The Shanghai "E" Ticket

I never would have thought in a million years, that I would have the opportunity to visit Shanghai, no less, see the Shanghai Maglev in action.

Years ago, my husband's uncle by marriage was stationed on the Yangzee River Patrol in the 1930's. Shanghai was an open town then. Parties, Casinos, Hotels and people from all parts of the civilized world lived and partied there.

I was told that missionaries abounded in China during those times. From little villages to the palace, the gospel of Jesus Christ was shared by Protestants and Catholics alike. Then World War II came, and everyone had to leave. After the communists took over China, the foreigner would have little access to the country except what came out via news reels and via the underground.

Then President Nixon opened the door to China and you know the rest of the story. With the help of the United States, China once again rose to become one of the most prosperous nations on the earth in a mere 40 years. Today, China is on the cutting edge of innovation and technology. And, China was the first nation on the planet to implement a operational electro-magnetic system invented by the Germans, the Trans-Rapid 7 otherwise known as the Shanghai Maglev.

I was excited to ride on the train but due to our very hectic schedule, our hosts said why not ride it from Shanghai to the Airport when you leave! Bravo, a brilliant idea.

Shanghai is an amazing city. Half of it is old and historic. You can see many buildings that were in old movies of the 1930-1950s. Then across the bay you see the modern Shanghai, which looks like a space age movie with architectural designs that would mirror anything imaginable.

The day came for us to depart. We had 90 minutes to get to the airport which was 20-30 minutes away. Our hosts said don't worry checking in is very easy. I reminded him of the maglev, and they were very hesitant about dropping me off there although the ride to the airport is less than 10 minutes. Why? Because if anything goes wrong and you have to catch another transportation vehicle to get to the airport in the traffic, you might miss your flight.

This told me all I needed to know!