February 17-19, 2019
Sunday, February 17
This was a huge transition day for us. We said all our goodbyes to the wonderful staff/friends we spent the past 31 days with and headed to the Grand Hyatt in the famous Jin Mao Building in the amazing Pudong district of Shanghai.
This experience did not disappoint! We arrived and the building is basically across from the famous Pearl TV tower and Shanghai Observatory Building, the second tallest building in the world.
The hotel lobby is on the 54thfloor and you are wisked up a high-speed elevator that gets you there in less than 10 seconds, causing ear-pops every time! The lobby features impressive views of Shanghai and I knew we were in for a great experience.
Honestly, I booked this hotel through my Chase Visa because we got a reduced rate, free breakfast, beverage credits and check-in/-out perks, with the potential for an upgraded room. I knew Mama would be more comfortable in something a bit more upscale than I normally book, but I was also happy to go out with a bang on this leg of the trip.
Post-nap we set out to find an ATM for some cash, a bit of food, and then to check out the Grand Hyatt pool and spa on our way back in. Adjacent to our hotel was one of the infamous Chinese super malls housing glamorous Alexandar McQueen, Givency, D&G and those type of stores. We wandered around just browsing (stumbling on the most amazing childrens clothing stores I have ever seen!) and found our way to the basement where there was Super China store that has everything from fresh produce to sushi to tea kettles, international wines, face masks, and mouth wash. I love getting lost in stores like this!
Mama and I decide to pick up random light snacks here for dinner in lieu of a full meal. We got our cash and then headed back to the hotel for spa time. On our walk back, night had settled on Shanghai and the sky scrapers of Pudong were all now illuminated with spectacular LED lights like nothing we had ever seen before. It was a spectacular sight and I could not stop taking photos.
The Grand Hyatt did not disappoint with a full cold plunge-hot plunge-hot tub set up in addition to a lap swimming pool, as well as a dry and hot steam sauna. I was in heaven. I cooked myself to a bright red, took a shower, ate my snacks, and hopped into bed.
Monday, February 18
Rain, rain go away. It was just one of those days. Cold. Wet. Ugly. Not a day for being a tourist. Luckily one of the Hop-On-Hop-Off stops is right across the street from our hotel so we were able to take the tourist bus rides all over the city with minimal effort. It was still damn cold though.
I didn’t get a lot of pictures because it was pouring and I was freezing and the sky scrapers were all lost in the clouds.
We got a nice feel for the city though and it was amazing to learn that the Pudong district we are staying in basically only developed over the past 20 years. Before then, no one wanted to live on theat side of the river! Now it’s where all the epic buildings are located with a nightlife that feels like Vegas!
We ended the trip with a great Chinese dinner and wines. Cheers to a fantastic trip!
And, as always, Go Tigers!
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