Shanghai

Shanghai Surprise! - Stomach Bugs and Death Spheres

On the sleeper train to Shanghai a few of us thought it would be a good idea to drink alcohol. Turns out it was a terrible idea, which co-incidentally marked the start if quite a bad stomach bug that managed to work its way around almost all of the group starting with Issy who duly fainted after leaving the train station. Luckily as it turned out Kim is a nurse so her medical expertise immediately came in handy.

That afternoon we went to explore the city and it was Suze's turn to have an upset stomach, this time leading to vomiting on the street (the splashback landed on some poor persons bicycle pedals), while Kim again looked after the walking wounded Paul rushed off to get water and bread. That night we went for a group meal but left relatively early in the hope Suze would feel better in the morning.

The next day with Suze still feeling crocked we went along the riverside (half luxury ferries, half rusting trawlers) and on to the Old City. Paul must have been feeling particularly brave that day because he ended up with a 'meat' skewer in one hand a barbecued baby bird in the other (in his defence he did buy it under the illusion that it was a baby bat). We bought some jewellery from the markets and went for a wander around the tranquil and well maintained gardens which felt like a world away from the frantic pace of the city outside the garden walls.

That night we went to see the Shanghai acrobats who were outstanding. We were particularly impressed with the jumping through hoops part and the plate spinning but the star performance of the show was the 5 person death cage motorbike show. I think we were all hoping for a slight accident but fortunately (for most concerned) no wheels touched and no bikers perished. The nightlife in Shanghai seemed quite impressive and not too touristy and we left wishing we had more time to explore Shanghai, and with less stomach cramps, and probably less street vomiting too to be honest.

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Part of trip: Asia

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