Lazy days...

We've just spent 4 days in Shanghai, exploring the city and generally relaxing and taking it easy. Shanghai is a British/French invention, and isn't really China at all - it feels more like New York for all the skyscrapers and neon lights.

Walking down the main drag at night is like being in Vegas. Which is pretty cool for a few days but it's not what we came to China to see. Although the rest of the country is developing fast and becoming more and more westernised, you always feel like you are in China. But it's as if there is no 'old China' beneath the bright lights of Shanghai, so there's not a huge amount to see or do - it's more of a 'city break', full of posh shops and expensive restaurants.







That's not to say we didn't have a great time there. We hooked up with our fun American buddies who we met in Siberia and hung out with in Beijing (that's these guys:), and spent the few days wandering around the city.

Nat, Rachel and Jacob

We strolled along the only real 'must see' in the city - the Bund - and looked out over the flashy high rises of Pudong. We spent a day walking through the French Concession and it's busy parks, and haggled hard in the Yuyuan bazaars.

Pudong at night

The Bund


Chinese checkers in the park


Lanterns in the bazaar

An interesting half hour was spent listening to the stories of an 80-something-year-old Chinese man, who pulled up alongside us on his bike and launched into an amazing account of his life and what he thought of the communists (not a lot). It was incredible to hear someone of his age talk so vehemently against the government - he was a touch paranoid with his tales of attempted murder in hospital by lethal injection, but he obviously had reason to think this way. We can hardly imagine some of the things he has had to live through. He wouldn't let us take his photo as he was terrified we would send it to the government and that he would get into trouble for speaking to foreigners (not even illegal anymore) - which he obviously loves to do, he had brilliant English and he desperately wanted to tell his stories.

We ate very, very well in Shanghai, most memorably the delicious baozir - hot steamed buns filled with pork and gravy - 2 for less than 15pence on a street stall. If I lived there I would eat those for every meal. Mainly because everything else in Shanghai is so expensive - beer went up from 50p in Beijing and even less in the smaller towns, to about 2.50 there. Eating anywhere near the Bund is pretty much unthinkable...

Our last night in Shanghai was Jacob's birthday, and to start the celebrations we went through the 'sightseeing tunnel' under the river. 5 minutes of psychedelia - it was bizarre. we went in this little car through strobe lights, fibre optics and green lazers. Crazy.

We ate dinner and went off in search of the 24hour indoor go-karting track - where they encourage drinking! But after several failed attempts, and a helpful young Chinese girl muttering 'Tiny cars! what are they talking about, tiny cars. Crazy people...' when we asked for directions, we cut our losses and gave up. (Tiny cars was the closest to go-karts in Chinese Nat could remember. You'd think it would be pretty obvious, a bunch of stupid tourists squatting down, miming a steering wheel and asking for tiny cars on this road).

We're now in Chongqing, heading off on a Yangze river cruise tommorrow. Until then, here's Jacob and his 'Pink Lady'!