photos while Mr. Lizard strolled casually down the beach. He stopped momentarily for a bite of something he found among the rocks, and even investigated under the rocks for a few minutes. Randy ran upstairs to get the camera, and I tried to follow the beast so that I could keep an eye on him until the camera was on hand (keeping what I felt was a safe distance). But eventually, he was out of reach of both camera and man further on down the shoreline. We did later in the weekend see another with his tail cut off, but he was not as handsome or large as the previous reptile we'd encountered.
After another stop at the pool bar for happy hour, we opted for a Japanese sushi place for dinner where we ordered something called a Bento Yu, an assortment of cooked and uncooked seafood delicacies prepared Japanese style, and then we topped that off with an ice cream cone made from New Zealand ice cream .... not as good as Haagen Daz. That evening, we decided upon the ski lift ride minus the luge ride where we enjoyed a spectacular night view of the island, the Singapore skyline in the distance, and the delicate smell of citrus blossoms on the night air.
The next morning, we walked again down the island and decided to take in the Pink Dolphin Show. The beach was lined with white PVC chairs under big white awnings to protect the audience from the heat of the sun. The dolphins are indeed mostly pink with a few patches of grey here and there on their bodies. It was a very enjoyable show with lots of audience participation. The dolphins are well trained and provided a delightful show with the usual leaping, twisting and turning, even playing basketball. We'd missed the dolphin swim earlier in the morning but still really enjoyed seeing the dolphins and their performance. The tickets we purchased also included something called Underwater World, but we felt that our animal encounters (now to include lizards, dolphins and wild peacocks) had been more than plentiful, and again, the lounge chairs on the beach beckoned.
Another somewhat lazy afternoon ensued relaxing in the warm, island breezes, and observing the comings and goings of various seafaring crafts on the water. We cooled ourselves with fruity margaritas at the pool bar, and watched kids splash, and adults fry in the sun while thinking about our options for dinner. In the distance, a few clouds piled themselves up for the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm, but other than a rumble or two, it never materialized.
It seemed seafood was the food of choice since it was plentiful and fresh. We walked to a place called Coastes where it was Salsa night (musically speaking). The beach was covered with very simple wooden tables (some with umbrellas) and stools. Crude oil lanterns made out of baby food jars adorned the tables and created a nice ambiance as the sun set in the west. We ordered salads and seafood pizza which we enjoyed while watching a few of the locals gyrating to the Latin beat. It was announced that very shortly there would be free salsa dancing lessons, and it didn't take Randy long to get me out of there for fear I'd drag him out on the dance floor. He hadn't quite had enough Mai Tai's for that.
We decided to get our packing out of the way in the evening so that we could enjoy as much of the morning as possible. We had to check out by noon the next day and our flight was at 4:00. In the morning, we donned our swimsuits right away, and headed out for a beach walk which included the aforementioned Indiana Jones bridge and the pagodas where we climbed the 5 or 6 flights of stairs to check out the views. Randy took lots of photos of the flowers and trees which continued to amaze us. We came back to the resort to spend the last hour or so we had at the pool alternately swimming, sitting in the jacuzzi, or laying in the shade of a big palm tree watching the staff stock the bar and get ready for the day's guests.
After having checked out and donated our novels to the small library in the lobby, we left our luggage in the care of the concierge and made our way back down the beach to Trapizza to try their version of seafood pizza. I think I now prefer shrimp on my pizza to pepperoni .... heaven!!! And it was so nice to finally have a decent pizza with some good sauce on it. Here in Shanghai, it tends to taste like a dab of tomato soup instead of pizza sauce.
It would have been easy to justify a few more days, but our weekend had come to a close and we jumped in the taxi for Changi Airport and the seemingly interminable flight back to Shanghai (What IS it about the return flights??? It always seems to take much longer to get home than it does to arrive at the original destination.). We walked out of the airport in Pudong to the usual din of honking horns and a queue of VW taxis which appeared to be on their last legs. Our taxi driver seemed to understand our request (he smiled anyway), and we were off into the haze of the Shanghai evening .... yep, it was good to be home!!
