Ootacamund & The Ghats of The Blue Mountains

Ootacamund, Ooty or Udhagamandalam  nestled in the hills of the Niligiris, the Blue Mountains is located at an elevation of 7350 ft above sea level in the State of Tamilnadu, India. It is a plateau between the Western and the Eastern Ghats and falls under the UNESCO World network of Biosphere Reserve.  It is one of the most beautiful  and International renowned hill stations with stunning views and lush green valleys. The Blue Mountains name probably came from the smoky blue haze given off on warm days by the eucalyptus trees which covers most of the areas. Unlike other famous hill stations of the Indian sub continent, Ooty was not a part of any kingdom or empires. It is envisaged to be  originally a tribal land occupied by a tribe known as The Todas. The Todas gave away a part of the town to John Sulivan,  the then Governor of Coimbatore  and in course of time the Niligiris terriority came in possession of the British East India Company.

The climatic conditions are subtropical highland climate, with temperature dipping to a freezing temperature of (-) 2 degree C in winters. Unlike the Southern Indian weather which is either hot, hotter, or hottest, Ooty is relatively mild throughout the year with average low temperature ranging between 5 to 12 degree C and average high temperature ranging between 17 to 22 degrees. The region is blessed with the South West monsoons in June-July and the return North East monsoon in November.

Ooty has the location's advantage of access from different directions. It is situated in the tri - junction of the Indian States of Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala. It can be reached from Coimbatore in Tamilnadu by The Ghats of Kallar, ( NH 67 ), The Kotagiri Ghat ( SH 15 ) and The Manjur Ghat. It can be approached from Kozhikode - Sultan Bakerty in Kerala and Mysore in Karnataka through The Gudalur Ghat (NH 212 / 67) and The Sigur Ghat (SH 67 ). 

We have lost count of the times we have traveled in these Ghat roads of the Blue Mountains.  We have traveled in bright sunshine, at sundown, in chilly  evenings, in dense fog with almost nil visibility, driven late into the night, in the heavy down pour during the monsoons,  but each time the drive was a new experience. We could soak into the exotic species of flora and fauna, besides the deep ravings full of vegetation, the dense forests, the towering mountains, the  gurgling streams during the monsoons and the miles and miles of evergreen carpeted tea gardens. We believe the Ghats of the Blue mountains has a psychiatric spiritual therapy to ward over the negativity that come up following any stressful experience.  Each time we made a trip to the Ghats of The Blue mountains we came back rejuvenated.

Rarely has been a situation where The Niligiris have been totally cut off on all The Ghat routes. However it is always prudent to check on the road conditions before embarking on a road journey to Ooty.  At times routes are closed due to landslides and the traffic is diverted to other ghats. We experienced one of the most devastating landslips in the Ghats of Kallar during  November 2006 and the road was closed for months before it could be made motor able again. As far as possible travel by tourist after sunset is to be avoided.

One of the favorite and most traveled transit location from south of  Ooty is the textile and engineering city of Coimbatore., Tamilnadu. Airlines fly in and out of Coimbatore Airport and the flight timings are conducive to the needs of the tourist. Barring the North - East of India, all major cities are connected to Coimbatore by air. Train connectivity from all corners of the country is excellent, the famed one is the overnight train from Chennai,The Nilgiris Express. One can also travel the Konkan Railways along the west coast of India and detrain at Palkard, a location 40 KMs from Coimbatore. Taxis can be hired from the Coimbatore Airport and bus service availed from the Ooty Bus station at Gandhipuram 7 KM away from the Airport and 2 KM away from the Railway station. The drawback we found in the public  transportation to Ooty was that there are no facility of luxury buses or mini buses or share taxis from Coimbatore to Ooty. Tourist are left to a choice of availing full taxis or  avail the Tamilnadu State Transport bus services from Gandhipuram.

Ooty from Coimbatore is 90 KM by road. As we travel towards Ooty, the majestic view of  hills of the Blue Mountains  are sighted and the excitement builds in oneself with each passing kilometer.  After a travel of an hour or so we hit the town Metapulayam. This is the town where all roads from South of Ooty intersect and the place where the Ghat roads to the Blue Mountains commence. The town is also  hub where all the vegetables from Ooty and the surrounds reach to be dispatched  to various cities and towns of southern India. Mettapulayam  was the  Railway station wherein in the bygone days the famed Nilgiris Blue Mountain train awaited the arrival of the Nilgiris Express from Chennai to  transport the tourist to Ooty, wending its way through hair raising curves and tunnels. It was a sight to behold  and had an imprint in the memories of the tourist for years to come. The Nilgiris Blue Mountain train was developed on the concept of ratchet and pinion track and today the train runs from Coonoor to Ooty on purely as a symbolic tourist joyride.

Mettapulyam is a natural halting point for the tourist on their way to Ooty. A number of resorts have mushroomed over the years and the most attractive is the Black Thunder Resort. The resort has an inbuilt  theme water park which has a natural look and feel with the surrounding hills adding to the awe. The Theme park has the lazy river, wave pool, Thrillarium, Surf Hills, cannon ball,  aqua bowl,side winder etc to thrill the crowd.  It has a restaurant which serves ethnic Tamil and Kerala delicacies. The boarding rooms  available is good and classy. It is an idle place to relax and spend a day before continuing the journey to Ooty.

