Splendid Vietnam

 

There is a backstory here: Let me start with introducing my friends first ..

My friend : Dr. Fei is one of the most logical creatures to be found on the planet.  While his logic stems from his superior genes, his PhD in mathematics (obtained in record time) from the elitist schools of Europe also has a role to play in shaping his superior thinking. This PhD of his and his analytical mindset do help him earn a living, but these are not the only qualities I cherish in him. More importantly, I lean on him for guidance for most of the other complicated junctures that life brings you at: From complex equations, life decisions, investment avenues and even the deep questions around the purpose of life: I have always walked away wiser after have picked Fei’s brain on the matter.

Miss Z’s nature has similar characteristics. Working on endless heavy-duty work, she still exudes calm and has time to help out rest of us humanity. Conversations with her would add perspectives for the conversant. Plus, she snowboards: and that propels her further up on the coolness chart, paling Fei, me and rest of us. I always look forward to hearing of her adventures & experiences of near and distant lands.

But when it comes to South Asia, this is where the wisdom of my friends take a back seat and strange tunings prop up. While both of them have seen the world, they detest the idea of visiting South East Asia. While Z has conquered the snowy peaks of Japan, worshipped most of the art & architecture in Europe, I have been unable to convince her to visit SE Asia. Ditto for Dr. Fei; who flinches at the mention of Thailand. When I pressed on for the reason, I got the feeling that security was an issue. Upon further investigation, I understood that as is for most of the world’s misperceptions (and negative impact to the grey cells): movies were to blame for this as well.

I got to know the plot of a popular movie, which goes like this. A Girl (who rates high on goodness, kindness and success scale) visits a Southeast Asian country for a well-earned holiday. But behold, she is identified by gangsters, who are of course working in connivance with all corrupt authorities of the country. She is kidnapped and presto: is drugged and operated upon to extract her kidneys. The kidney is transplanted to the relative of the corrupt Mayor of the town, who has been waiting for this moment too long.

Docile Dad of the good girl finds out, who now transforms into Die Hard Bruce Willis & John Wick combined. Lands there and annihilates the gang and the country in revenge, rescues his daughter, killing around 835 bad guys in the process (Do I sense John Wick getting insecure now? per minute kill metric threat?). You know how it goes in movies.

I tried to convey to my friends that this was a work of fiction and the region had a lot more to offer than crime. I have played the price card amply to drive the point of luxury, food, et. all that can be obtained for a lot less money.

When I failed to convince them (neither would go to Phuket), I decided to lead by example and broke the news that my family would be going to Vietnam to prove the point.

They were genuinely worried for me and I assured them that I would take good care of my family, myself, and especially my kidneys..

Saigon, Cuchi caves and the Mekong Delta

We landed in Saigon (the locals and old fans of the city detest calling it ‘Ho Chi Minh city’). While the leader is revered, the name of the city will always be ‘Saigon’ they say, no matter what the sign posts say..

The city has quite a character; lot of it. There is history, war and the grappling between the West and the Asia written all over it. Quick history lesson: you could look at anything in Saigon central area and meditate on how differently survived or served under the French, Americans, Japanese, South Vietnam, Vietcong or the unified Vietnam. As a WW II buff, I loved the war museum visit, it has ample of captured machinery from the war.

Cuchi caves/ tunnels offer ample of those 'see it to believe it' moments. The intensity of war, civil engineering (Vietcong) machinery (primarily American), human determination (of both sides, with respect to their respective causes)is in full display, only to be humbled by the forests. How a tank wreckage stands in middle of the jungle, the logistics mystery & the almost mythical Ho Chi Minh trail: there are ample cases of enigma which need to be though on.

The highlight of Cuchi tunnels was the Automatic Kalashnikov. Raw beautiful, rugged: some of the words I would use for handling the machine: 

The author cannot boast about a 100% hit rate, but can say that I was overwhelmed by the indestructibility and mechanics of the machine. The machine that I got my hands on was a couple of decades old, not military grade, poorly maintained and severely worn by the looks of it. Yet it fired with poetic precision.