We boarded the plane Thursday morning eager to commence our adventure in Singapore. We'd heard horror stories about China Eastern Airline and had therefore braced ourselves for a less than wonderful flying experience. But I am pleased to report that, at least in terms of service, China Eastern has Northwest Airlines beaten soundly!! The flight attendants (men and women) were smiling, polite, and expert. In spite of the fact that they were Chinese, they all spoke excellent English. The food was good. And unlike Northwest where once the food and beverages are served, the attendants are completely out of sight until time for serving the next meal, the Chinese attendants were a continual presence, up and down the aisles, chatting with the passengers, playing with the kids, constantly checking to see if any need could be met. We were more than impressed! Could have something to do with the fact that last year, China Eastern was purchased by Air France. Whatever the reason, they're definitely doing something right!
The 5 hour flight to Singapore was timely and relatively uneventful except for some major turbulence just prior to landing. The Singapore Changi Airport is brand new, huge, and very beautiful although their immigration system could be a bit speedier. As the airport walls are mostly glass, they have done a superior job of bringing the outdoors inside and making it almost appear that it is indeed an outdoor airport what with very high glass ceilings, tropical plants and palm trees everywhere. As we were soon to learn, all of Singapore is very lush, green, and full of wonderful flowers and plant life.
We knew the moment our taxi pulled away from the airport that we were NOT in China any longer! First, the driver spoke English! The comfortable vehicle was a larger Toyota called a Crown. It was clean, inside and out, had a beautiful leather interior, was quiet and had a lovely, smooth ride. There was no impulsive lane changing (due to the possibility that the other lane MIGHT be moving a minuscule bit faster) or speeding up to the speed of light only to slam on the brakes because the radar speed detector is just ahead ... OK, sorry, just venting a bit there. But the biggest difference was that not only was our taxi driver NOT blowing his horn like crazy, neither was any other driver!! The streets were clean, quiet, and orderly. Drivers waited patiently for lights to change, used their turn signals, and yielded to other vehicles and pedestrians making for a most pleasant and civilized drive to our hotel. Already, I was in heaven. You can't imagine the tension felt each time we travel in a vehicle in China (I know ... you'd think we be used to it by now). So to no longer have that sensation of constantly trying to calm the nerves during transport was SO relaxing!!
We had booked a room at the Shangri-La Rasa on Sentosa Island, a small barrier island just south of Singapore. The Shangri-La Rasa is a very nice resort which does an excellent job of utilizing the lush, tropical landscape into it's design. There were flowers and trees everywhere including inside the open air lobbies and restaurants. The sounds of water bubbling sweetly from fountains and ponds added to the "island" atmosphere. We could hear kids squealing happily from one end of the free-form pool area where several water slides wound themselves among the rocks and trees until they emptied into kid's wading pond. On all sides of the pool area, tourists lounged among the palm trees and were slathered with sunblock against the heat of the equatorial sun. A handful of adults enjoyed the jacuzzi jets of the spa areas that jutted out of either side of the "adult" end of the pool. Wild peacocks and peahens strolled here and there, and occasionally made that distinctive eerie screech just to make sure everyone knew they were there. The shade of the pool bar beckoned from across the expanse of water and suddenly a fruity, tropical drink (preferably with a parasol in it) sounded really refreshing! We found our room, checked the view from our room patio, and headed for the pool bar.
Sentosa Island forms the northern edge of a shipping lane into Singapore, and as such, our view from anywhere on the island included dozens of huge freighters, numerous tugboats, the rare cruise liner, and the occasional Asian style junk heading out to either fish or service the freighters moored in the harbor areas. Signs along the beach warned of not swimming in the waters due to the clean up of an oil slick, but as we had such a lovely pool area at our disposal, we hardly missed the opportunity to swim in the China Sea. It was interesting to watch the ships moving slowly through the water into port and trying to guess what each might be carrying. Some freighters were piled high with containers and sat very low in the water under the weight of their burdens. Others were obviously empty riding so high that the tips of their propellers stuck out of the water. Here and there, ferries zoomed quickly back and forth between the island and mainland prompting thoughts of Mackinaw Island and the Shepler Ferries there.