THE KALLAR GHAT

The Kallar Ghat on NH 67, also known as the Coonoor Ghat which follows the valley of the rivers of the Kallar and Coonoor. It is the most traveled road running through Coimbatore - Mettupalayam -Coonoor- Ooty.The road from Mettapulaylam towards Coonoor climbs into the Blue Mountains and soon one is welcomed by the first of the fourteen hair pin bends. These bends are just like the hair pins ladies use to keep their hair in place. The bends are quite sharp hence with each passing hair pin bends there is an appreciable climb of the Ghat. These hair pin bends are,  so sharp that at times the heavy vehicles have tough time maneuvering the curves. The formation of the roads are just like series of  terraces as the roads snakes into the dense mountains and hardly one get a view of the plains of Mettapulyam and Coimbatore. The drive is tough for the first timers and one should be a patient and alert of the traffic especially the heavy vehicles. One interesting observation of the traffic was at the hair pin bends where the heavy vehicles   going up the mountain tend to stay on the outer curve i.e on the right side and the smaller vehicles coming downhill have to cross over from the inner side i.e on the right hand side. The drive gets tougher during the monsoons where the dense fogs engulfs the mountains and visibility reaches the nadir and one requires all the driving skills to stay on the road. As we commence our climb there is a noticeable change  in the surrounding vegetation. It is tropical at Kallar and as we make our way we reach Bulliar, the border hamlet of the Nilgiris District the vegetation changes to sub tropical and as we near Conoor the pines , blue gum and cypress tress welcome us. The scenery is awesome, the weather cool and the sunlight slitting  through the thick vegetation  creates interesting shadows.

The sight of a  row of huge eucalyptus trees on the road welcomes us as we reach Coonoor at a height of 1850 m above sea level, the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris. The surrounds are picturesque with stunning views of the Coimbatore plains and the Nilgiris. It is an ideal base for trekking expeditions into the Nilgiris and is the Tea capital of the region with miles and miles of carpeted tea gardens. Coonoor is divided into Lower and Upper Coonoor. The lower Coonoor is a busy market place, densely populated and the roads with lots of traffic. Most of the buses from the plains originate and terminate in Coonoor, hence the buses add to the traffic menace  The Coonoor Railway Station stands out in the surrounds catering to the tourists symbolic travel to and back from Ooty on the Nilgiris Mountain Train.   As one climbs a kilometre or two the serene surroundings of Upper Coonoor welcome the tourists for there eyes to behold. Lined are beautiful bungalows with manicured lawns and gardens. It is one of the best residential locations in the country. The climatic conditions are ideal for the flora to blossom and the century old Sim's Park in Upper Coonoor built in 1874 is a must visit destination. The park has a number of rare trees and plants and is a Botanist delight and the icing on the cake is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May. Further in case one has network with the authorities, there is a beautiful guest house deep inside Sim's Park where a night stay experience will touch the heart of lovers of ecology.

The twist and turns of the road beyond Coonoor soon leads to the famous Black Bridge, the entry to the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC), Wellington, one of the oldest Defense Regiment of the Indian Army. A well laid out parade ground inside the MRC is awesome. The MRC museum is a must visit destination    for the lovers of Defense History. It is over  two decades since we first visited Wellington, but today also the roads, the Officer quarters, the Mess, the barracks, the playgrounds, the Command Hospital, the environs, the people, the stores around  remain the same. The only change is that the Black Bridge has undergone a raze and rebuilt. One of our favorite walking stretch is the road from the MRC main gate to beyond the Gymkhana Club golf course to upper Coonoor. Do walk the stretch to understand the true meaning of rejuvenation. The famed Defense Service Staff College from where the finest Officers of  Army, Navy & Air Force have graduated is located in Wellington. The view from the Gurkha Hill  which houses the Officers of the Defense Service Staff College at night is amazing with twinkling  stars on the sky as if you can just touch them and below the lights of the Coonoor valley.

The Ghat road further winds its way through Arukkadu and Ketti Valley into Lovedale where the residential Lawrence School established in 1858 is situated. Five kilometers  further the road  hit Charring Crossing the center of Ooty town.     

THE KOTGIRI GHAT

It is believed that Kotagiri Ghat road SH 15 Mettupalayam - Kotagiri - Ooty is the probable route taken by John Sulivan during his discovery trips of the surrounds of Ooty in 1819 AD. It is a road less traveled than the Kallar or Coonoor Ghat as one has to travel an extra ten kilometers to Ooty. However, a decision to travel  an  additional ten kilometers will takes you through a journey of sheer bliss and pure ecstasy. As we leave behind Mettupalayam, soon we get to read sign posts  Animal crossing - Drive slow.  The rivulets of the Niligris drain into the Bhavani River which is ultimately restricted  by the Lower Bhavani Dam creating  the Bhavanisagar reservoir near Sathyamangalam in  Erode District.  These water bodies are the source of water for the animals and in early mornings and late afternoons we can sight animals commonly, deer and hordes of elephants. The Kotagiri Ghat Road gently climbs into the mountains with the stunning views  the plains of Mettupalayam and Coimbatore and the water bodies of the Bhavani till we turn to reaches the toll gate for entry into Niligris District.  This mountain  falls in the range largely deprived of the Southwest Monsoons and are dominated by the dry scrub and volcanic rocks. Further for the same reason the landslips are minimal and turns out to be an all weather road. Unlike the Coonoor Ghats, the feel of the drive is smooth with the tyres caressing the winding road as we make gradual climb from one hill  to another to reach Kotagiri, the age old Hill Resort of the British Empire established in 1819. The town is 16 kilometers short of Ooty  at an altitude of 1950 meters above sea level . Kotagiri means Mountains of the Kotas tribe who are  experts in the Art of pottery and terracotta.  Kotagiri is situated in the shadow of the Dodda Betta Peak and famous for its salubrious climate. The tourist delights at Kotagiri are the Kodanad View Point, Elk falls and the Catherihene falls. The climatic conditions, the ecology, the weather, the landscape of Kotagiri are very familiar to surrounds in Britain and brought back memories of England which the Britishers had left behind for services to their Kingdom.  It was a boon for the Englishman as they made it their summer home away from the hot and sultry Chennai. As we cross the small town of Kotagiri, we find a distinct change in the ecology. Slowly the look of an English countryside gives way to the evergreen fir and pine trees. There is chill in the weather as we approach the road leading to the Dodda Betta Peak, the highest mountain in the Niligiris District, a junction of the Western ghats and the Eastern Ghats,   It attains a height of 2637 M or 8650 ft above sea level. It has a reserve forest all around and an  observatory at the top where we can view the magnificent panoramic view of the Nilgiris through the telescopes. Another ten kilometers and the roads leads to Charring Cross, the center of Ooty town.    