Dare I say: when offered the option to switch modes, my shoulders could not muster the courage to switch from burst to full auto mode. I tried my luck by checking if they could lend me their lethal instrument with the leftover rounds. While I had no particular side to wage a war against, I reasoned it could be handy to fend off any kidney racketeers eyeing my organs.

After this, we made a run to the Mekong delta region. Again, nature and recent history leave an impression on you. The place is beautiful, raw and deserves a visit.

HaNoi

With the lovely hangover of Saigon, we landed in Hanoi. Sona's disappointment was very visible, for we started wondering why we were here in Hanoi. There is ample history for sure, but we were unsure if this is what we wanted. The evening had a lovely visit to the Church and the old-town, and soon we were wondering what we were to do with one more day.

The conclusion was cancel rest of the day in Hanoi and reallocate it to Ha-Long bay and Halong city.

Ha Long bay:

Standard operating procedures for foreigners of the place prescribe that you reach here from Hanoi (~2 hour drive), get a cruise and head to the bay.

This is the place where James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and Colonel Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) beat the hell out of the wily news mongering villain Eliot Carver and his goons.*

*If you do not follow what we're talking about, stop reading, cancel all your plans, switch the brain off and watch Tomorrow Never Dies (the best Bond movie - IMHO) 

The cruise we were booked on was 'Peony cruise' (recommended) and the whole affair is a grand one. While one ought not to expect a megaship with casinos and shopping mall, the cruises here are the fashionable Goldilocks scenario (not too big, not too small) and offer incredible service. The meals are very regal indeed, with formal seating, live entertainment, etc. As part of the cruise, they allowed us to kayak, swim a bit in the bay and made a stop at Cat-Ba island for the caves.

 

The next day, I checked my kidneys (there were there in the usual place, intact for now) and headed for the Ha Long city. While the usual tourist itinerary focuses on cruises; giving a miss to the town, we had it from the day reallocated from Hanoi. And this turned out to be a beautiful choice. The beaches are pristine and the town has quite unique things to offer: A theme park, the Bai Chay bridge, the town center and the small eateries.

In all Vietnam left a beautiful impression on us. Distinct from some holiday plans which aim to push you to poverty, we ended up with the same net worth we had started from, most of the things are reasonably priced.

Grab does a good job, though the currency sometime scares many. While the kidneys may not bother on this one, but the heart does have a problem: A family meal + shopping bill of 1 million VND may initiate a heart attack! But here is the trick to avoid wasting time in the ambulance: before you succumb to cardiac arrest, you quickly take out the calculator and compute that the million was USD 40, a number that may not necessitate filing for bankruptcy. Your heart returns to its normal pace and enjoying Vietnam.

The cities have their charm and nature has a lot to offer here. Cities, history, sea, mountains and lush greenery - pick what you like.

PS: The author’s kidneys are safe and at their usual place at the time of writing this.

Surprise charm: Lanka

SL was always out of radar when planning trips out of India but as fate had it, we had few options of transit to for the wretched China route* and we chose this as the economical and geographically sensible option..

*A lot has been written about China zero Covid policy, but like everything about China, it is a see it to believe it phenomenon. While I harp about the good things the country has done for its people, I’m afraid this one seems to be taking it back in time.

As I said, our core was China travel and it took up all if our resources: time, mental peace and money. Which meant we had nothing left to plan for Sri Lanka. The plan was to survive the China travel planning (scavenging flights), testing requirements and documentation load (1.3kg of documentation for 4 of us) and if alive, we see what happens in Lanka.

In midst of our tense time, Lanka turned out to be such a surprise charm. 

The Sri Lankan air warmth glided in right at take off. 

 Ground reality: we were a really tense lot, with our codes from the Chinese embassy being delayed upto the aircraft taxiing, but the gin they serve was soothing for the anxious nerves. This comes from a non gin person. Don’t get me wrong, the aircraft is sans those jazzy screens or buttons that those Middle East carriers pamper you with, but the Sri Lankan hospitality is genuine. People are a jovial lot, the crew included, and you could perhaps invite them to join you for a drink as well.

