It was amazing travelling nearly to the end of the subway line. I really realized how expansive this city is and how it can host over 24 million residents: there were still blocks and blocks of high-rise apartments even after travelling 45 minutes by train out of downtown.
Once we arrived in Sheshan, a bit more than an hour from downtown via subway, we were greeted by hawkers selling all sorts of beach and sun paraphenalia. Sheshan is an interesting place, famous for its "mountains" (barely hills by Colorado standards) housing an old Jesuit chapel and observatory. Nowadays it's probably more popular for the scupture park nestled into the forests, the amusement and water parks, and a few resorts -- such as the Le Meridien -- that have established themselves as a destination for corporate retreats and small conventions.
In any case, we got to enjoy huge indoor and outdoor pools, a playground and bouncy castle, a manmade beach (although for safety reasons we decided it best to just look and not play in the sand or stagnant water of the lake), and expansive grounds with lots of pathways along the lakeside and through the forests. Matt even ran up the mountains to check out the chapel and observatory.
While it was by no means a luxurious beach vacation, Sheshan still proved to be a welcome respite from the Shanghai city heat and hustle. It's nice to know we have an option of a nearby and affordable little escape whenever we need a weekend recharge.
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| view of the "beach" from our room |
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| because what resort doesn't need a giant satellite? |
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| the cathedral and observatory on the hill in the background past the convention center |
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| TJ loved the bouncy castle |
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| a little wedding chapel on the hotel grounds |
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| path across the lake to the outdoor pool and playground |
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