Friday, January 18, 2008

Trip Day 10 - Shanghai to Hong Kong

Jan 4

Walked around the hotel area and had fried bread for breakfast from a roadside stall. Keith and Jessie had been very impressed with the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition, so we jumped on the subway for a quick visit.

The exhibition was quite impressive and Tom was facinated by the scale model of the city. It was interesting, particularly as the planners seem to think that within 10 years all the buildings. Will be free standing and have neat little gardens around them - there will be no more rows of dilapidated little shops lining the streets. Somewhat depressing actually.

The rest of the day was spent returning to Hong Kong. We took a taxi to the airport, flew to Shenzhen, bus to HK, arriving around 8:30 pm.

Dinner was once again from the night market, then back to the hotel. John went off to an internet café. He keeps making jokes about Jack having xbox withdrawal, but I think John is having internet withdrawal. He usually spends 2-3 hrs a day reading, emailing, etc. He has had 1/2 an hour every second day or so.

My impresssion of China so far: a lot easier to get around than last time, and no gouging foreigners with extra charges. There was more English on the streets, even if it was just numbers and hello/goodbye. Tom was an endless source of amusement to everyone. There was fewer military around the towns and cities than last time, and fewer bicycles.

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