THE GUDULAR GHAT

NH 212 connects Kozikode in Kerala through the Bandipur National Park to Gundulpet in Karnataka. The tourist coming to Ooty from Kozikode in Kerala  through the Silent Valley take a diversion on SH 28 from Sultan Bakery through Devarshila to reach Gudular. Those coming from Bangalore & Mysore reach Gundulpet on NH 212 and take the NH 67 cutting across Madhumalia National Park.to head for Gudular. Any which way, it is a treat to the eyes for the flora and fauna for the lovers of nature and ecology.  The Gudular Ghat connecting Gundulpet - Bandipur-Madhumalia - Gudular -Ooty on NH 67 is one of the most enchanting and memorable drives we have had in our lifetime. Sighting of animals is a routine affair especially deers, peacocks and elephants. It is a regular feature to  wait patiently for hordes of wild elephants to cross the highway with cars, trucks and buses all standing still  on a guard of honor. It gives one a chilling feeling of fear as the wild elephants make their crossing but once the way is clear and the vehicles move to continue their journey, memories of the sighting of the herd of elephants remains for a long long time. Just twenty kilometers short of Ooty, The Pykara River, sacred to the Todas welcomes the tourists to its fold. The Pykara river rises in the Mukurthi Peak and gets down on the plateau after a series of cascades and falls cultivating  into a must see destination when in Ooty, The Pykara Lake which bewitches the tourist by its sheer scenic beauty.  The Government of Tamilnadu Tourism runs a boat house which are facilitated with speed boats. The ride in the boats in the Pykara Lake along the sholas all along the boundary of the lake  is equally exciting and breadth taking. It is also one of the favorite picnic spots in and around Ooty. 

NH 67 further leads to the Wenlock Downs, a famous film shoot location especially the two locations 6th Mile and 9th Mile (14 KM from Ooty). It has a gentle undulating hills for miles and miles of  grasslands, a look alike of the Yorkshire Dales in England. As the grasslands recede NH 67 winds it way through the crossing at  Thalaikundha, passes the Pine Forest, the one time famous Hindustan Films compound, The Gymkhana club golf course to Charring Crossing in Ooty covering a distance of 67 Kms from Gudular to Ooty.

Travelers coming from Bangalore & Mysore reach Gundulpet on NH 212 and taking the NH 67 cutting across Madhumalia National Park.to head for Gudular, can take a diversion  at the junction of Theppakadu and take the SH 67 to Ooty. . The sanctuary  reception office of Madhumalia National Park is located at Theppakudu.  The forest department provides vehicles for visiting the Park. Theppakudu has also an elephant management camp and facilitates the tourists for joy elephant rides in the mornings and evenings. The sanctuary provides a rich posterity  and environs of diverge wild life like Nilgiris Tahr, Bison, Sambar, Tiger, leopard , spotted deer, Nilgiris langur, and various species of resident and migratory birds. It is located at the base of Nilgiris hills and the Moya River partitions the Madhumalia Sanctuary from Karnataka Bandipur National Park. It has a dense deciduous forest of teak, laurel and rosewood and interspersed with grasslands swamps and bamboo forest. We had experienced the day treks of the Sanctuary  and safari rides during the day and also late at  night. It was a thrilling experience  to sight number of bison  sambar,  herds of elephants and deer. The nearest we got to sighting a tiger was a trail of its pug marks.  Sighting the pug marks excited us and imagine in case we actual sighted a tiger  
walking towards us or crossing our trek trail.  Anyway we were rewarded with our perseverance as we had sighted a leopard waiting to cross the road late in one of our many night rides in the Madhumalia Sanctuary.

       A number of resorts have mushroomed around the environs of Madhumalia National Park especially in Masinasudi and Dodulingi. Being in proximity to the borders of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamilnadu, Madhumalia National Park is turning into a happening place and a getaway for the tourist especially from Ooty. The concept of rooms built on tree tops has caught the fascination of the tourists. It is indeed a awesome experience staying on a tree top surrounded by forest with all modern amenities. To fend away the animals in the proximity the fencing in the periphery of the  resorts are electrocuted at night. We remember waking up in the early dawn to find monkeys and birds making all sorts of sound on top of the roof of the tree house. It was scary in the beginning but as it dawned on us as to where we spent the night we began to enjoy the experience as it just gave us an insight as how our favorite comic hero Tarzen spent the whole life on tree tops.

