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Published: April 20th 2009
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By the end of today we were getting really tired of the street touts and the very caring individuals who wanted to take us to their shops or art exhibitions. There is currently a scam doing the streets of Shanghai where a 'student' introduces themselves and invites you to their universities art exhibition, only to end up in a dodgy building with some heavies demanding large sums of money for a coffee. So here we are sitting looking out at Pudong and along comes a 'friendly student'. Richard does his usual thing and remains silent looking straight ahead leaving me to do all the talking. Our friendly student does the usual banter and then asks who my friend is. I introduced him as a deaf mute explaining that she need not bother speaking to him as he is non responsive. She then introduced herself as Helen Keller...the irony was not lost on our deaf mute who was doing all he could to control his laughter as our friend Helen talked and talked and talked...
We leave Shanghai tomorrow with a small sense of this massive city. It is a dichotomy. It would take a life time of living here to
really absorb it and understand it. For me I think the housing estate we visited on our first day will stick in my mind due to the serenity and simpleness of life. Today was a contrast, visiting the Old City and Yuyuan Gardens, full of commercialistion, tourists and touts. We did not enjoy the streets of shops and tackiness and found the gardens, although historical to be lacking the calmness and serenity that you find in a Japanese garden.
So the highlights of yesterday and today...
1) Having two old ladies stop in the street and rub Brent's hairy arms and mutter what must have been the Mandarin equivalent of Gorilla
2) Watching Richard take one of his straight up a building photos to have a guy walk up behind him and look straight up to see what the hell Rich was photographing
3) Almost a repeat, Richard was squatted down taking a photo in the temple only to have a woman sneak up to the side of him and stick her camera almost in his face and take a photo of him
4) The Monk walking quietly through the gardens with the Nokia mobile held behind his
back
5) The taxi ride back from dinner...I take back all I have ever said about Asian drivers. The guy we had could have been straight out of the Shanghai Grand Prix...the gaps he took, the pedestrian he missed...we have no idea how
And the low lights
1) Smoking...the internet cafe we used is straight out of Australia or NZ circa 1970. The air was blue with smoke
Not bad huh, lots of highlights and very few low points. Brent continues to be sick so has started on antibiotics. He is blaming the Shanghai smog and hopes that once he hits Chengdu he will be fine.
As far as leaving Shanghai went, we took a taxi to Pudong Airport. The Journey at 6am took just under 45 mins and only cost 200 rmb. Given the speed and convenience it was well worth it. Shanghai airport was amazing...massive...sophisticated and incredibly efficient.
Bring on Chengdu
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Patrick Jansen
non-member comment
Time for a little waxing session there, huh? Love the Pics btw.