Julie dropped Adam and me off at the airport (LAX) at 11:00pm. After we checked our bags, it was off to the airport bar. Had a beer and hung out for a while then onto the plane for the fun-filled 13+ hour flight. Switched planes in Seoul, Korea. Glimping out the window, I noticed the razor wire topped walls and machine gun carrying guards. That's when I realized the South is still technically "at war" with the North - that's a bit freaky. After the short layover and another two hour flight, we landed in Shanghai! It’s 11:55am – I set my watch ahead as soon as I got on the plane so I have no idea what time it is in LA I think it’s a 16 hour difference – anything over 12 hours is too confusing for me to figure out easily.

We got on the tour bus after a quick and easy pass through customs. About 20 minutes later we checked into the Jian Guo hotel – very nice, the rooms are a little small (two single beds) but other than that it rivals any other nice hotel I’ve stayed in.

China is a lot different than I expected. I realize that Shanghai is probably China’s most modern city (not counting Hong Kong) but you can’t even tell it’s Communist here. No giant pictures of Mao or Zhu Ronji, no giant red flags hanging from buildings. Instead lots of advertisements, billboards, shops and traffic.

After a quick shower and change, we’re off to the Bund – the famous riverside promenade. Our group of seven (Adam, Kevin, Fred, Alicia, Carol, Jen and I) got off at the Peace Hotel after a crazy taxi ride. It seems they honk here when someone cuts them off, when they pass other vehicles and sometimes, for no apparent reason at all. Cabs are cheap though – only about a buck each for the 15 minute ride. Cheaper than Magic Mountain and twice as scary! Walked a long the Bund and checked out the Huangpu river. Tons of river traffic and the water was very polluted. Good view of the Shanghai skyline and the famous TV tower called the “Pearl of the Orient” (a Chinese version of the Space Needle). We stuck out a bit as there were few Caucasians, but especially Jen in her tank top – lots of stares. At the end of the Bund we headed down a little road with an open market. They were selling everything from clothes to knives, buttons to strips of plastic. We found our way to the Yu Yuan market area in "old town" Shanghai. Authentic Chinese architecture, including a Buddhist temple. We looked around in the shops and then continued our wandering down the street. Found ourselves in an open market "food court." We bought some boiled snails, sautéed squid and little vegetable dumplings. I tried everything but the snails (kind of scary looking). We washed it all down with some Reeb Beer, wandered around some more and caught a cab home.

We cleaned up then got together with some others and went to dinner a Restaurant Mike Liu recommended. He lived in Shanghai for five years before going back to school.
It was awesome – got beer and tons of food – everything from shrimp and pork to bamboo and eel. All for less than $10 a person. After dinner we went to Y.Y.’s (or Ying Ying’s?), a disco. Pretty cool – much like any disco in any other major city. Randy, Wolf and Wei-Juin all got ripped off by chicks asking them to buy drinks. They took the money for the drinks and took off. Pretty funny actually. Went back to the hotel and crashed.