THE SIGUR GHAT


The SH 67 commences from Theppakadu through  Madhumalia and Masinasudi to Ooty. The road to Ooty is known as the Sigur Ghat or Kalhatti or Steep Ghat. The road has thirty six hair pin bends and very steep terrain. The road is basically a short cut to Ooty - only 33 KMs. The driver is to be well conversant with hill driving. Some portions are so steep that the car is driven in the first gear. But hats off to the foreign tourist whom we saw cycling up to Ooty on this route. She might have had some stamina and physical fitness. This ghat road is only allowed to be traveled during the day time. At night the route is closed to traffic.  The Sigur Wildlife corridor has the highest density of elephants in India and many endangered vultures have been documented in the Sigur plateau, the connection between the Western and Eastern Ghat.  Hence it has the maximum opportunity of sighting or elephants crossing the road. On this ghat road between the tenth and eleventh hairpin from the  side of Thalaikundha, we had sighted the Kurunji Flower blooming along the ghats in the year 2006. The ghat road SH 67 leads to the junction of Thalaikundha where it meets the NH 67 from Gudular and continues to Ooty to reach Charring Cross. 


THE MANJOOR GHAT
Ghat roads are always susceptible to land slips especially during the monsoons. It is nightmarish to hear about the road blocks especially when one in on a holiday to a hill station. Thanks to the efforts of the District authorities of Nilgiris that when on very rare occasions when both the Coonoor ghat and the Kotagiri Ghat are closed, an alternate route through a smaller ghat road is available for local traffic and  tourists  through the Coimbatore - Karamadai - Veliankaov - Pilloor - Gedhai to the town of Manjoor where it  join the route from Upper Bhavani to Ooty. This small ghat road is known as the Manjoor Ghat. 

The Upper Bhavani is around 22 KMs from the town of Manjoor. It is a naturalist paradise and an amphitheatre of undulating landscape with miles and miles of hills covered by sea of grassland. With the mist and fog playing games with nature, ecology was at its zenith. The pleasing topography, the water bodies, the intermittent rains, the sunshine added to the awe. The Upper Bhavani reservoir, the catchment for the Hydroelectric station was a site to behold. One can sit for hours together soaking into the environment and enjoying the blissful surroundings. The drive from Upper Bhavani to Manjoor and further to Ooty through Lovedale is 54 KMs of enchanting and amazing natural scenery at its best leading to Charring Cross, the centre of Ooty.

 Follow Me for Ootacamund  and its surrounds in the Part 2 of Ootacamund and the Ghats of the Blue Mountains.

Oh ! SHANGHAI

2012 is the Year of the Dragon. The Dragon is the most auspicious and powerful of the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs, one associated with high energy and prosperity. The Dragon has five elemental signs - Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. 2012  year is considered especially auspicious because it is the year of The  Water Dragon which is believed to  bestow the Chinese Five Blessings of harmony, virtue, riches, fulfillment and longevity. Morever it has arrived after a period of SIXTY long years. Dragons are mythical powerful creatures worshiped by Chinese culture. A Dragon symbolizes strength, health, harmony, and intellect. There is a belief  in China that the Dragon people are extremely lucky and blessed. The belief have many expectant mothers to plan their  babies in the Dragon Year. Couples tying the knot in the Dragon year look forward to a life of martial bliss.  Maybe Shanghai attracted us as a destination to be visited during the auspicious Year of the Water Dragon.

Shanghai the City of dreams of the People's Republic of China is located in the Yangtze River Delta in eastern China, and situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River in the middle portion of the Chinese coast. Shanghai in Chinese means "Upon the sea". The Mean Sea Level of Shanghai is around 10 feet. Shanghai is the financial and commercial capital of China. The city is at which the top of the recall when one thinks of mainland China. A city booming with a population of 23 million is the show case of business, infrastructure, fashion, consumerism and is China's golden land of opportunity.

The Treaty of Nanking 1842 ending the First opium war between Great Britain and Qing Dynasty of China opened the port of Shanghai for free trade till 1943  The Treaty of the Bogue signed in 1843, and the Sino American Treaty of Wanghia signed in 1844 forced Chinese concession to European and American desires for visitation and trade on Chinese soil. Britain, France, and the United States all carved out concessions outside the walled city of Shanghai  in  the areas that they controlled and where Chinese law did not apply. Most of these were jointly administered as the " Shanghai International Settlement", The Central District of Shanghai were the domain of the British,  Northern and Eastern District were the settlement of the Americans and  French concession between the Chinese North Gate and Central District. These settlements and concessions shaped Shanghai's cityscape significantly. In 1949 the People Liberation Army took control over Shanghai and most foreign firms moved their offices from Shanghai to Hong Kong, as part of an exodus of foreign investment due to the Communist victory.Shanghai was finally permitted to initiate economic reforms in 1991, and in a decade time Shanghai has become a yardstick to measure the development and infrastructure for other cities around the world. In my mind the World Expo 2010 held at Shanghai with a theme Better City - Better life kick started  to make Shanghai the show piece of Mainland China.

The People's Republic of China follows the international system and issues visas according to its laws and regulations which may be modified from time to time. Tourist Visa (L) is issued to aliens who are going to China for tourism, visiting family or other private affairs. The Chinese Consulate General in India have introduced Chinese Visa Application Service Centres ( CVASC) in Mumbai and New Delhi.  VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd., CVASC is a commercial entity completely independent from the Chinese Embassy or the Consulate General. CVASC is responsible for receiving visa applications for visit to mainland China from ordinary passport holders who are Indian citizens and citizens of other countries possessing Indian permanent residence or work permits, collecting visa fees on behalf of the Chinese Embassy or the Chinese Consulate General and returning processed visa applications.  

