the train from hong kong was full of chinese but only us in our four berth. i was glad of the privacy but, perversely, regretted missing the experience of sharing the space! :)
it was wet and warm when we arrived and we splashed through the puddles with our guide to our people carrier. christina seemed to think we were leaving on monday which was a concern. she had no onward tickets apart from our tour ones and refused to give me her business card or contact number. why?
my heart sank at the sight of the hotel. very tall and shrouded in netting. we came in through a shuttered front to the sound of drilling. reception was big and glossy and the staff seemed to know what they were about!
our room is on the 22nd floor (gulp) and is a bit scruffy in places but all is here that we would want, boiling water and a washing line! :)
we went out to discover shanghai and liked what we saw despite the rain. lots of interesting european looking buildings and little wooden structures; alleyways that reveal trees and bushes in pots; washing hanging out of windows on bamboo poles; some boarded up buildings that architecturally wouldn't look out of place in london.
the waterfront is modern and looks across at an eclectic collection of new buildings, curiosities rather than cutting edge! :)
i spotted three policemen cruising the walkway in a kind of golf buggy with pop music blaring out. three more uniformed chaps went in the opposite direction in something similar. a barge motored by on the water with an enormous video screen playing advertisements. we're still approached by photographers and fake watch sellers but the streets seem calmer despite 18 million living in the shanghai area!
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