Shanghai
and
Tokyo
Trip
Report
Audrey
Anderson,
VP
Marketing,
EWA
Travel
(December
2003)
The
trip
was
hosted
by
All
Nippon
Airlines
and
included
business
class
accommodations
to
China
and
Japan
and
hotel
accommodations
(5star)
at
the
Holiday
Inn
in
Shanghai
and
Royal
Park
hotel
in
Tokyo
.
Most
meals
were
also
included.
Airline:
We
checked
in
at
Dulles
airport
two
hours
prior
to
departure
with
no
wait
in
line
as
business
class
passengers
(and
first)
have
a
special
desk.
We
then
proceeded
to
the
ANA
lounge
are
(there
is
a
separate
lounge
for
first
class)
which
is
a
modern
layout
with
comfortable
seating
complimentary
snacks
and
beverages
at
a
service
bar
area.
Boarding
at
time
of
departure
is
very
convenient;
you
simply
proceed
down
a
short
walkway
directly
from
the
lounge
onto
the
plane.
Seating
onboard
the
777
aircraft
in
business
is
2X4X2.
The
seat
is
very
comfortable,
but
does
not
allow
you
to
fully
recline.
The
footrest
itself
can
also
fall
down
and
I
ended
up
using
my
carry
on
to
prop
it
up.
Service
is
outstanding.
All
crewmembers
go
out
of
their
way
to
please
you
and
bring
you
anything
that
you
need.
Food
service
consists
of
a
choice
between
Japanese
and
American.
The
two
American
choices
I
tried
were
inedible,
but
the
Japanese
selections
were
very
good.
There
is
a
snack
station
where
you
can
help
yourself
to
water,
earplugs
and
even
a
facemask
that
helps
retain
moisture.
A
cam
record
mounted
on
the
underside
of
the
plane
allows
you
window
views
even
if
you
have
an
aisle.
It
is
very
interesting
to
watch
the
take
off
and
landing.
Each
seat
is
equipped
with
multiple
seat
adjustments,
reading
light
and
individual
monitor,
which
slides
out
from
the
armrest.
The
viewing
consists
of
several
top
release
movies,
special
ANA
programming
(travel
editions
some
taped
serial
TV
programs,
video
games
and
a
several
channels
of
music
options.
Flight
time
to
Tokyo
is
14
hours
with
a
ETA
at
2:00AM
body
clock
time
but
3:30PM
local
time
it
is
initially
temping
to
take
in
all
the
movie
selections
I
recommend
you
try
to
get
at
least
4-5
hours
of
sleep.
The
layover
was
about
3
hours
in
Tokyo
with
another
31/2
hour
flight
to
Shanghai
makes
the
total
travel
time
about
22
hours.
After
a
good
night’s
rest
and
our
group
was
ready
to
go
the
next
day.
Hotel
Accommodations
in
Shanghai
:
Our
hotel
was
the
Holiday
Inn
right
next
to
the
train
station.
After
viewing
other
properties
I
would
probable
suggest
that
one
stay
near
the
People’s
square
or
Janjing
Road
area.
Rooms
were
adequate
and
the
restaurant
good.
Sightseeing
in
Shanghai:
I
recommend
picking
up
a
guide
book
from
either
Lonely
Planet
or
Berlitz
so
you
have
some
bearing
and
are
enlightened
as
to
some
interesting
historical
facts.
If
time
allows,
I
would
recommend
a
traveler
to
spend
at
least
2
weeks
visiting
also
Beijing
(including
the
Great
Wall
and
a
Yangtze
river
cruise)
and
Hongkong.
Currently
the
population
is
13
million
people,
which
makes
it
the
highest
population
density
in
China
.
In
order
to
accommodate
this
many
people,
much
of
the
existing
housing
must
be
torn
down
to
be
replaced
by
high-rises.
It
is
apparent
when
you
see
the
city
of
Shanghai
that
much
construction
is
taking
place
and
already
has
taken
place.
The
guidebook
mentions
that
the
skyline
can
change
overnight.
There
is
mix
of
low-rise
buildings
and
new
skyscrapers
interlaced
with
an
elevated
highway
system.
A
new
subway
connects
the
airport
with
the
new
Pudong
area.
Because
of
the
congestion
and
traffic,
a
good
driver
is
highly
recommended.
There
is
an
ever
presence
of
foreign
investment
companies
and
immense
office
parks
in
the
outskirts.
A
billboard
shows
a
two-car
single
family
home
similar
to
what
we
have
here
in
the
US
although
most
housing
for
the
Chinese
is
in
high-rise
apartments.
