A Fun Night Out

With the kids back at the hotel enjoying room service, and the two of us emboldened by our successful navigation of the subway, we headed for a stroll on the neon-illuminated Nanjing Lu (pictured above). This bustling pedestrian lane is lined with branded, high end stores and filled with strolling shoppers, inexplicable flash mob aerobics classes, and hawkers selling 'watch-bag-shoe'.

On Li's recommendation we went to dinner a few blocks off the main drag at a traditional Chinese restaurant called Xianjiangfan. The food was excellent and entertainment was provided in the form of a three-actor opera titled 'The King's Opear Walks in the Garden'. Although the drums were loud enough to interrupt conversation and the high pitched screeching was somewhat annoying, the costumes were magnificent and it was overall an entertaining backdrop for a great dinner.

After dinner we headed back to Pudong for a drink on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao tower at Cloud 9, reportedly the highest bar in the world. The route to the top involves three different elevator rides, and it was worth it. The views were spectacular and the drinks were tasty. After a few martinis we descended to the Jin Mao lobby to find a downpour and a very long taxi line. We were happy to walk the mile back to our hotel in the warm rain, watching brilliant bolts of lightning traverse the Shanghai skyline. We were soaked as we entered the Oriental Riverside lobby, and grateful for the fun night on the town.