Shanghai, China - Day 1

Our party arrived at Pudong Airport (PVG) in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, more than a little weary from our 17 some odd hours of travelling from Dallas (DFW) through Chicago (ORD).

I was lucky enough to sit next to a co-worker for the Chicago to Pudong segment. Couple of things we figured out ( and no, it doesn't include world peace):

• Gin is a great way to pass the time. We played 6 hours of it. At the end, I was only 6 points ahead. Of course, that still makes me the winner! :)
• There should be a version of Survivor based on long haul international flights in coach. There would be things like immunity challenges won by making it to the bathroom without waking sleeping travellers, or who can 'hold it' the longest. There is all the drama of the popular show; personality clashes with the other passengers sitting behind you in coach, near physical confrontation over the slightest perceived insults! Maybe Jeff Probst will pick up our idea!

Well, after surviving the tedious bordeom of the flight, managing the hurdles (ingore those images of OJ Simpson dashing through the airport that just popped into your mind, its just a figure of speech) at the airport, we checked into the Pudong Shangri-La in Shanghai. By far the nicest hotel I've ever stayted in.

There is nothing quite like exiting the baggage area at the Pudong airport, you've got a throng of people all excited to see you, photo flashes going off in your eyes! There is a red stripe your supposed to follow that looks remarkably like a 'red-carpet', that terminates with a white gloved attendant holding a sign with your name on it, who quickly whisks you into your own personal car. So this is what [insert your favorite Hollywood star here] feels like!

BTW, if you search for Shangrila in MSN search, you'll receive *ahem* questionable results. Evidently Shangrila has the same meaning in many countries!