Sunset @ The Ocean

The hotels are a steal these days for international visitors, because of where the currency stands. Though our hotel was not the top star hotel, it had everything we asked for and more. The price reminded me of what I paid for a shoddy hotel backpacking 15 years back. Highly recommended: The Ocean: for its location, views, breakfast and restaurants around.

Fortunately, regardless of the picture portrayed by media, there are no security issues or active riots to report on the ground.

It took a while for us to gauge and come to terms with reality (and safety). While we had come with the mindset of : 

(a) Cocooning in the hotel to avoid the reported riots 

(b) Getting the 2 tests done for our China travel 

(c) Escaping as soon as we can

As we saw more and came to terms with the reality, our confidence grew. In terms of economics, the country is in a wretched state, yet the spirit is still resilient. More than that, the citizens’ calm and maturity won us. Everyone knows that it is a dire state indeed and it is a tough road ahead, but they are overall a peaceful lot (Yes, I still say this after the adventure at President’s residence that we saw in the news and its history) . Battling inflation, fuel shortage and power cuts, people are still looking to put their best foot forward.

Said the gentleman behind me in the supermarket queue, who took me for a local and started a conversation on how the price of commodity X and Y had skyrocketed since last month. 'Corrupt or not, the political clergy may have done their bit, but lets forget all that: now it is the time to explore all options, and get to work'.

We had the weekend here, so thought to make use of it.

Marvelous art: at Gangaramaya

Enlightenment

So over the weekend, disappointed when Barista could not give us coffee (power cut), we headed to Gangaramaya Buddhist temple. A serene place, the tree of historical significance does have a soothing effect on the soul. 

Tucked next to it is the lake and the Colombo city center mall. Brand power is not that strong here, but the food court had ample to offer.

Road Trip: Galle

We did manage to get petrol, just enough that we decided to head to the city of Galle (~150 Km from Colombo). Kandy was rejected as an option due to the distance, we would be stretching both (i) our fuel supply and (ii) the 2 year old's patience. 

Suzuki/ Daihatsu Every: careful with the fuel

The highway is a breeze, built on Chinese debt of course but a good job done with execution. Not at all meant for highway sprints, the Suzuki Every/ Daihatsu did it's job well with its puny tires. Last we sat in its cousin Daihatsu was in Thailand, where these machines are strictly for city movement to gorge and disembowel drunk tourists to their hotels. But here, we were on the highway. However, the real strain was not pushing the Suzuki to three digits, it was restricting speed to ensure optimum mileage. Not surprising though - it was not just us, the bigger guys (Land Rovers, BMWs etc.) were cruising well 30% below speed limit. Evidently, fuel remains a problem for all classes. Lines at petrol stations certify this problem.

My initial advice for Galle: 

(a) Don’t go to Galle 

(b) If you do go to Galle, spend time in the fort area only.

Recommended: The Bungalow restaurant

Protestant Church @Galle (Suzuki parked)

While there seemed nothing noteworthy as we entered the city, and we saw the fort lighthouse etc., my perspective changed after we got lost in the lanes in the ancient fort area. The feel here is magical. As against my recent advice of not visiting Galle, I contradict myself and would recommend to spend some time, maybe a day or two to soak in the culture, beauty and character of the old town. 

The Fort@ Galle: built by the Portugese, Dutch and British in that order

Colombo Monkey business

Then there was the zoo at Colombo. Not unremarkable, and lest the reader starts making comments on my intellectual capacity, I take the opportunity to remind them that we have a 2 year old in our midst who deserved entertainment before the start of his 10 day quarantine in China. Economic crisis be damned, the zoo is incredibly well kept, resilient and almost at par with the ones we have seen in the developed world. SAARC nationalities enter for 800 LKR only.

The country has character. Check out the way they keep their cars here:

Beauty beyond age: Mini Cooper

And check out the local food:

Taster set @ Culture Colombo

Guess what Indira Gandhi, Scarlett Johansson and we have in common? All of us had an opportunity to dine at the iconic Galle Face. Again, the currency meant that the whole affair was almost at par with your pizza bill in your country. 