One should apply about one month in advance of the intended date of entry into China, and do not apply 3 months earlier than your intended date of entry.Application can be downloaded from the CVASC site and application submitted to the Service Center  along with requisite complete travel documents, stay arrangements and six months bank statements to support their finances  to cover their visit to China. Visas are processed in four working days and fees are collected before issuance of Visa. There is a provision of Express Service where Visa are processed by the next working day  at an additional cost. We found CVASC  very professional and efficient in Mumbai

Chinese Visa Application Service Center

Shanghai has two Airports Shanghai Pudong International Airport ( PVG )  serving Shanghai, China, and a major aviation hub in Asia. The other major airport in Shanghai, Hongqiao, mainly serves domestic flights. Located about 55 kilometres east of the city centre, Pudong Airport occupies a 40 square kilometres site adjacent to the coastline in eastern Pudong.

There are many modes of Transportation between Pudong Airport and Shanghai City Center. Airport Shuttle Buses handles the transfer of passengers to various City Hotels. The famed Shanghai Maglev Train operates between Pudong International Airport and Longyang Road.  Trains depart from Pudong Airport Subway Station every day from 06:45 to 21:40 at intervals of 15 to 20 iminutes..There is also a Subway Line 2 connecting Pudong and Puxi stretching to Hongqiao Airport. Passengers have to get off  the train at Guanglan Road Station and then change another metro train to go ahead. The subway operates from 0630 HRS to 2300 HRS

Our flight China Eastern Airlines  from Hong Kong landed in Pudong Airport, Shanghai around 2100 HRS. The airport area was huge but the area was not lit up to have the desired effect. The famed Pudong International Airport was below our expectations. It took us considerable time to reach the designated aerobridge. On deplaning, we walked airport area which was like any other modern international airport taking cue from the sign ages leading to the immigration counters. The immigration checks were swift. However a few questions fortunately in  English were asked about our reasons for trip to Shanghai and our departure plans before our passports were immigration stamped.

On having completed our immigration formalities, we picked our luggage and stood in queue at the only counter available for Chinese currency. The currency in Mainland China is CNY (Chinese Renminbi Yuan.  The denominations are 1 CNY = 10 Jiao = 100 Fen. 
XE - Universal Currency Converter

By the time we got over the formalities and necessities  at the Pudong International airport, Shanghai it was well past 2300 HRS. The famed Maglev train had shut its operations for the night. The last Shanghai Metro train on the Subway line 2 to the Shanghai City centre had left. Since we were booked in a Service Apartment in downtown Shanghai, there was no designate shuttle bus available. The Airport looked to be closing for the night and no way it gave a feel of a International Airport. 

The transportation options dwindled, as  deeper we got into the night and with family, kids, luggage and in a new country we had  no other option than to take a taxi which could carry all six of us. A few enquiries led us to a prepaid taxi counter. The rate of CNY 600 was exorbitant by any standards, but then again our options were limited. We had to make our journey in an unknown place and that too in the middle of the night. It dawned on us that we had made a mistake in scheduling our flights to Shanghai so late at night.

In Shanghai it will be a rare to find a taxi driver knowing to speak English. One has to carry a hand written or computer printed address in both Chinese and English. On hailing a taxi, one has to hand over sheet of paper and the taxi driver drops you at the address.

Our taxi driver made it clear that he will be unable to converse in English. We handed him the printed address, of our Service apartment in Jing An District of Shanghai.We took the T2 though A20 Expressway, A1 (Yingbin Dadao) and then Shanghai North-South Elevated Freeway to downtown Shanghai. The journey was made in silence with uneasy thoughts, as we drove through into the heart of Shanghai late in the night. We hit our destination all safe and sound after an hours travel.

We were elated to reach our apartment. But subsequent experience was a nightmarish. As we walked into the reception of the service apartment we were greeted by the only night receptionist who was unable to speak a word of English. We showed the receptionist our confirmed reservations. After a few telephone calls, our passports were collected and photocopied. Then the receptionist made a series of signs which we could not comprehend. He seems to be at his wits end, almost tearing his hair out. At last he pulled out his wallet and showed us his credit card. Looks he was wanting advance payments through our credit cards. On being shown that full payments has already being made, another series of telephone calls were made by him and after a series of signs and indications from both parti, we were handed over the keys to the Service apartment. The service apartment was a neat and a good pad with a drawing room, modular open kitchen and two bedroom with attached clean toilets. We settled down for the night with  sleep taking over our thoughts  of our expectations of another day in Shanghai.

We woke up with the morning chill of 18 degree C taking us by surprise. There was signs of overnight rains in the vicinity. The sight through our bedroom windows was full of high rise apartment buildings with the main road full of cars, two wheelers and bicycles. It was time to venture out,  first to avail a mobile connections and another to locate the nearest Metro station. The Metro station because the subway is the most manageable of all the transport regardless of the language, fewer stops and easy to learn what parts of city can be reached. Shanghai has a good bus system but the key to the bus system is which stop it is and which stop to get down. One has to have a fair good idea of the bus routes and plus the language barrier is another handicap to travel around in a bus in Shanghai.

