Shanghai

shanghais main train station was chaos! Exits in all directions, people everywhere and general chaos for the minority of people who don't speak Chinese. I couldn't find a taxi. I couldn't even find where the hell you'd hale a taxi. Or anything that looked remotely like a bloody taxi stand. Eventually, I fained ignorance, pushed my way past a traffic control person and barged my way in to a taxi, that someone had barely put a foot out of. (I'd go well in New York I reckon!)
The architecture of some of the buildings in Shanghai are amazing. Some buildings are shaped like waves, some have the most elaborate finishes, some have a roof like flowers on the most amazing stainless steel construction. It's a shame that the smog never cleared enough to get a good photo.
arrived at my hostel, which looked more like a 5 star hotel and checked in, just minutes before they gave my bed away. Phew. Lucky I shoulder barged that passenger out of the taxi! Otherwise I'd be sleeping on the streets. My room seemed like a little haven away from the bustling streets of Shanghai and I was readying myself for a good night sleep. The second my eyes closed and I hit the land of nod, the lights in the room came on, in a blinding burst. My room mates had arrived! And they seemed unable to just turn on the small light that nicely illuminates the room but instead had to turn on the fluro lights that turned the place in to a sports field. I patiently lay there with my eye mask on hoping that they would do their thing and turn off the light. Alas, this was not going to be my night. Moments later, after much turning of the lights off and on, a loud vibrating noise penetrated my head. What the buggery! As I peer blindly out the window, I'm greeted with the sight of a man dangling from the roof, straddling the light box outside my window. What was worse was that he had a angle grinder in one hand and a hammer in the other.....What the F**k! It was 11:00pm at night and there is construction going on out MY window! Well what did it matter really? The girls were still playing "flick with the light switch" and having animated conversation in the bunks above and drunk backpackers were screaming in the common area just outside my door. Eventually though and after little sleep on the train, I lost the plot!
The ladies were asked to bugger off to the common room to finish writing in their Journals, considering it was now after midnight! The front desk got a great ear full about the possibility of informing guests about a lunatic, installing a sign right outside their window, until the wee hours of the morning. My vallium stock depleted considerably and eventually I fell into a less than blissful sleep about 2 am.......