Loren Pechtel

Can you buy a month's worth of broadband internet service in Shanghai?

moondog

南京路
延安路
淮海路
(For getting across town)
?

JPDM

Drinking red wine at room temperature is indeed grotesque. I find it amazing that even high-end restaurants like Capital M in Beijing would serve an excellent wine at room temperature.

YuropFlyer

Well, with some restaurants having their aircon set so low, room temperature might actually be alright

Funny thread, by the way, with OP having fleed from FT after his post

sinoflyer

Wait until you visit Europe, where generations have been drinking red wine at room temperature, predating refrigeration. Aging and storing red wine at room temperature is a different matter. The sommelier should know how much the temperature of the red wine be allowed to rise before serving it. Technically, it is not "room temperature" at exactly 72 degrees F, but it certainly is considerably warmer than the chilled temperature that the Chinese are typically comfortable with.

moondog

I still feel bad about this (i.e. we are such jerks!), but I do like the thread.

In response to my own post 47, here's my take:
-never use Nanjing Road
-Yan'an Road is okay if the entrances/exits are convenient
-Fuxing Road is generally a pretty good bet going westbound (it's a one way street), but tends to gum up past Maoming Road
-Huaihai Road is always better than Nanjing Road, but still sucks at times

Most Uber drivers are clueless about these matters; plan your routes!

MSPeconomist

Remember than "room temperature" in Europe, in the colder months and throughout history, has been somewhat chilly. Think of drinking red wine at rooom temperature as meaning the temperature of rooms in medieval castles and you'll have it right.

Hoyaheel

And if you want to get more pedantic, the "room temp" recommended for different red wines varies as well^

I'm not picky though. I acknowledge there are standards and I drink something wet & alcoholic when I'm thirsty and tired from travel

sinoflyer

In general, I agree. But I've also bought locally-made Côtes du Rhône, in a plastic jug, and drank it in a roadside picnic with bread and fresh fruit, in the middle of the summer in Provence. We didn't bring a bucket of ice with us.

cagcag

Hallo, if you have been recently to Kashkar and Urumqui, if staying 3 days in Kashkar, is there anything in Urumqui worth seeing/doing? We will have a 17 hour layover in Urumqui on the way from Kashkar to Beijing; is it worth extending it to several days?
Also, while on a two 15 hour layovers in Beijing, could the Wall and Central Beijing be visited on each of these two layovers?
Lastly, how many days does Shanghai warrant on an already pressed itinerary.
Bedankt

moondog

I would take the train from Kashgar to Turpan (with one or two more stops along the way). And, then continue on to Beijing from Wulumuqi (2 hours from Turpan).

zehbra

I'd rather have my red wine a tad too warm than too cold - and definitely not with any "added benefits" such as... eh... pepsi.

.... having spent most of my time in China amongst not-particularly-westernized people in southwestern China, this is actually still a real danger (also, an area where "room temperature" in winter means 5 degrees.). I take it this is not the case anymore in the likes of Beijing or Shanghai?

uanj

Three days is a bit long just for Kashgar by itself, do you have your itinerary there already planned? One full day will do it but you will want to plan it around the livestock market. And there is lots to see in Kashgar county outside of Kashgar City.

Urumqi is not that interesting, but the minorities museum there is definitely worth a visit. As moondog said, there is far more to see in Turpan but you would want 1.5-2 days there. A year and a half ago I flew from Kashgar to Urumqi, got a taxi to one of the intercity bus stations and then bus to Turpan. That is probably the fastest and easiest way to do it. It will all depend on your time and timing.

moondog

I regard kashgar as a 4-5 day city if you go all out and hire an SUV or a 1.5-2 day city if you don't. 3 days isn't sufficient for the former unless you're the type of person who is willing to endure hell to get to the lake, snap a few pics, and then head right back to town.

I had originally planned to do the lake thing, and fly back to Beijing (via URC, of course), but ended up tossing my plane ticket because the serial travelers I met in the hippy cafes there told me that the train ride across the desert would blow me away, and that missing out on turpan would be a shame. They were right on both counts.

sinoflyer

There isn't much to see in Urumuqi. I definitely recommend spending at least 2 nights (prefer 3) in Turpan if you plan to divert. There are many day trips that can be arranged with drivers who loiter by the bus station. You don't have to look for them; they will find you. Do your research beforehand about places that you might be interested in seeing. BTW, expect police checkpoints on the highway between Urumuqi and Turpan, so if you are planning on the travel time, give it an additional hour or two cushion.

Beijing and Shanghai are certainly more cosmopolitan than the interior provinces, but you would be surprised if you expect the general citizenry to be familiar with this aspect of Western culture. IMO, wine drinking requires some training of the palate in order to appreciate it. Few Chinese have had the chance, or think that they need, to have that training.