The night receptionist was replaced by a couple of smart looking people. One of them could speak English too. After taking directions, we walked towards the market looking for a mobile shop. At every shop or establishment we entered we were greeted with a smile and waving of hands stating that they could not converse in  English. We had half a mind of taking the next flight out of Shanghai. As we walked up and down the streets of Jing An District we could locate a shop which had mobile accessories. Fortunately we could make the shop keeper understand and at long last we manged two mobile connections. Later we found out that to have a International call facility one had to wait for three months. Further it was not easy for us to locate a Public telephone booth to make an International call back home. 

Armed with the mobile connection, we went on an hunt for the nearest Metro Station. We tried all the methods of explaining to people of our target the nearest Metro Station through sign and body  language and even making sketches of the train. We were turned down with the familiar sign of hand No English and a smile. Finally a lady in one of the  banks assisted us in  broken English the way to the nearest Metro Station Jiangsu Lu.  

ExploreShanghai | Shanghai Metro map | ExploreShanghai

 The Shanghai Metro the lifeline of our stay in Shanghai has eleven metro lines, with two hundred and seventy eight stations and over four hundred thirty four kilometers of tracks in operation and the system continues to grow.  The Shanghai Metro delivered 2.1 billion rides estimated to be the fifth busiest Metro in the world 

There are two types of interchange stations: physical interchange and virtual interchange stations. In a physical interchange station, passengers can transfer between subway lines without exiting a fare zone. In a virtual interchange station, however, passengers have to exit and re-enter fare zones as they transfer from one subway line to another.

In order to receive a discounted fare, passengers use a Shanghai Public Transport Card (SPTC) .  While passengers with single-ride tickets must exit and re-enter at these stations to transfer between lines (and therefore re-purchase tickets), Public Transportation Card holders are charged as if the two segments were one, as long as they re-enter within 30 minutes after they exited the other station. Fares are also reduced during this process.

Moreover these SPTC cards can be utilised to travel in taxis, local buses, ferry and Metro Lines. It also helps to skip long queues at the Metro Ticket booth and there is no need to  ask the ticket conductor about the cost of tickets and the destination as very few will know to converse in English.One can buy and load the SPTC card in any of the Metro Stations and various stores. As you pass through the turnstyle machines at the exit station necessary debits will be calculated and the card debited. Balance too is displayed as one exits We purchased the SPTC cards with a deposit of 20 Yuan for each card and loaded them sufficiently to travel around Shanghai.  

The first destination of tourist visit to any city or place is to hit the main square. Further every communist city usually  has an imposing public square to showpiece the world. Shanghai has People's Square.Prior to 1949, People's Square was a part of the horse racing course of Shanghai. After gambling and horse racing were banned, a part of the race course became the People's Square. It is also used as the standard reference point for measurement of distance in the Shanghai municipality.In the 1990s, major changes were made to the square. The Shanghai Municipal Government was moved from the former HSBC Building, and the Shanghai Museum was moved away from the old racetrack. More recent additions include the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall.Other parts of the race course still remain today. The clubhouse buildings became the Shanghai Art Museum, while part of the race track became People's Park, a beautiful and well maintained public park. 

We walked a kilometre and a half to reach the subway station Jiangsu Lu. Swiped our SPTC cards at the turnstile  passed our bags through the security scanner and rode the Metro to People Park on Line 2. It is the busiest subway station in the Shanghai Metro system where Line 1, 2 & 8 operate. In view of interchange station for three lines, it is extremely crowded during peak hours. Further due to the vicinity of shopping and tourist destinations it remains more or less crowded even during the day. There are 17 exits from the People Square station, which gives a fare idea of the passengers the station handles.

We took the exit 1 of People Square subway station and walked into the Shanghai Art Museum which is located at West Nanjing Road and housed in a building designed in 1930 style British architecture. The artwork  in the twelve exhibit hall  ranging  from modern traditional oil to recent canvases and sculptures. It displays a huge collection of photographs. The gallery is a modern art museum serving various floors functions. It collects art works, holds exhibitions, conducts extensive academic exchanges, popularizes aesthetic education and promotes communication between China and the world. The restored wood and marble interiors of this five story, neoclassical landmark  building was equally impressive. In addition to the artwork there is a classy American restaurant  Kathleen's 5 on the fifth floor.

Having feasted our eyes to the exhibits we planned to visit the world famous Shanghai Museum.  A Chinese lady overheard us  as we approached the reception for directions to the Shanghai Museum. 
The lady agreed to show us the way. In broken English we manged to        introduce ourselves and kept talking    as                                                as we walked,  wanting to know about our Indian cultural. It was fun to walk with the Chinese local and she only left us when we reached the entrance of the Shanghai Museum.  Our sincere thanks to the lovely lady who extended us the assistance and hospitality in locating the Shanghai Museum or else it would have been difficult for us to reach our destination. We parted  but not before we exchanged our photographs with each others camera.                                                      

The Shanghai Museum is a world famous museum of ancient Chinese Art with an estimated 8000 daily entries.  The Museum building is shaped with a square base and a round top attached with arches like a bronze Ding indicating the ancient Chinese philosophy of the universe that the earth is square while the sky is round. In front of the building stand eight imposing marble statues of guardian lions. The museum has an estimated one million pieces of the collections and most of them are national treasures. There are galleries of Bronze of unique shapes, delicate decor and superb techniques will tell us the 1500 year of the great Chinese Bronze age. The Sculpture Gallery show how Buddhism harmonized with the Chinese traditional culture over the years. The Painting Gallery unfolding the glorious history of Chinese Painting. Then there was the Galleries of Seal, Calligraphy, Jade, Ming and Qing furniture, Chinese currency , ancient Silk Road Coins and the Chinese Ceramics tracing 8000 years of Chinese Ceramic history. We experienced the history and fabulous artistic creation of China. One needs a whole days time to go around the fantastic galleries of the Shanghai Museum.

