21st April 2010

It was still raining in Pudong. The sort of persistent drizzle that doesn’t so much fall as hangs in the air and sulks. Other than a token mooch around, wrapped in rain gear (looking more like backpacking bin bags than tourists), we didn’t stray far from the Ibis.

Later, while loitering in the lobby of the far posher Crowne Plaza, reading English-language newspapers and pretending to blend in, a couple of rather chipper guests excitedly told us they were moving back to the Crowne. Virgin were now handing out $100 compensation per person, per day for accommodation. This caught my attention. I promptly dashed (alright, plodded through the drizzle) back to the Ibis and rang Virgin.

“Yes,” they confirmed, “$100 compensation,” but in that vaguely uncertain way that suggests they’d also say yes if I’d asked whether we were all being evacuated by a unicorn. I asked for an email to confirm. Still waiting…

Curious, I rang Cruise1st to get a quote for a triumphant return to the Crowne Plaza. They could sort us a room for £96 pp a night, which they assured me was their discounted “travel agent rate.” I did the maths: £96 x 2 people x 10-ish nights = somewhere in the vicinity of £1920. A fair hike from the Ibis rate of “not very much.” However, I’d have to pay everything upfront, and in the likely event that Virgin’s promise floats away like volcanic ash, I’d be relying on my travel insurance, which only covers £500, presumably on the assumption that a guest house in 1973 is still an option.

So, for now, we remain loyal to the Ibis. A few guests have upgraded, but most have adopted the same “wait and see” strategy. Or, in some cases, “wait and stew”.

Evening Notes:
By some meteorological miracle, the rain stopped. We seized the opportunity and ventured out for dinner with a lovely couple from Newcastle. She may be in the early stages of Parkinson’s (we think), but her humour was sharp and the conversation a welcome break from the constant drone of “ash cloud this” and “insurance policy that.”

Back at the hotel, Sue and I watched a Chinese earthquake charity appeal on TV. Remarkably like Children in Need, only with fewer teddy bears and more solemn music. I ended the night by starting one of Sue’s cruise books and, much to my surprise, found it rather absorbing. I may need to check myself…