Day 86 Xi'an back to Shanghai

Friday, 1/9/09, hazy, sunny, and cold. The rest of my stay is Shanghai is sunny, but cold. The driver is a little early, and tries to renegotiate the price again. At the airport, I discover I am in the first class line, but the lady helps me anyway. I misread the seat number for the gate number and walk to the opposite end of the airport from where I am supposed to be. I am early, so it is not a problem. After take off, we climb out of the darker air and into clear sunlight at about 10,000 feet. The meal and beverage are free again. I choose fish-rice. Another difference is that the airline food actually tastes good here.

At Shanghai, I ride the new Maglev train (magnetic levitation), which takes me 2/3 of the way back to the city center in 8 minutes. Max speed is 430 kilometers per hour. Except for one bump, the ride is smooth, with even acceleration the first half, and even deceleration on the second half. I had wondered if there would be any unusual sensation, like all the iron in my blood moving to the top of my head, but it felt just like a regular train. Lonely Planet says the cars on the road look like they are going backwards. They really do. I take the subway the rest of the way to People's Square and the Park Hotel. The cost and the time of the train and the subway are less than half of the cost and time of a taxi. I watch and enjoy the evening view from my room above the park. After dark, there are moving light effects on the Capitaland Building. Pizza Hut delivers in China.