Shanghai some more ...

Well Shanghai is certainly a good way to start off on our travels, it's very Chinese in some ways but has all of the decadent Western commercialism that we all hold so dear! I haven't yet had to face giving up my addictions (coffee and chocolate) and our youth hostel had bacon and egg for breakfast for Melissa. There are McDonalds, Pizza Hut and KFC on every street corner (yuk!) and Starbucks and Haagan Dass also (yummy!). We have also eaten some delicious Chinese food for a fraction of the price. There are Western style, clean toilets for the squeamish and squat, dirty toilets for the desperate (and after all my coffee that's me!). We have been to three internet cafes and a massive foreign language bookshop (bought book on Chinese characters for Rosa who's really getting into learning the characters), book called "Whatever happened to Lani Garver" for me, book about the life of Nelson Mandela for Melissa and a beautiful colouring book for us all to share with Chinese designs. All in all a good time is being had by all, although we are still suffering a little from jetlag - especially Mark and Rosa who aren't as good at sleeping as me and Melissa (not helped by a group of loudGermans partying outside our room at 3am this morning - earplugs lostin the bed by then!) - Heather