Galle Face Colombo

While I was trying to summarize what worked well for us, I failed to pin point the reason why the SL visit turned out remarkable for us. As stated earlier, it was a God-send change from the China travel preparations and impending quarantine cloud and thus exceeded expectations by lifting our spirits from the depth of the abyss.

 

But it would be criminal to not attribute the good of the trip to The Ocean hotel and its staff. We got it for a steal, rooms & washrooms were nice, breakfast was good, the staff was incredibly warm, helped us with travel documentation and the view is unbeatable. I challenge thee for the view: we have never seen the road, rail and sea in confluence.

The Ocean: literally

Phebe: mysteries unraveled..

On HuangShan>>

Pre -read reference: 

Shoo: make (a person or animal) go away by waving one's arms at them, saying “shoo,” or otherwise acting in a discouraging manner (source: Oxford dictionary)

Caveat: It's been a while that we've hit the club scene and maybe that’s why we may sound so excited here

We were so out of sync that we realized we were humming 'wheels on the bus' while starting off from the hotel. Phebe was chosen for the sole reason that it was near to the hotel and thought we'd be getting back quick. No there is no mis-spelling here, kindly refer to Sona's picture here.

Once we got to the place, I was a bit skeptical. The place was huge; even from the outside. The car park was envious: A Lamborghini Urus, funky Beijing BJ 40, Cadillacs, Porsches and even a couple of heavily modified Japanese humbled our VW cab.

We darted in and started posting our enquiries: was there an entry fee? Could we see the menu please? (fact of life - always be prepared on what your bill in going to be) and so on. The petite lady would have none of it and shoved us inside. The interior was a different world. A lot more than what a Saturday party place should be.

The smarty lady led us to a table near the DJ, where many ladies were already seated. With a couple of shouts, she shoo-ed them away with sharp words. In a manner that would make a shepherd and his sheep grimace. She installed us at the table and started talking to us.

However, I stood my ground. I would not yield without seeing the menu and being apprised of what a drink/ table would cost. I shouted, she shouted, and all of our words - regardless of the language, were drowned by the music. The smarty girl finally yielded and decided to hand us over to the master Shifu and the manager - Mr. Bin. 

A suave chap, he had us impressed with his stylish moves with his phone and with sign language - he managed adding us on text. Presto! Now we could type and communicate over translator! After some communication a short menu appeared out of nowhere.

The situation was summarized as follows: the table that had been allocated to us (after shoo-ing those ladies) was a good one and we ought to order from that specific menu - with a minimum order being for couple of grands.

I revolted vehemently. I explained my life's mission statement, my budgetary policy and expressed by willingness to exit and head to Liyang street pubs.

But our suave Shifu Bin would have none of it, he took us to another 'tavern' table which offered a different menu. Once we got here, he mouthed an earful to another group of youngsters seated - who hurriedly vacated the table, rushed to the stage and started dancing. This phenomenon of shoo-ing people was getting strikingly peculiar. Sona later solved this one, but more on that later.

So for now we are at a new table and a different menu was summoned magically from air by Bin. The menu had something that was in line with what would not dent my retirement fund and I requested for two pints. Now, Bin was not convinced. He almost got cross at us at the prospect of two measly beers - they could only get one so much happiness and offered us a peculiar deal: for 20% more - we could get a 12 beer pack and a gigantic platter. This time, I got concerned about HIS financial model and bottom line; but took the bait.

We glanced around: The DJ had switched this time and people were gathering near the stage for another showman who was taking over. Guys and girls - all of them were having a good time, and we were also settling into the mood.

As I got my eyes back to our table, I found another slim debonair guy staring at me. Bin had disappeared. The new guy's eyes conveyed a mystical determination and never left mine. I tried to look around but I could still feel those new set of eyes drilling at me. When I realized I was not going to be able to shake it off, I found the courage to look back in his eyes. Our eyes met. Without leaving his gaze, he pulled out a pint, opened the bottle and poured out in two glasses. His job, and stare done, he glided away into the dark.

Phew..

As our eyes were adjusting to the dark and quirky lights, and we were getting a better feel of the place. Everything was likeable. The debonair glided in again, emptied the bottle and opened another one with that stare.  

