It is the end of summer in Shanghai. It's been a while since my last log. Life has been full. Every day there is something new to find out about this city. I really get the feeling I am in the middle of some grand event. In the past 6 months I have watched probably about a thousand new luxury high-rise apartments go up within 6 blocks of us. This is not the only neighborhood that this is happening in. All around Shanghai huge amounts of money are funding massive buildings.
Right at this moment, we are getting the edge of a typhoon that is sweeping through the area. Even though it is raining sideways and gusts of wind make movement barely possible in any direction except that which the wind pushes you, people here are still going to work in taxis (tough to get a taxi on a rainy day), buses and on bicycles.
Shanghai in the summer is hot and humid. There were days in the spring when it was literally like walking out into a sauna. The air was heavy and moist and from the balcony you could see steam rising from roof tops in the morning. Having an air-conditioner to beat back the humidity is a must. Umbrellas are in high use during the sunny days. Especially among well to do Chinese women, umbrellas provide needed shade. In the West we go for a sun tan as a healthy look. For Chinese women, tans are not a good thing. If you comment on her great tan, you are liable to have it taken as an insult. In China, if you have a tan you are probably a farmer or laborer from the countryside.
We have explored a bit. The most notable little weekend trip we took was to Hangzhou. If you are staying in Shanghai for any length of time, it is a must see. It is a two hour train ride from Shanghai, so it is perfect for a weekend getaway. Hangzhou is a beautiful garden city and the place where you can see the famous West Lake.
It obviously caters to tourists. West Lake is at the center of the city. It a large scenic lake with 3 islands in the middle which you can reach by boat. You can hire small boats like taxis for a trip around the lake. There are several other sites to see - waterfalls, easy hiking paths, and gardens. It is one of the centers for growing green tea. One of the day hikes we took was a path that crossed 9 streams. It was beautiful, very green and shady and we strolled for a good portion of the through hillside fields of green tea bushes.
Another resort to avoid the hot weather in Shanghai is Qingdao beach. Now some expats go to Yellow Mountain or Mountain Lushan for a weekend tour as the two¡¯s altitude is above 1600 meters so they have become a real retreat from the hustle and bustle of the cement metropolitan world.
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