The
main
sights
are:
Pudong
(new
area
with
many
banks,
new
high-rise
hotels),
the
Bund
area
with
the
famous
Peace
Hotel
next
to
the
Huangpu
River,
Huangpu
River
cruise
(I
recommend
evening
unless
you
enjoying
viewing
ship
loading
cranes),
the
Yuyuan
garden
and
bazaar
(best
shopping),
Jade
Buddha
Temple,
Jinmao
Tower
for
the
best
view),
Shanghai
Acrobatics
at
the
Shanghai
Center,
Shanghai
museum,
Shanghai
Arts
and
Crafts
Research
Institute
(incredible
embroidery).
A
little
secret
is
the
Shanghai
Urban
Planning
exhibition
(near
Renin
Square
and
the
Shanghai
Museum
)
where
they
have
all
the
existing
and
new
buildings
on
a
miniature
scale
plan
of
the
Shanghai
of
the
future.
Chinese
are
big
on
gardens
and
they
make
the
most
of
a
limited
amount
of
space.
Once
you
have
seen
one
however,
they
all
start
looking
about
the
same
(I
think
we
saw
about
nine).
The
Chinese
enjoy
rock
sculptures
primarily
large
rocks
that
are
placed
in
a
nearby
lake
to
erode
for
several
years.
You
see
these
rocks
in
most
all
gardens.
The
best
gardens
are
Yuyuan
in
Shanghai
and
the
Garden
of
the
Master
of
the
Nets
in
Suzhou
.
Shopping:
the
best
area
for
small
gifts,
purses
and
trinkets
is
Yuyuan
Bazaar.
It
is
common
in
most
areas
of
China
to
barter
or
haggle.
If
you
are
with
a
tour,
your
guide
may
arrange
a
preset
discount
(50%
in
most
shops).
Best
buys
are
silk,
fresh
water
pearls,
embroidery
and
other
Chinese
souvenirs.
The
Huaihai
Lu
area
hosts
many
designer
stores
(Bally,
Prada,
Cartier)
and
the
Huaihai
Market
has
designer
copycats
for
peanuts.
The
Huating
Marking
is
also
famous
for
bargains
but
fakes
(some
carry
three
different
designer
labels
on
one
market).
A
friend
that
lives
in
Shanghai
had
a
customized
Mandarin
dress
made
for
$23.00
including
the
silk
fabric!
Good
but
not
inexpensive
are
items
from
the
Shanghai
Museum
gift
shop.
Suzhou
These
are
several
excursions
that
you
can
take,
but
Suzhou
is
top
in
the
Jiangsu
region.
It
is
called
the
“
Venice
”
of
China
with
14
canals
and
bridges.
It
is
also
the
silk
production
center.
Tour
highlight
includes:
canal
cruise,
Garden
of
the
Master
of
the
Nets
(buy
inexpensive
silk
art
in
the
gift
shop),
Yunyan
Pagoda,
and
the
Suzhou
silk
factory.
The
silk
factory
was
definitely
the
hit
with
our
group
of
shoppers
and
it
was
interesting
to
see
how
the
factory
is
set
up.
Most
all
Chinese
partake
in
the
production
of
silk
by
keeping
silk
worms
(which
eat
the
leaves
of
the
Mulberry
tree)
on
the
farms
and
sell
off
lots
to
the
silk
factory.
In
order
to
spool
the
silk
thread
from
the
cocoons,
the
cocoon
are
first
boiled
in
water
to
kill
the
larvae
inside.
Any
other
means
would
damage
the
long
silk
thread
(one
cocoon
has
one
thread
several
football
field
lengths
and
is
stronger
than
a
steel
wire).
The
thread
is
transferred
onto
a
spool,
then
dyed
for
weaving.
The
smaller
or
damage
cocoons
are
stretched
into
one
thin
layer
in
the
size
of
a
bedspread,
staking
several
layers
to
become
a
comforter.
You
can
buy
several
weights
for
a
cost
of
only
$50-70.
A
silk
duvet
in
various
colors
and
patterns
is
an
additional
$120.00.
Another
store
adjacent
features
various
silk
clothing
for
all
ages,
silk
robes,
scarves
and
bolts
of
silk
material. We
also
visited
an
embroidery
studio.
You
can
purchase
items
there
ranging
from
$50-5,000
included
a
mahogany
and
glass
display
casing.
Food:
Eating
out
is
social
event
with
most
restaurants
featuring
multiple
private
rooms
with
a
large
lazy
susan
in
the
middle
for
sharing
a
vast
array
of
dishes.
