I want to see the bright lights tonight

DSC01883, originally uploaded by Louise and Luke.

What. A. Bloody. Brilliant. City.

It wasn't just arriving after the mediocrity of Xi'an that did it. It wasn't the sunnier weather that had us discarding coats and thinking about sun tan lotion (albeit slightly prematurely). It wasn't even the "cake terrorists" (scary men who make money to overthrow the Chinese Government by... er... selling really pretty cakes on the street) that Ammy, our lovely and amusingly Chinese local guide, pointed out to us shortly after our arrival.

No, it was the delicious marriage of daft skyscrapers that look like spaceships with old colonial townhouses, the drinks that cost the earth but were served 88 floors above ground level in the Cloud Nine bar, the fantastic food at Grandma's Kitchen, the parks, the history. It was Shanghai, and the two days we spent in China's second city was nowhere near long enough, such was the wealth of things to do, see, eat, drink and absorb.

On our first night there, we strolled through the Old City shopping area, ignoring offers for knock off Rolex watches and Gucci bags, opting instead to barter furiously for some new shoes for Lou with a local stall holder. Just walking down the street was a joy in a city that felt so alive, vibrant and combustible in a way that made Beijing seem almost sedate in retrospect. We also tasted some of the best food since our time in the Capital at the famous Grandma's Kitchen, something of a Chinese institution. We finished off the night with a few beers at a backstreet bar that, somehow, afforded wonderful views of the city skyline across the Bund as a cool breeze blew across the terrace. It was almost good enough to give up voting for...

We started day two with a personal highlight, namely my successful consumption at breakfast of a an entire, runny fried egg... (drum roll please)... using chopsticks. The fact that the day managed to get better from there on in is a true testament to Shanghai's greatness. We spurned the metro, choosing to traverse much of the city by foot, and in doing so were rewarded with some truly magnificent open spaces such as the massive, magical "People's Park". These places also told a darker story, though, with the occasional statue of former leader and all round murderous shitbag Chairman Mao still standing, and an eerie lack of little brothers or sisters for the steady succession of cute Chinese kids to play with. After a few hours strolling through the glorious former French Concession, including memorable visits to the home of former (and actually quite sound) Communist guru Zhou Enlai and that of democratic trailblazer Sun Yat Sen, we zipped through the very grand though sterile Shanghai Museum.

The undoubted highlight, though, came with our evening visit, along with a few travelling companions, to the New Shanghai Circus. The show contained such feats of contortion, strength, grace and skill that would dazzle any visitor, but the final act, where seven full size motorcycles drive at full pelt round a 360 degrees metal cage-ball has to be seen to be believed. Look on Youtube - it's bound to be on there. Better still, book a flight and go see it for yourself.

We rounded off the night, and our last proper day in Shanghai, with a obscenely expensive cocktail on the 88th floor of Shanghai's second tallest building, but her still tallest bar. Since you ask, we had to use plastic, and mine was a Cyberlady, hers a Mai Tai. And yes, they were worth every bloody penny.

Stay warm,

Luke and Louise

(Posted by Luke)