After a few minutes of sticker shock at the pool bar (drinks were anywhere from $15 to $20 each ... one US dollar equals approximately $1.35 Singapore), we comforted ourselves in the fact that it was happy hour and the drinks for the moment were 2 for 1. Also, they were VERY strong (well, they should be for that price!) so we settled in for a couple and started inquiring about our options for dinner. It wasn't long before the smell from the Thursday night BBQ (a weekly special at the Shangri-La Rasa) became an enormous enticement. A huge grill was set up very near an outdoor buffet area, and we hardly bothered to sit down before we were piling our plates high with shrimp, mussels, salmon, white fish, beef, pork, chicken, and lamb hot off the grill along with salads, potatoes, cob corn, and numerous other sides to complement the grilled meats. YUM!! The seafood was fantastic as all the seafood in Singapore is caught locally and is of course served very fresh! Just inside the restaurant (we were eating on the patio), was another large buffet of sushi, fresh fruits, and desserts. I was wishing I had another stomach so that I could just keep eating!!
The next morning dawned just a touch gloomily, and as I was showering a gusty squall blew over the island causing us to worry about what to do with ourselves in case of inclement weather. We needn't have worried though. Twenty minutes later, it was over and the sun dried up the last of the mist that had settled over the area. We'd noted the previous evening that the island boasted a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf which is almost as good as a Starbucks, so we set off on foot to see if we could discover it. Along the way, we scoped out the area for interests. There were several restaurants, bars, cafes, and beachy gift shops along a very nice brick walk that was lined with gorgeous tropical plants, trees, and flowers. An attraction caught our attention where, for a small fee, a person could try their hand at the flying trapeze in the safety of a harness over a net. And right behind it was an open air Italian restaurant called Trapizza (is that too cute or what?). We'd noticed this place the night before as we watched pizzas being tossed by hand and smiled when we saw several low tables set up just outside the kitchen where children were given scraps of dough to either press into shapes or toss themselves.
The island has a series of trams, and here and there, tram stops were available for a free ride to just about anywhere on the island. Numerous restrooms with showers, lockers, and changing areas were available every half mile or so for beach goers to utilize. It was definitely a popular spot for not only tourists, but locals as well who had packed their families and a few picnic baskets for a day at the beach.
We found the coffee place, got our caffeine fix, and continued to check out the territory. Our room included a mini-bar so we hit a 7-Eleven for some beer and snacks at prices a bit more reasonable than the resort's. The shoreline, a comfortable lounge chair, and trashy novels called to us back at the resort, but we also knew that we wouldn't want to do that forever, and figured some exploring was in order just in case we got bored. We noted a place where some kind of seaside show (the star was some kind of tropical fish called Oscar) called Sounds of the Sea took place that included fireworks, fountains, lasers, music, and fire shooting high into the air (we could see it pretty well from our 9th story room in the hotel). There was a "ski lift" type ride that took folks up the hill where a luge ride could be taken back down to the beach, or for the less adventurous, the lift could be taken back down again. Something called a Merlion (a giant cement statue of a combination of lion and mermaid ... OK, maybe it's called a mer-man) could be seen in the distance. Well, at least we could see the lion's head anyway. There was a dolphin show which is famed to be the only show in the world where you can see pink dolphins, and for a cost, one could swim and pet the dolphins at certain times of the day.
More nightclubs, ice cream shops, gift shops, and cafes peppered the beach, and each area seemed to have it's own theme depending upon the area in which it was located on the beach. There was another one of those "Indiana Jones" swinging bridges (although this one was MUCH superior to the ones we experienced at Lake of 1000 Islands) which could be crossed to a small out island that marked the most southern spot in all of Asia.
After a nice walk, we made our way back to the resort, changed into our swim suits, and opted for lounge chairs in a peaceful area just behind the resort along the water's edge. It was shadier there, and also quite a bit quieter away from the noise and activity of the pool, but not so far away that a quick trip to the pool bar couldn't be made easily. We had just gotten nicely settled with our books under a large beach umbrella when Randy redirected my attention from my novel to the rocky edge of the beach just a few feet away from our lounge chairs. A 5 foot monitor lizard had just crawled out of the bushes and was lumbering across the lawn directly in front of us!! We just stared with our mouths hanging open .... and of course, we hadn't brought down the camera from our room .... shazbot!! Having no idea if these beasts were dangerous or not, we just held our breath and watched him. He appeared to be on a mission down the beach, and while he certainly took note of our presence, seemed to have no interest in us whatsoever (we were probably a bit more than he wanted for lunch). Well, it was incredible to see this guy! Of course, he created quite a stir down the beach where several other guests were less content to simply watch than we were. One lady jumped up, grabbed her hat, and was quickly away to the relative safety of the pool. Further down the beach, a portly man grabbed his cell phone, crouched down behind his lounge chair and stuck out his mobile for a few photos while Mr. Lizard strolled casually down the beach. He stopped momentarily for a bite of something he found among the rocks, and even investigated under the rocks for a few minutes. Randy ran upstairs to get the camera, and I tried to follow the beast so that I could keep an eye on him until the camera was on hand (keeping what I felt was a safe distance). But eventually, he was out of reach of both camera and man further on down the shoreline. We did later in the weekend see another with his tail cut off, but he was not as handsome or large as the previous reptile we'd encountered.
