We caught the Lhasa to Shanghai train as it passed through Xi’an. Each compartment had its own oxygen valve which is used when the train makes high altitude passes in Tibet. Celebrity status was notched up another gear on this train with both sexes fighting for photographs with Mark and to tell him in broken English how handsome he was.
Arriving in Shanghai in stifling heat amongst the chaos of crowds and traffic, the city seemed much less effected by Beijing’s Olympic makeover. As we explored the streets and alleyways we felt we got a far more realistic picture of everyday life in a Chinese metropolis. There is a stark contrast between old and new with the colonial architecture of the Bund and the old town’s traditional dwellings being overshadowed by an ultra-modern skyline.
We sipped cocktails on the 87th floor of the Jin Mao building in the world’s highest bar. As the sun set and the city lights sparkled beneath us we were reminded of how tough the backpacker life can be sometimes 
Bad dir: wp-content/plugins/gallery/20081004_shanghai
5 comments so far
October 5th, 2008 at 9:37 am
Hi Both
We are reading even though not making comments. Hope both are well and it all sounds exciting. The siping cocktails is more my scene!! Come on Helen you can flaunt your celebrity status `Kate Winslet doing a documentry for BBC` Marks just the camera man!! Mark, Pete wants to know have you come across any bargain guitars? Take care both have fun speak soon
Sandra & Peter x
October 5th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Just had a call from Brendan at the start of the Great North Run, he had hoped that you would be turning up wearing coolie hats and pulling a rickshaw, I explained that you were both having such an arduous time that you would probably miss it this year.
The weather in Newcastle is great, unlike downtown Nuneaton where it is piddling down, still when you are painting the kitchen, like wot I am, it’s all a bit academic.
October 5th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Hi, sorry not been commenting lately been indisposed but back in the pink now and been catching up on the blog. Great photos as usual and commentary brill. Its always good to log on to site to see what you pair are up to. We had a day in London last week and we thought we were squashed in the tube until we saw your tube/train/bus squash in a previous section of the blog - no complaining now!!!!!!!
Take care!
October 6th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Mark are you counting the fish in that photo? Skyline looks amazing (as do the cocktails). Love to you both xxx
October 6th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Hello again….”Blog Chops” here…..just returned from a very nice weekend walking in Derbyshire…….Is that a male or female ‘lion’ there Helen?……I see food features alot on the pictures again…..some looks lovely some not so lovely……not too sure about that eyeball floating in the ’soup’??……the views from the cocktail bar are stunning overlooking Shanghai, some of the modern buildings look just like Dubai.
Leave a Comment