Shanghai

(Was hoping to put some pictures here, but being forced to use a proxy seems to block that facility. Will try again for future posts.)

Oliver and Shasha have been showing us around and have introduced us to her uncle and family. Went for a great meal with a wonderful shared "hot pot" - cooking pot inset in a special table to cook the food in and lots of meats and veg to cook and dips on the side. Lots of "cheers" which is required whenever taking another sip/gulp. Lots of exchanges of pleasure at being part of each others families, translated by Shasha and her cousin (a few Chinese words from us). The uncle runs a small general store type shop with a mahjong gaming room at the back. Serious stuff, with special tables that automatically shuffle the tiles and put up the "walls" to start the play.


Shanghai is very busy as expected. Amazing buildings everywhere and variety of traffic all mixed up with us pedestrians - cars, scooters, bikes, electric bikes, motor rickshaws, buses etc - interesting crossing roads where traffic turning right (driving on right) can go through red lights and over the pedestrian crossings where the green man is showing, so you just have to dodge them as they come round. Seems to work once you get used to it, or even if you dont!

Sunny and hot the first day, now rainy and hot. Family have been arriving - Isabelle, Phoebe and Henry all arrived yesterday. We are all staying in a hostel right in the centre, hidden away in a little street behind other houses. Basic hostel style with small and shared rooms but lots of lounging space with flowing water features all around. Pretty good for £6 per night. The Marriott skyscraper 100 yards away, I suspect charges more!

Had an exciting "taxi" ride to a bar last night. Random unauthorised minibus picked up all 7 of us and drove like a madman through the city, only to get stopped 100 yards from the bar for taking too many passengers. He seemed quite happy paying his fine and only accepted £5 instead of the agreed £2. Presumably went of to terrorise more pedestrians.

We are going to venture a short way away to Suzhou on 27th. More after that.

Arrived in Shanghai

Met up with Oliver and Shasha at last. Lovely to see Oliver after more than a year and meet Shasha for the first time. Still jet lagged and very glad to have a local guide! Looks like the blog may not be very accessible in China, so this is an initial experiment.

Emma and Rich

Just back from our niece's amazing beach wedding in Anglesey. Now down to serious house clearing.