For a while at least things were fine. Next, a towering and well-built figure appeared. No mistaking that uniform - he could have been from security or from an official authority. 

He politely waved us to step out and we knew at once that this was not one of those situations to bargain or argue. In my life's journey, I have been in trouble amply; and consider myself a decent judge of deciding on when to run and when to comply with the authorities. The voice inside today leaned to the latter. 

Once outside, we were explained that in the mayhem of (a) we trying to figure out about the place and (b) the manager's concern to settle us in, we had skipped the security and the COVID-19 code check protocol. So we held out our devices and tried to get our government codes. Tsch tsch.. The club acceptable one was the provincial health code. Now came the problem: this particular one was not designed well for foreigners and we struggled to fill the online Hanzi form.

After a while, we realized we were not getting anywhere. We then flashed our hotel key - requested the security Shifu to call our hotel to fetch get the codes (which they already had from our check-in). 

Well, as per his process document, this was acceptable as an exception, with the following conditions:

1. That we fill up a physical form and declaration, giving the details of our passport, train details, train time, hotel details, Shanghai address and our genetic codes.
2. Protocol also stated that we be given fresh masks lest our masks carry infections from elsewhere.

Lambo Urus & Beijing BJ40

For point #2, the macho fellow headed to his macho SUV - a modern day red Beijing BJ40 (not a fan but impressed by this barebones Humvee look-alike) and fetched two fresh masks. He made sure we disposed our old masks carefully in the designated bin in front of him. Now we could head back.

As we got back, the scene had changed again. The color theme was different and music had switched from English to local and club mix. Seeing us return, some youngsters meandering on our table were shoo-ed again by the debonair and we found our next glasses already readied. 

The dance floor in front of us was a bouncy one (no kidding - a springy one indeed) and the people were filled to the brim and dancing in sync. Behind us, there were people standing on the platform above our heads and dancing. (Think of the YMCA moves done by Hard Rock Café staff on higher platforms/ bar counters). Some were moving to the music, some with fancy Chinese fans : an amazing blend of tradition and modernity.

This time, a woman manager of a different kind came by and shouted scathingly at two ladies dressed in red at the platform dancing behind us. They immediately got down and drove off to mix with people.

Now Sona hypothesized - some of the crowd could be hired. By Jove! It all fit and as the point drove home - I started seeing around with new lenses: One particular category - I could place as students, being called in to drive up the cool factor. One group of ladies in red, were clearly there to spruce up the glam factor and possible companionship for patrons. 

As it struck to me, one of the red lady appeared next to me. A drink went by and I could still feel someone behind me. I hugged Sona tightly to make a point and stayed there until the threat passed.

We did not know the time, but our debonair guy made sure we were never without a drink and kept the other round ready - to avoid any blasphemous scenario of we being kept waiting for a drink.

Between us, we have seen some places and could list some common factors between Vegas & Amsterdam, Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore & Brussels, etc. However, this was an experience phenomenally different from what we had ever witnessed.

Maybe we have been away from the scene for a while, maybe we are getting old. But there is no point thinking about the reason of our excitement.  Phebe will remain an unforgettable place.

More on HuangShan: http://lifeisanopenroad2me.blogspot.com/2021/04/exceeding-expectations-huangshan.html

Exceeding expectations - HuangShan

Well we are used to this - where an institutional advertisement objective somewhat meets our emotional requirement. For instance, I am a big fan of the big yellow arches.

When I see a Mc Donald's advert, it instantly makes me happy, for I know I will be able to try it our soon. It is usually to my taste, comes at an incredible price.  However, there is an important expectation management for each one of us when it comes to advertisement vs. reality.

Over years, our minds have become tuned to accept this norm - of settling and being satisfied with something lesser than what is advertised. The Economics curve intersection of expectations and supply perhaps?

With this mindset, when we saw the pictures of Huangshan (yellow mountains) - over the internet, the station, at the hotel & each time, we dismissed them. We were looking forward to be happily content with a pleasant impending future experience - a fraction of what was being picturized of course.

