Shanghai

I wrote this in Shanghai on June 26th, but I'm only posting it now because blogspot is blocked from China.

The most legendary city in the Far East! For me that name conjures images of pirates, exotic buildings, and long-forgotten colonial wars. More recently Shanghai was known for containing one-fifth of the world’s cranes. This is the place in China for high-tech outsourcing and financial business. The drive from the airport to our hotel didn't leave me with a favorable impression.

I didn't see a single park, and the smog hung low over an endless sea of buildings. This was a raised highway, and in most cities from that vantage point you can sense where the high rises begin to diminish and give way to suburbs. Not here. It was oppressive. The heat was worse than the Southern cities which didn't help either.

The next day we began our travels and I saw a park every time I turned my head. We entered older European areas and saw tree-lined streets, and fashionable shopping areas that would look at home in Scottsdale. On Saturday night we hit a dance club for a taste of the Shanghai night life. People were dancing and drinking like anywhere in the States, but accented singers belting out YMCA is a special treat.