Shanghai is a world famous shoppers paradise. The ladies here are very fashion conscious and they like to show off the latest brands of the world.  Nanjing Road starts at the Bund in the East and ends in the West at Jing'an Temple. It is a must see metropolis destination attracting thousands of fashion seekers. shoppers all around the world. An estimated one million people visit Nanjing Road daily.  It is one of the earliest shopping streets started by the British Concessions after the opium war. For the convenience of the shoppers the East Nanjing Road has an all weather pedestrian arcade The East Nanjing Road and pedestrian mall ends at People's Square and from there the West Nanjing Road begins featuring a number of  upmarket malls, hotels and Office buidings. The showpiece of the brands is the West Nanjing  Road where one can find the latest brands which craze the world.

The next day we rode the Subway Line 2 from Jiangsu Road to People Square on Line 2 and changed over to Line 11 and reached Metro Station XuJiaHui. Just a few minutes outside the subway station is the famous  XuJiaHui Square which  is the biggest shopping destinations of Shanghai. The development at Xujiahui has in the last ten years has kept pace with the development of Shanghai. Today the place boasts a galaxy of well-known malls Grand Gateway, Orient Shopping Center, Pacific, Shanghai LiuBai, HuiJin Department store, Pacific Digital Plaza, Metro City, Sunrise Department store, HuiLian Department store, etc. The Shanghainese enjoy shopping at Xujiahui due to its close proximity of the subway and a choice of number of modern and fashionable malls. The ladies constitute the bulk of the shoppers, and most off the Malls are  oriented to ladies goods.  Xujiahui is also a famous destination of Shanghai for electronics items with Metro City and Pacific Digital Plaza leading the way. In case one  has a fascination for electronic goods, when in Shanghai, a visit to the Electronic mall is a must destination.  The Metro City building looks like a large glass golf ball and the whole mall contains an array of latest computers, cameras, laptops, phones mp3s, TVs, DVDs.  Usually one of the staff members speaks a little English. There is a lot of bargaining even on branded products. Shanghai is a famous destination for cyber market, and people do not look out for a guarantee or receipt. Prices are low and negotiable but how long everything will last is another matter. However, visit to  Xujiahui was a good  shopping experience, the crowd was good, the infrastructure was awesome and gave us an insight of development taking place in China.

After a quick lunch at a McDonald, we rode the subway on Line 11 from Xjiahui to South Shanxi Road. Crossed over  to Line 10 and again rode the subway to Yayauan Garden. As we walked towards the garden we came across the buildings of classical Chinese architecture with the eaves of the roofs stretching out towards the sky . We gasped at the beauty of the buildings and our cameras flashed. For the first time we felt that we were in real China.  

Yayauan Gardens is a famous classical garden finished in 1577 AD by a Government Officer of Ming Dynasty named Pan Yunduan. Yu in Chinese means pleasing and satisfying. This garden was specially built for Pan's parents as a place for them  to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. The scenic spots are the wall of cloud piercing Dragon, spring transforming hall, Jade exquisite, Moon appreciating pavilion. The  various chambers are Yuhua Hall, Sansui Hall, Wanhua Chamber, Dianchun Hall, Huijing Hall and the inner garden.The true treasure of the Yayauan Gardens is the exquisite Jade Rock. It is one of the three famous rocks in the southern region of the Yangtze River.

As evening set in it was time to move to the Bund. Moreover, we were looking forward to meet our old boarding school mate and we had promised to meet at the Bund. The Bund is the cultural section of Shanghai that best represents the blending of ancient and modern influences. This renowned waterfront district is the city's most famous landmark. Local people honor the Huangpu River as Mother River, and as you view the lights and spectacle from the main the deck of your evening cruise, you will understand why. It has been the center of Shanghai's politics, economy and culture for more than hundred yeras. The Bund has many of the Neo classical Beaux Art and Art Demo historical buildings lined along the Huangpu River which once housed the numerous Consulates, banks and trading houses from the erstwhile Shanghai International Settlement of British, Americans, France, Russia etc. The Bund houses twenty six buildings  of various architectural style like Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism, Renaissance and has being named as the Gallery of World Architecture.When night falls and the lights are on, all buildings are lit with colorful lights, glistening and dazzling to the eye. Further the lit skyline of Pudong  other side of the Bund was awesome and in my view should be rated one of the best night view sites. The cheapest way to cross the River Huangpu from Puxi to Pudong is to take ferry from the Bund near Yan'an Donglu. A more expensive way is to cross through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel (north of Peace Hotel) which is basically a underground travelator featuring several minutes of blinking lights. Yan'an Tunnel is the main roads for cars and taxis. There is no bridge for  to cross over, and the options are  metro, taxi, ferry, sightseeing tunnel and bus. We met our old school mate along with his European wife at a rather interesting Restaurant which has been located at a erstwhile Lighthouse a past emblem of  Old World Shanghai. We walked up the spiral staircase of this old Lighthouse and the third floor opened to reveal a beautiful place that gave a panoramic view of the Bund and modern Pudong, It was a fitting place for a reunion with  an old friend after a gap of thirty five years.  The conversion turned to Chinese  cuisines and our host suggested to try out the Chinese Hotpot. The Hotpot is a creation of the Chinese with a 2000 years history. It is extremely favored by the Chinese especially in winter, it is an ideal choice for a warm family get together. The dining custom of the hotpot is having a copper pot in the center of the table with a gas stove underneath, containing a simmering soup base. Various food materials are placed in to the pot, including sliced mutton, chicken, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, glass noodles, frozen bean curd and sea food. The foods are cooked only for a few seconds after placing into the boiling soup and then can be eaten with a dipping sauce. Indeed a memorable evening in Shanghai.

