XIAN TO SHANGHAI- March 28

We had booked a hotel in a very central part of Xian which was very good for our quick two day visit.  On the Sunday morning that we departed for the Xian airport it was only a one block walk to the departure point of the airport bus.  The cost per passenger was 25 Yuan - the equivalent of a little under four US dollars.  After a very comfortable flight to Shanghai (the less said about the food the better) we arrived in Shanghai and went through the usual ritual of trying to explain to the taxi driver where we wanted to go.
Our hotel in Shanghai - the Courtyard Marriott - was nothing like the Courtyards in America.  It was a very new high rise, contemporary hotel with sleek rooms.  I had found a special package on the internet months ago which gave us the upgrade to the executive lounge, breakfast, etc. for the price of a regular room.  For the first time when checking into a hotel on this trip, the front desk had no record of the special package.  Luckily, we travel with all the paperwork as well as a back up on our netbook.  When the front desk read the confirmation that I had received when booking we were given a room on the 22nd floor, one floor from the top floor.  So, all was well with this accommodation except for the fact that the government has decreed that the room temperature cannot be less than 23 ½ degrees.  So the room was always warm and the duvet provided was a think down comforter.
I asked the hotel if there was any way to make the room cooler since all public areas were much cooler. But to no avail.  We now have had the same experience in another city so we understand that these are the rules.  The public areas are cooler than the rooms.
Our return to Shanghai for the second time did not disappoint.  We spent a lot of time walking through the French Concession area with its lovely old buildings and quaint mews.  We revisited the Bund which was mobbed.  Also enjoyed Yu Gardens, a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city.  And, we ate (for a second time) at one of our favorite restaurants in the world - Din Tai Fung - with its fabulous dumplings called xiaolongbao .  The branch we like is in an area called Xintiandi which is where all the up and coming trendy young people live.  In two years since we last visited the area has seen huge expansion.  Loads of super restaurants and clubs and innumerable shopping malls, all of which seem to be occupied by the same retailers - Cartier, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, etc.If you want to buy anything in one of these luxury outlets you don’t have to walk more than a few blocks to find one.  We passed.
A visit to the Shanghai museum, something we did not have time for last time, was very special.  The exhibits and layout design are wonderful and
it was a great way to spend the better part of one afternoon when rain began to fall.  Since the subway system is so modern and fast, we always used it when cabs were not available.  Again, the cost was minimal - usually about a dollar depending on the length of the ride.  Our only sightseeing miscue was attempting to view the World Expo which opens in Shanghai at the end of April.  There was a brochure which indicated that it was possible to climb the walkway of a bridge which would provide a bird’s eye view of the buildings.  However, after arriving at the bridge area we were told that the
bridge access had been blocked by the government.  We then tried to find a bus that used the bridge but we wound up traversing the city on a bus that led to destinations unknown.  It was an interesting glimpse into city life but we never did see the Expo site.  I asked the hotel if there was any way to make the room cooler since all public areas were much cooler. But to no avail.  We now have had the same experience in another city so we understand that these are the rules.  The public areas are cooler than the rooms.