Food
in
Shanghai
and
Suzhou
tends
to
be
oily,
our
guide
suggests
that
drinking
green
tea
helps
with
the
digestion.
Many
restaurants
overcharge,
so
check
you
bill
carefully.
In
season
while
there
was
the
Dazha
hairy
crab
(similar
to
our
Chesapeake
crab
in
size),
but
the
are
expensive
($16-22).
A
meal
with
7
courses,
soup,
one
beverage
and
dessert
was
an
average
of
$7.00.
There
are
several
fast
food
choices
(including
McDonalds
and
KFC)
and
street
stalls
serve
many
specialties
including
fried
dumplings
(careful
of
the
hot
oil).
One
fast
food
establishment
adjacent
to
hotel
had
a
large
bowl
in
beef
soup
for
$3.00.
Must
Know
Tips:
Before
you
go
you
will
need
a
visa.
You
can
print
the
application
online
and
processing
takes
5
business
days
and
costs
about
$50.00.
It
is
helpful
to
read
a
guidebook
about
cultural
etiquette,
you
should
always
present
your
business
card
with
both
hands
and
you
should
never
shame
or
embarrass
anyone.
The
guidebook
did
not
reveal
that
you
can
no
longer
drink
tap
water
in
Shanghai
.
Most
hotels
give
you
a
couple
of
bottles
complimentary,
but
you
may
want
to
stock
up
on
additional
from
any
conveniences
store
(usually
.25-.50).
Because
of
the
shear
masses
of
people,
be
very
careful
crossing
any
road.
The
Chinese
do
not
have
any
queuing
order,
it
is
every
man
for
himself.
If
someone
is
walking
on
a
collision
course
with
you,
it
is
up
to
you
to
move
out
of
the
way.
Because
the
government
controls
the
exchange
rate,
it
is
the
same
at
any
location.
Your
hotel
is
the
most
convenient.
Save
$12
US
for
the
departure
tax.
Leaving
Pudong
Airport
is
a
bit
of
an
ordeal,
allow
yourself
a
minimum
of
2
hours.
Luckily,
our
guide
assisted
us
through
some
of
the
process.
You
first
go
through
a
temperature
test
and
need
to
fill
out
a
form
while
also
trying
to
move
with
the
crowd
(you
may
want
to
memorize
your
passport
number).
Then
you
obtain
a
pass
(similar
to
Metro)
for
your
departure
tax.
There
are
two
security
checks
and
another
“departure
check”.
Make
sure
you
check
your
baggage
claim
ticket
to
see
if
the
destination
is
correct
(they
missed
on
4
out
of
7
for
our
group).
Tokyo
We
boarded
a
new
Boeing
767
aircraft
with
a
2X1X1
seat
configuration.
We
all
preferred
this
plane
to
the
777
for
comfort,
seat
pitch,
and
other
amenities.
We
only
had
two
days
in
Tokyo
,
I
would
recommend
at
least
one
week.
Hotel
Accommodations:
Royal
Park
Hotel:
Located
in
the
financial
district,
it
was
very
convenient
to
the
Metro
(just
an
escalator
ride)
and
express
bus
to
the
airport
(next
door
terminal).
Very
upscale
5
star
hotel
with
6
restaurants
(one
changes
its
name
and
theme
every
two
months,
soon
to
be
a
Vietnamese
style
restaurant)
and
two
chapels
(weddings
are
big).
We
were
fortunate
to
be
on
the
concierge
level
with
a
complimentary
breakfast
served
on
the
top
floor
and
a
complimentary
lounge
with
hors’doerves
and
cocktails
in
the
evening.
A
Japanese
turn
down
service
was
also
complimentary.
Attractions:
Meiji
Jingu
Temple
:
Shrine
and
gardens
dedicated
to
the
Emperor
Meiji
and
Empress
Skoken.
Akihabara:
Blocks
of
discount
appliances
and
electronics.
Imperial
Place:
Only
the
gardens
are
open
visitors
with
the
exception
of
New
Years
Day
and
the
Emperors
birthday.
The
Gardens
are
also
closed
for
viewing
on
Mondays
and
Fridays,
so
plan
accordingly.
Nezu
Institute
of
Fine
Arts
–
museum
of
classical
Japanese
scroll
and
screen
paintings.
Tokyo
Tower
–
similar
to
the
famous
Eiffel
Tower
,
you
have
sweeping
views
of
Tokyo
including
(on
a
clear
day)
Mt.
Fuji
.
Ginza
–
the
first
and
foremost
shopping
district.
Go
the
basement
of
any
department
store
(where
all
foodstuffs
are
sold)
and
sample
the
wares
on
display.