The next morning we planned to visit  Pudong, an area a decade ago was an agriculture land, a country side only connected by ferries. Today Pudong reflects to the world the modern Shanghai, The Chinese take pride of the development as it is their own creation. Many of the best known buildings and landmarks of Shanghai such as Shanghai Stock Exchange, Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Building - The Shanghai Financial Center are located in Pudong.  These modern skyscrapers face the remnant of the old Shanghai concessions with only the Huangpu River separating the old and the new face of Shanghai.


We rode the Metro on Line 2 to Century Park, the largest ecological park in Shanghai. The park landscaping combines Japanese, British and Chinese gardening styles, The Park has traditional Chinese Gardens, lakes, open grassland and forests. It has cycle cars, amusement parks, boating, picnic spots and running tracks and lots and lots of fresh air. The park is fondly known as the Holiday park where one can spend a whole day with family and friends, indeed a gift for the people of Shanghai.

      Close to the Century Park is China's most visited museum, The Shanghai                                                                                                              
Science and Technology Museum.It is  science land with nature, culture and technology. It attracts millions of people every year. The museum has thirteen permanent exhibitions - World of Robots, Information Era, Home on Earth, Light of Exploration, Human and Health, Spectrum of life, Animal world, Spiders, Children Rainbow land, Space Navigation, Earth's exploration, Light of Wisdom , Crafts of Design and four science theaters - Imax 3D, Imax Dome, IWERKS and Space Theater. 

The hi-tech science museum has exhibits for all ages and has different suggested tours for the family, adults, teenagers and the elderly. The exhibits were awesome and at times left us spell bound and for each one of us it was a day well spent. It also gave us an insight of the Chinese concern for education and investments for innovations.

It was time to pack our bags and leave Shanghai to our next destination Macau. We planned to ride the famed Maglev Train on our way to the Pudong International Airport. The Maglev Train is a magnetic suspension train.The train does not  touch the rail tracks but floats over a magnetic barrier separating the train from the the tracks beneath. The Maglev Technology is generation of controllable electromagnetic field by exciting on board levitation magnets and the magnets along the guideway, thereby attracting each other, thus pulling the train upward and a stable levitation gap ranging between 8 and 12 mm  is maintained by controlling the levitation excitation current.The 30 KM stretch from Longyang Road Metro Station to Pudong Airport is covered within eight minutes, touching a maximum speed of 431 KM/Hour. It is a joint effort of the Germans and Chinese Technology that the Maglev Train is in place. It is one of its kind in the world to be operating commercially. Maglev is the future of mass transportation program and a show piece for the world tourists to acknowledge China's strength  in the field of engineering and technology.         

We were fortunate to get two  taxis  to drop us at the Jiangsu Lu Metro Station, a distance of one and half kilometer. We planned to take the subway from Jiangsu Lu to Longyang to ride the Maglev  for the Airport.  In Shanghai unlike other cities has a check in system for airlines at City Air Terminal Office, Jingam Temple only for domestic Airport Hongqiao. Hence we had no way but to carry our luggage on the subway. As usual at the subway turnstle the security insisted on security check of the luggage through the X ray machine. The smaller bags went through the process but one of the bigger bags got stuck in the X ray machine. Most of the security personnel joined in  pulling and pushing the bag but the bag remained stuck. Already we were getting delayed for the flight and panic was setting in when thoughts crossed our minds that we may have to wait for services of the X ray machine company technicians. However the bag came out after a few stops and starts of the machine. As we breathe a sigh a relief, the security personnel insisted on the security checks through the X ray machine of the remaining bags. Fortunately the bags went through the X ray machine without any issues. 

We availed the subway at Jiangsu Lu on Line 2 to Longyang Road Metro Station. and the escalator to the upper deck where the marvelous sight of the Maglev Train awaited us. There is a museum of the Maglev train at Longyang Station which we had to skip because of paucity of time. The train attendants guided us to our seats. The interiors were flush and royal. The seats were aeroplane style. All carriages were equipped with the racks and space designated for luggage.  

The Maglev Train was one of  our main attractions of visiting Shanghai and we were very excited of taking the ride. As we took our seats, we looked around for seat belts, apprehensive of the speed, but there were none. As the train started we could feel a slight lift and slowly the train began take off like the Olympians taking off from their blocks. As the train reached to the maximum speed of 430 KM/Hour, the trees and buildings blurred  creating a awesome effect. It gave a thrilling feeling of feeling free wheeling and one cannot explain the thrill till one takes a ride on the Maglev Train. 
            

The Maglev Train ride was fitting finale of our visit to Shanghai and as we boarded the China Eastern Airlines  to take us to our next destination Macau, we knew in our hearts that we will cherish the memories of visit to Shanghai. We also take the opportunity for extending our sincere gratitude and thanks for the wonderful stay, the warmth and hospitality of the Shaghainese and wishing the best of times to one and all during the Year of the Water Dragon .