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Published: June 20th 2006
Hello All!
Just arrived in Shanghai today, (via Maglev train from the airport at 430km/hr!) and it's blissfully cooler than Xi'an but a bit more humid (well, you can't have it all!). Seems like a pretty big place, with people everywhere you turn (typical of much of my experiences of China so far). Gonna go out and explore properly tomorrow, and take yet more piccies!
Over the past few days I've been to see the terracotta warriors and move from one air-conditioned oasis to another! The warriors were amazing. There's three pits which were excavated and the first contained several thousandlife size warriors. The emperor who ordered his subjects to make them to prepare for the afterlife must have been pretty persuasive (or brutal??!). I think if it were me I'd have thought, what's the point?! It was pretty awe-inspiring anyway and well worth the trip. We were also taken to a 'silk museum' on the way, which was basically a big shop. The higlight was when the 4 people in the minibus were ordered to sit down in a big room with a catwalk running down the middle. The lights went off and on came the spotlights and a fashion show, to the refrain of 'All Rise' by Blue. I was trying really hard not to laugh but it was so comedy! Needless to say I didn't purchase one of the fake-Burberry silk T-shirts they were trying to flog.
Yesterday I started with great plans of going out to see various pagodas (pagodae?) and cycling round the city walls at 8pm. However after chatting to some people at the hostel and a few beers later, I ended up going to the Muslim quarter for some amazing food and souvenir hunting. I think the beer gave me a bit more confidence with my haggling as I think I got a few bargains (the sellers looked as if I'd killed a member of their families as they handed the goods over to me!). I was tempted by the Saddam Hussein playing cards, but thought I may not get away with getting them through customs back in Manchester!
Anyway, I'm off to have some food now and maybe even watch the England game (shock!). But it is on at 3am here so we will have to see!
Hope all is well at home!
Paul
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Mum
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Sounds like you're having a fantastic time! Your dad's dead jealous! Alls well here; had your Grandad and uncle Pete here for a barbie at the weekend ,and Bernadette and Gary. We all enjoyed it. Take care,keep in touch. Love Mum and Dad x