Shanghai - part 4

Back in Shanghai for a final couple of days involved some relaxed sight seeing around the city and a maddingly annoying trip to the fake markets. You cannot believe how much these people hassle you when all you really want to do is buy a watch. In the end we were weighed down with fake rolexes and gucci watches, but it kept us amused.

Some highlights of the last couple of days included a trip to the Shanghai Aquarium, much better than expected. The penguins were a little sad, but the overall experience wasn't actually too bad. They showed us how pearls are harvested from oysters and we all got a free pearl extra fresh.

We then visited the highest hotel in the world. Well supposedly anyway, where the hotel begins on the 57th floor of one of the extremely large towers in Pudong side of Shanghai and rises to approximately the 97th floor or something. Its only 1 of 5 hyatt's n Shanghai and this picture looks bizarrely like some sci-fi meeting room for thousands of crazy dudes. It was pretty cool, and the bad at the top has the same view as the observation deck and you don't have to pay $20 to get in, you just have to have a $20 cocktail instead!

So in summary, Shanghai is a city of contrasts, filled on one hand with 5 star hotels and towering office buildings, it is also a scene of abject poverty and terrible living conditions for many of the local people. The pollution can just be mind boggling but on a clear day with a few dollars in your pocket you can have a great time, 10c beers, $2 lunches, and $100 custom made suits are just some of the joys to be found. On the other hand the constant spitting on the streets and blatant rip off attempts can get you down. Its not an unsafe place by any stretch but you need to keep your wits about you! And look at this pollution, its just insane, people who say that global warming is a myth and that humans aren't interfering with the planet need to visit Shanghai!