After another stop at the pool bar for happy hour, we opted for a Japanese sushi place for dinner where we ordered something called a Bento Yu, an assortment of cooked and uncooked seafood delicacies prepared Japanese style, and then we topped that off with an ice cream cone made from New Zealand ice cream .... not as good as Haagen Daz. That evening, we decided upon the ski lift ride minus the luge ride where we enjoyed a spectacular night view of the island, the Singapore skyline in the distance, and the delicate smell of citrus blossoms on the night air.
The next morning, we walked again down the island and decided to take in the Pink Dolphin Show. The beach was lined with white PVC chairs under big white awnings to protect the audience from the heat of the sun. The dolphins are indeed mostly pink with a few patches of grey here and there on their bodies. It was a very enjoyable show with lots of audience participation. The dolphins are well trained and provided a delightful show with the usual leaping, twisting and turning, even playing basketball. We'd missed the dolphin swim earlier in the morning but still really enjoyed seeing the dolphins and their performance. The tickets we purchased also included something called Underwater World, but we felt that our animal encounters (now to include lizards, dolphins and wild peacocks) had been more than plentiful, and again, the lounge chairs on the beach beckoned.
Another somewhat lazy afternoon ensued relaxing in the warm, island breezes, and observing the comings and goings of various seafaring crafts on the water. We cooled ourselves with fruity margaritas at the pool bar, and watched kids splash, and adults fry in the sun while thinking about our options for dinner. In the distance, a few clouds piled themselves up for the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm, but other than a rumble or two, it never materialized.
It seemed seafood was the food of choice since it was plentiful and fresh. We walked to a place called Coastes where it was Salsa night (musically speaking). The beach was covered with very simple wooden tables (some with umbrellas) and stools. Crude oil lanterns made out of baby food jars adorned the tables and created a nice ambiance as the sun set in the west. We ordered salads and seafood pizza which we enjoyed while watching a few of the locals gyrating to the Latin beat. It was announced that very shortly there would be free salsa dancing lessons, and it didn't take Randy long to get me out of there for fear I'd drag him out on the dance floor. He hadn't quite had enough Mai Tai's for that.
We decided to get our packing out of the way in the evening so that we could enjoy as much of the morning as possible. We had to check out by noon the next day and our flight was at 4:00. In the morning, we donned our swimsuits right away, and headed out for a beach walk which included the aforementioned Indiana Jones bridge and the pagodas where we climbed the 5 or 6 flights of stairs to check out the views. Randy took lots of photos of the flowers and trees which continued to amaze us. We came back to the resort to spend the last hour or so we had at the pool alternately swimming, sitting in the jacuzzi, or laying in the shade of a big palm tree watching the staff stock the bar and get ready for the day's guests.
After having checked out and donated our novels to the small library in the lobby, we left our luggage in the care of the concierge and made our way back down the beach to Trapizza to try their version of seafood pizza. I think I now prefer shrimp on my pizza to pepperoni .... heaven!!! And it was so nice to finally have a decent pizza with some good sauce on it. Here in Shanghai, it tends to taste like a dab of tomato soup instead of pizza sauce.
It would have been easy to justify a few more days, but our weekend had come to a close and we jumped in the taxi for Changi Airport and the seemingly interminable flight back to Shanghai (What IS it about the return flights??? It always seems to take much longer to get home than it does to arrive at the original destination.). We walked out of the airport in Pudong to the usual din of honking horns and a queue of VW taxis which appeared to be on their last legs. Our taxi driver seemed to understand our request (he smiled anyway), and we were off into the haze of the Shanghai evening .... yep, it was good to be home!!
posted by Roxanne Gillett at
8:09 PM
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