Friday 30 October 2009

Various, Shanghai

After wandering for what seemed like hours through this poxy building site this brilliantly constructed sentence did nothing to ease tensions. We only wanted to cross the road to Shanghai's tallest building!


This was inside Silje's purse!


Yet more grub.


No shit Sherlock!


Us adopting the standard Chinese photo pose with Clare and Chris our new roomies.

Various, Shanghai

We were amazed when this UFO landed on top of the skyscraper!


A welcome rest after a day's exploring Shanghai.





Another watering hole, we seem to find them rather easily!


Silje was ecstatic at finding buttons to press in the back of a taxi. Wow!

Various, Shanghai

View from the cab. First night in Shanghai.


And would you believe, the pond had tiny, little terrapins swimming around in it too!!!


Coi carp in the pond, Old Town


A contrasting view in Shanghai; like Gotham on one side and a village on the other.



Leaving Beijing, arriving Shanghai

The Old Town, Shanghai.


Storm brewing over Shanghai. It seemed Shanghai was just one big building site-there was an amazing amount of construction and road works going on.

Chris with his Chinese 'provodnitsa'!


Beijing to Shanghai on the super-fast, hyper-modern express train. The first beer since 18 years old! Figured I'd stop looking for ciders and put an end to the 'fussyness'!! I was determined to start enjoying a cold beer on a warm summer's evening!


The day to leave Beijing had come...we said our thanks and goodbyes to our travel mates, Mathias and Lasse, and travelled onwards alone to Shanghai!

Various, Beijing

Nighttime view of Beijing from Lasse and Mathias' 20th floor apartment. Thanks again you guys for letting us stay with you in Beijing!!!


Communal toilets still exist in Beijing's hutongs- none of the houses have their own installed. The toilets of course are merely holes in the floor with no doors. If you're lucky you can walk in on your neighbour taking a dump!!!


One of the many bike workshops on the street corners where you can get your bike fixed at no charge.


Another one of our absolute favourite snacks of Beijing- dumplings with lime garlic and chilli dip!!! Mmmmmmmmmm..... 50 pence (5-6 kroner!) for a bowl of 10!!!


Chris strolling through the 'hutongs' of Beijing- original structures with real character in the districts of Beijing, consisting of narrow lanes and alleyways.

Various, Beijing

Went swimming in Lake Qinghai, in the middle of Beijing. Received a lot of attention from the retired locals who meet by the lake daily for a chat and a swim! Not a bad way to spend your retirement!


Yet another seemingly pointless guard protecting a train made of flowers!


The local cat population gladly accepted the duck left-overs


Silje soldiered on with this duck-in-a-bag, Chris couldn't face it!


Snakes on a sticks, not 'Snakes on a plane'!

Thursday 29 October 2009

Various, Beijing

A grasshopper, caterpillar and seahorse soup! Yummy in my tummy!!


Here the beginning of a tea fetish starts!


Not what Lasse expected to see when he opened the curtains on a Monday morning!


Daytime view from the 20th floor of Mathias and Lasse's apartment, Wudakou, Beijing!


Health and safety non-existent in China!

Beijing food n' drink

A well-earned rest after a long day and night- at Lasse and Mathias'.


Night food market in Beijing, where we found lots of interesting snacks!


There's nothing quite like a scorpion and starfish sandwich!


One of our absolute favourites- grilled squid on a stick!!!


At the end of our Club 13 night- being escorted home by Lasse and Mathias!

Great Wall and the night following

13 Club! Chinese Live Rock Venue- letting loose after a heavy day of wall climbing!





Random (stoned!) cat


Suspension bridge to the right of the wall, where lack of maintenance made the wall impossible to cross.



THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA




Tower number 8. The walk included 36 towers- some of which you can see in the distance!





Told you it was gonna get tough!


An expensive but one of the more memorable beers Chris has drunk, and there's been a few!! With Danish Christopher- who incidentally has his own online sword business!!!!