Tsukiji
Fish
Market:
Go
early
(
5-6AM
)
for
an
experience
of
a
lifetime.
You
will
never
see
more
seafood
in
you
life!
Must
Know
Tips
:
Japan
is
very
clean
and
very
safe.
With
a
good
map,
the
metro
system
is
the
easiest
and
least
expensive
way
to
navigate
around
the
city.
No
visa
is
required.
The
Japanese
are
very
conscenenious
and
polite.
It
is
common
for
the
sick
to
wear
a
mask
covering
their
nose
and
mouth
to
prevent
others
from
infection.
Be
wary
when
purchasing
electronics.
Some
are
in
Japanese
language
and
standards.
Earthquakes
and
tremors
are
very
common.
All
structures
are
built
to
withstand
any
possible
damage.
Food:
Japanese
cuisine
is
not
limited
to
just
sushi,
there
are
over
190,000
establishments
featuring
an
array
of
tastes.
Generally
foods
of
other
cultures
are
best
and
most
authentic
uptown,
in
Ginza
,
Akasaka,
Roppoongi,
Hiroo
and
Daikanyama.
Department
stores
and
high-rise
office
buildings
have
whole
floors
of
inexpensive
restaurants
and
snack
bars
but
tend
to
be
crowded
and
Western
style
food
should
be
avoided.
A
real
treat
for
us
was
our
last
night
at
the
hotel
where
we
had
excellent
Sake
(served
cold)
Shabu
Shabu
(
a
type
of
fondue
with
broth
with
excellent
Kobe
style
meat)
and
Blow
Fish
(which
was
specially
ordered)
the
deadly
fish
which
has
to
be
prepared
by
a
certified
sushi
chef.
Shopping:
The
most
popular
shopping
in
the
upscale
shops
in
the
Ginza
district.
They
also
have
upscale
prices.
Our
group
enjoyed
a
little
bazaar
called
the
Oriental
Bazaar,
which
consists
of
three
levels
of
various
shopkeepers
featuring
traditional
Japanese
gifts
and
souvenirs.
Items
featured
are
kimonos,
ceramics,
lacquerware,
dolls,
and
jewelry
(pearls).
The
gift
shop
at
the
Meiji
Jingu
has
a
good
selection
of
souvenirs
also.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phoenix
Trip
Report
Frank
Abruzzese,
VP
International
Operations
Donna
and
I
and
another
couple
went
to
Phoenix
over
the
weekend
of
the
05
Dec.
We
took
the
non
stop
from
Dulles,
United
of
course,
and
took
our
golf
clubs
with
us.
We
preprinted
our
boarding
passes
before
we
left
for
the
airport
so
that
saved
a
lot
of
time
and
used
the
curb
side
checkin
for
our
clubs
so
we
did
not
have
a
hassle
with
them.
We
flew
coach
and
it
is
highly
recommend
to
take
some
food
on
board
as
what
use
to
be
a
decent
snack
is
now
some
peanut
butter,
crackers,
a
piece
of
chocolate,
chips
and
a
cookie.
Not
much
food
for
a
4-5
hour
flight.
We
stayed
at
the
Embassy
Suites
in
Scottsdale
for
4
nights
and
had
a
nice
room
with
a
view
of
the
golf
course.
Embassy
Suites
provides
a
full
cook
to
order
breakfast
every
morning
and
an
afternoon
mangers
reception
every
evening.
It
was
a
very
nice
property
for
the
money.
We
also
got
4
rounds
of
golf,
so
Billie
and
I
played
3
days
in
a
row
on
different
courses
that
were
all
pretty
nice.
Getting
a
package
deal
made
the
cost
per
couple
less
than
$1000.00
including
a
car
rental.
Not
bad
for
Arizona
golf
in
midseason.
Donna
and
Vicki
did
some
shopping
while
we
played
golf
and
one
day
they
drove
up
to
Sedona
to
see
that
area
of
Arizona.
If
we
go
back
next
year
we
might
spend
a
couple
of
nights
up
there.
They
said
it
was
beautiful.
We
also
went
to
a
casino
one
evening
and
did
a
little
gambling.
They
also
had
a
floor
show
there
that
was
free,
so
that
was
a
bonus.
The
weather
in
Dec
was
in
the
80's
each
day,
normally
it's
around
65-70
so
it
was
perfect.
Checking
out
was
very
easy
as
they
just
left
the
bill
under
the
door
the
last
morning.
All
in
all
it
was
a
very
nice
trip
and
Phoenix
is
a
nice
place
to
visit
and
shop.