And the moment we boarded the cable car , it all went wrong. For once, life had thrown a surprise - no words, no pictures do justice, it is just the experience. 

This was way beyond expectations..

For the logistics description, bear in mind the order: 

1. Reaching Tangkou village

2. Bus to cable car or elsewhere (multiple options-> Yungusi or Ciguangge)

3. Cable car to peak (two options)

For phase 1, we took the hotel car to reach the Tangkou village. 

The bus ride is again a scenic one and the driver was clearly under an oath to keep the vehicle in higher gear. Hence he did not stop building momentum on the straights (few) and when hair pin u-turns (plenty) came up ; like Goliath with his slingshot, he tried to hurl us around with all the centripetal and tangential force he could muster.

At the destination bus station, we were happy with the cloud cover, the mist, & the flora, and walked lazily to the cable car station. 

Ticket here again. Complex transaction, with two adults, 1 baby and 1 senior citizen ticket purchased at the right price ( I hope).

Once we boarded the cable car, it kept climbing and climbing. Lost in clouds, we actually lost sense of time! 

All that white - reminds me of: My fav drink! Shaken, not Stirred please..

Up there, there are plenty of hiking places. You could spend hours or even couple of days. As for the peaks to choose - I'd say not to bother if you are visiting for the first time. You cannot compare it to anything you would have seen; so experience whichever you like.. 

Summarizing the unique bit: 

Phase 1 (Tangkou): we had started at ground zero a couple of hours ago with clear view of mountains 

Phase 2: Post bus-ride had ascended to a misty place to meet the clouds 

Phase 3: Post cable car, we had finally ascended above the clouds!

For sure - Every minute will present something unique here.

On our way back, we did stop at the Hot Springs. This was a casual exploratory bit with the idea of visiting a natural hot spring. Our Mandarin illiteracy got the better of us. 'HuangShang Hot spring' turns out to have hot spring - yes; but this is actually a hotel that has developed this area and charges a separate fee for entry here. While views are spectacular, do plan visit here with the right mindset - time and dress for dip in your preferred spring (milk based, tea based baths, etc.) 

At edge of the world

We decided to stay at HuangShang downtown as against Tangkuo village for the following reasons:

- We had a baby traveler

- A vegetarian amongst us

- We are only at HSK 1.5  level (Mandarin beginners)

Based on Tangkou experience, we can now say Sona and I could have stayed here. Though do note that we struggled immensely to conclude:

Complex transactions such as:

- Communicating that we are tourists

- Buying water

And more so with highly complex transactions such as:

- Buying a ticket as a foreigner (fact alerts henceforth)

- Replying to the ticket vendor on her query on specifying our destination 

- Specifying that my mother 'bu chi rou/不 吃肉' (does not eat meat)

- Canceling our ticket to Hot spring and rebooking again

- Modeling the correlation between Credit Default Spread (CDS) of Belgian sovereign and that of a Congo based oil producer (gibberish alert)

Tip: If you do not read Mandarin and still want to stay at Tangkou, please buy a map at the airport/ station, befriend someone there and try to finalize your itinerary - mark the same in the map in clear big circles (in red/ pink/ fluorescent green, etc.) very well to show later around in Tangkou/ ticketing areas. Jokes apart, people are very helpful, and you will eventually get by. English and Tripadvisor will be of little help of course.

A big factor for us was the Crowne Plaza Huangshan. With a baby and a vegetarian amongst us, we had decided to stay near the city as against the Tongkuo village. Crowne Plaza rewarded us phenomenally:

A splendid property, grand swimming pool, lavish breakfast, IHG club benefits galore. Personal tit bit: This ranks 1st or 2nd in my experiential ranking (Nope not the Marriott, not the Ritz Carlton; the first place for me would be reserved again for the Crowne Plaza - the Bahrain financial district one with its squash court)

Oher things to do (near Downtown HS):

Tunxi ancient street: 

We went with an open mind and all of us were really very happy. We went expecting the same ol' China street as is with any town, but soon realized each one has its own character. The food, artifacts and everything else at Tunxi was way different from our earlier experiences..

