The End of a Saga

Ok, maybe Saga is too strong of a word. My last day found me picking up my cashmere jackets and a couple other items at Dongjiabu and Xiang Yang Markets. I spent some time finding a specific Tag Heuer watch for my brother, which was an experience all in itself. Basically, I'd find a booth/store with a slightly wider selection of watches, and I'd ask if they have any better ones. They usually do, and they'd invite me a few steps into their store, where they'd open a few drawers with hidden slots, or they'd pull a metal suitcase out from under the shelf. When I don't see the watch I want, they tell me to follow them, and we'd walk to another booth/store, where that owner would pull out their secret stash to show me. But I didn't end up finding the watch I wanted to buy. Nevertheless, it was fun.

Anyway, I scooted back to the hotel and finished my packing, then checked out. Then I popped over to the same Shanghai Xiao Che ("Shanghai Small Eats") I went to yesterday. My last meal was 20 xiao long baos and 4 shen shao baos, which cost only 14 RMB ($2.30 Cdn). Got back to the hotel at 2:20pm, ready for my 2:30pm shuttle bus to Pudong Airport. I didn't see the bus, so I sat around a bit. Finally, I got up and went to where my luggage was being held for me. Turns out, the bus had left already!! See, they told me to get there about 15 mins early, but they didn't tell me it was at a different door of the hotel. So one of the Sofitel hotel workers took me and my luggage around the corner to another hotel, where my bus was parked (they pick up people from a couple hotels before going to the airport), and I was okay from there on in... until I got to the airport.

First, I casually made my way to check-in aisle J, for my flight back to Vancouver. When I got there, I read a sign saying I had to have my temperature taken at aisle H. So I walked back there, filled out a form, got my temperature checked via infra-red, got my form stamped, and lined up at J again. When I got to the counter, the lady said that it was some 800 RMB extra for a 3rd piece of luggage. My third piece was a sword I had bought, and it was fairly small and light. I was shocked and stood there "umm... umm...". Finally, she told me to weigh the sword, and it was light enough that she'd let it go for free. Whew!

I was early, so I decided to go to a Watson ("Your personal convenient store") and spend the rest of my Chinese money. Besides, what would I need Chinese RMBs for anyway? So I spent 51 RMB on dried fruit, Panda chocolates, and bubble gum. As soon as I walked out of the store, I found another 6 RMB in my pocket. Doh! As I approached the departure gate (not the flight gate), I read that I had to buy a Airport Fee (like YVR's Airport Improvement Fee) of 90 RMB. Turns out, I can only pay cash. Well, ... umm... I had 6 RMB. So the lady at the till told me to go to a currency exchange to get money from Visa. 10 mins later, the lady at the currency exchange tells me that it's cash only exchanges, and that I'd have to go downstairs. Another 10 mins and I finally get 84 RMB from the Development Bank on the first floor. FINALLY, I pay the airport fee and get to the waiting area. Now, I KNOW I have a free pass to the Maple Leaf Lounge that came for having Aeroplan Prestige status... but I couldn't find it. So alas, I had to wait with the other commoners. What a dread.

Anyway, the flight was only 10 hrs, and I slept through 6 of them.

Now I'm home.

Kevin