---

Shanghai

The first city I visited in China was Shanghai. My traveling partner and I recovered relatively quickly after the long, 17-hour trip. Since we traveled with a friend who spoke the language, our transition was not a difficult one. We were driven around town by our own personal driver, who dodged millions of bikes as he cruised along in his car. The traffic was very congested. I sat in the back seat, taking photos of the many bikers hauling huge loads of supplies. We arrived earlier than the rest of the group and spent our time visiting with friends and shopping for jewelry and hand-tailored clothes. Our dollar went a long way over there.

We were taken to a small tailor’s shop that was off the beaten track. In a small, congested room, my friends were measured and sized for several jackets and suits. Overall, I found Shanghai to be a mix of extreme wealth and extreme poverty. Opulent buildings were surrounded by the dust of construction and stench of poverty. It seems China can't grow fast enough to become modern.