Mark my words: Babies are a great way to bring nations together 

Liyang street: (Linyang Lao)

This was one of the most spectacular affair of our visit. This features in one of the bottom 'to-do' list at Trip Advisor and turned out to be a hidden gem. A mix of medieval Europe, Oriental mysticism and fun in the air - I personally guarantee happiness for you here..

Cafes here will surprise you with their antiques and quirkiness.

The clubs deserve a separate mention , and Phebe adventure is out here..

Sona & Shubham's adventures @ Phebe!!

By the way, did I not mention babies are social magnets?

The Shanghai automobile museum

The number of museums this city houses is simply spectacular. Even a determined traveler could spend years to cover the breadth and depth. The more astonishing aspect is the variety of tastes the city can cater to. I was hence very surprised to find this hidden treasure - which I believe is the city's attempt to catchup with the Deutsch and Japanese titans.

Parking at Shimao Weifang rd..

Shanghai treats you with the best of automotive world in a very natural and seemingly organic way. I Initially thought: You don’t need a museum for cars here; if you want to meet the stars, we could stand at any intersection ( LuJiaZui, Jingan, Huaihai, or elsewhere), or:  take the elevator to the basement of any residential parking (Proof from our apartment inset). I was keen to find out what a museum could do - in a city where perhaps the streets had more to offer.

So off I went, like Alice - tumbling down the rabbithole. 

Getting here: (a) Cab - ~50 mins from Lujiazui or (b) Metro line 11- Anting road station (some 50 minutes from the business district) + 2 min cab/ 10 minute walk.

Cadillac M (1907

The beginning.. Respect your CTS - it has a rich heritage indeed.

Toyota Corolla - Nothing to say. Just thinking about the journey. From this to the becoming the largest selling automobile of the planet. Our family had one: Minus the boredom, it was one of the most dependable things that served us.

If you thought only the Rolls Royce of today's age looks classy; think again... You could walk around admiring this ancient but regal creature for hours.

The original Land Rover. Think of a modern day Discovery - Now we know why it is necessary to evolve, yet respect your heritage.

When Mr. Bond needs to quickly make a dash for Martinis.. The Aston Martin

Breathe… Say a silent prayer - the way you do before thinking of your God.. Good.. Now you may worship the two legends: 

The revolutionaries: The Ford Model T and the VW Beetle in the background 

American Muscle is a tricky area for me.. Not sure if I hate them or love them, but regardless of my religious beliefs, I have to bow to those three letters: GTO (Pontiac)

And then we have the flagbearer of American muscle - the Ford Mustang : in its original glory. Serving the American dream from 1964.... 

Now the God of three letters - BMW. This piece deserves more respect as it is one of the earlier one of that genre 'M'.  Proud to note that my friend Varun and his family have entered that relationship with an X4 - M recently.

Datsun 240 Z: This started the lineage of Z s - I maintain a personal bias here - The naturally aspirated Nissan 350 Z is one of the most exciting cars I have driven (from archives)

As I was wandering through this magical place, a thought occurred to me. I computed the probability of a friend and you- my dear reader - of trying to own these pieces. For all I know, you could (a) take the billionaire route or (b) the thievery route. Just in case you are planning a heist on this place, and would be kind enough to spare a car from your loot for your dear friend - I ought to submit my preference in advance.

Zhege (this one).. No no. Not the one on the left. The Lamborghini Countach - was indeed one of the most aerodynamic and aesthetically daring design in the history of automobile. While it has the naturally aspirated mid engine V12 mated to a perfect transmission, the Italian durability of those times scare me. Not the one on the extreme right either- the Honda NSX gets too much limelight and class. 

So if you do agree to purloin one for me - it'd be the one in the middle - the 8th generation Nissan Skyline please. Front engine, rear wheel drive - and the design discreet enough to bely the menacing intent of that 2.6 L twin turbo motor. This belongs to the right decade - where automotive engineering was still more about mechanics than electronics.

Other tips:

- The top floor houses a kids area. Kids of all ages could easily spend an hour here.

- Cafe serves decent stuff inside the museum, and a McDonalds at the entrance. For a wider variety, hit the Jiating Hui life mall near Anting road