Shanghai

This is almost the classic shot Shanghai is known for with the famous TV tower on the left. Toward the right you can see the Shanghai World Financial Center (the one that looks like a giant bottle opener). It is actually the tallest building in Shanghai right now until that building under construction next to it is finished. You may also notice another very popular tower, the security camera (lots of those around). On top of the wall you see is a wide walking area which I show in the next couple of pictures.

The view to the left...yes, lots of people...as far as the eye can see.

The View to the right...yes, lots of people...ok, you get it.

Here are some people you don't see in the above pics. My former colleagues from work who took me out for lunch. AT this point in the trip I hadn't seen a familiar face for over 3 weeks. Seeing them and enjoying their company and hospitality were a highlight of my trip.

And this shows a tiny part of that lunch. Everything was, I was told, Shanghai-style (as opposed to Cantonese, Hunan or Szechuan that you normally find in the US). Shanghai style is not spicy and a little sweet.
I hope I can repay the favor one day when they visit the US.

Najing Road has many nice shops. This is where the monied go to become less monied. Also, they go here to listen to guys in really loud jackets play less loud music.

Not far (i think east?) from Yuyuan Gardens (a nice little tourist trap area) I found street after street of local shops. Incredibly crowded and bustling with activity. This was a side street (a bit less crowded) looking back toward the "main" shopping street.

I always smile when I see a shop with a name I would not expect. In the US you might guess this was a software store. Here, they sell juice. This was just off Nanjing Rd.

No actual sleeping allowed here!

Let's Eat Tar! Woohoo!
(In all fairness, I think it actually says Let's Eat Taro.)

I took the overnight train from Shanghai to Beijing. I actually fit on the bed with maybe an inch to spare but since there was no place to put my pack (not the daypack shown in the pic), it stayed on the bed with me but did not reduce my ability to sleep. Compared to the overnight train from Vienna to Zurich, this was roomier and more comfortable.

It was a four bunk room and they give you four different colored pair of slippers to walk around in. They are clearly not made for 11EEE feet. :)

I mentioned that my pack being on the bed did not affect my sleep. That's partly because despite this being a passenger train, it sounded like a freight train (listen to the video above). The good news (as much as I hate to say it) was that with his sleep apnea, this guy would stop breathing for 30 seconds or more every so often. By around 2am I was tired enough to fall asleep during one of those respites and it takes more than a freight train to wake me in my first 3 hours of sleep.

This concludes (I think) my blogging for now. Until my next trip!