Memories of Shanghai

Twilight on The Bund...

Well, that's a wrap. Just short of 1 year and 2 months later, I'm outta here. Bye bye Shanghai, hello (once again) Copenhagen. It's been quite an experience, a year in China. Will there be more in the future? Who can say. Once the door to Asia has been opened - and believe me, it certainly has been - I suspect it's not such an easy one to close.

So for now, I'll just leave it with a few memories. These are pictures I've selected because they really do represent the day-to-day scenes that were my life in Shanghai - as opposed to those stereotypical shots of China that really don't represent the modern reality of the place. They are variations of scenes that I have witnessed countless times over the past months. So here we go...

Here we have a view from the 40th floor of the Mariott hotel - where we drank
martini's many a Friday evening after work...

That's the Mariott - incidently, my favourite building in Shanghai...
(aside from the 88 floor Jin Mao Tower).

A scene found repeatedly all over Shanghai (and China, for that matter)

Exercise is good for you!

Coke - it's everywhere you want it to be...

...and so is Pizza Hut!

Visit any grocery store to find this one...delicious chicken feet.

you can get it all on the street...

A little break...

This was never my barber, I can assure you...

And this was in front of a new, high-end apartment
complex - China will be China, no matter what clothes
one tries to fit it with...

Everybody would love a grasshopper for their living room, no?

Traffic, traffic, traffic....

and bikes, bikes, bikes...

A bike can pretty much carry anything...

Many, many floors above the ground, hanging by a rope, scrub scrub scrubbing
those windows...

The infamous bamboo scaffolding - I've seen this used on buildings up to 30 stories high,
which is quite a sight to see.

New buildings to live in, old laundry hanging out to dry...

Evening on The Bund...ya' gotta love it!

Um, yes, I did...

The Bund from the 88th floor of the Jin Mao Tower...

It was a pretty crazy year - from the tofu, mooncake, to the firecrackers and everything else in between...

Pass the acid, please...

It has occurred to me that I've neglected to take advantage of some of the easiest humour in China, the jokes that write themselves.

A Little Cruise up the Huangpu

The 3 hour trip up and back to the Huangpu River (to the mouth of the Yangze River, pictured at the top) is a more than worthwhile experience. A bustling, working river full of tankers and freight ships of all sizes - the big ones with tugboat escorts, and plenty to see along the banks of the river. So here's a few quick pics...

The 88 story Jin Mao tower in the background - just to the left of it is the rapidly-rising from the ground and soon-to-tallest-building in Shanghai (and China) - all 101 floors of it.

An impressive shipbuilding operation...

A couple more Goliaths under construction...

And here it is...The mouth of the mighty Yangze River...

Complete with tugboat escort...

Hong Kong Part 3 - Lantau Island

Yes, there's the city. Yes, there's the beach (plenty of them), And yes, there are island - over 200 of them. The most well-known is Lantau Island, home to Hong Kong Disneyland (didn't go there though), Ocean Park (didn't go there either), the airport (we flew into Shenzhen for half the price - a short boat or bus ride away on the mainland). But on Lantua Island, which is not a small place, we did get to a little fishing village Tai O which, though somewhat oriented to its tourist clientel, is still quite the traditional place - and a startling contrast to Hong Kong Island a short hour away, where the 7.5 million are found. We still managed to spot a dolphin on the short boat tour we took...

On the island we also visited Po Lin Monestary - home of the world's largest giant Budda (apparently). Can't verify that claim - there are plenty of pretty big budda's scattered around Thailand...

The day we visited Tai O, the locals happened to be out in full-force for what was apparently the annual long-boat race day.

'Row, row, row, row...'

Another 70 story Hong Kong skyscraper beginning?

Where are the 7.5 million people?

Your truly also managed to make a few new friends (while his girlfriend wasn't paying attention)...

'So where are all the boys hiding?' wondered the girlfriend...

Hong Kong Part 2 - The Beaches

Few realise that Hong Kong is a fabulous place to catch a few rays. Hong Kong is not only a 7.5 million person mega-metropolis. It's also a 20 minute bus ride away to sweet sand and clean water - away from the crowds. So here are a few pics from the less-known areas of Hong Kong.

That sun can really get in the lens...

'Actually, I think men with umbrellas are kinda sexy...'

For those wondering, this is the Shek O beach, about 20 minutes away from the middle of EVERYTHING - not bad. And the water is very clean.

The beach at Stanley, again maybe 20 minutes from it all. And these people are way to serious and silly to be on a beach - except your truly in the water...