Shanghai 2

Today is the last day of the trip and very hot and humid and Shanghai. After 10am we started walking to visit property developments and shopping malls. It was so hot however that the air conditioning systems couldn't cope. In fact the Shanghai Government's power generation can't match demand on hot days and they've requested people with air conditioners to reset the temperature to 26 on days over 35 (ie today). The little guy on the left (near the entrance to a mall we were visiting) is how I felt after traipsing around in the heat today. I think the true function of this guy is for parents to scare little Chinese kids into behaving while they're in the mall.


The area we were in is a newly developed area of Shanghai called Xitianqong and many old houses have been crashed down to make way for 30+ storey high rise residential apartments. The old China would most likely chuck the people on the streets however the new China 'rehoused' the people who were living there in the new apartments. We arranged a tour through one of the apartments which occupied the top 3 floors of one of the towers and cost in the vicinity of $10.5m Australian dollars. It didn't come as a surprise to learn that it belonged to the Chairman of the Board of the development corporation.

These residential complexes are huge and most have significant grounds and amenities built nearby. One had a building called the 'Clubhouse' which included a pool, 2 basketball courts, gym, climbing wall, business centre, karaoke rooms, band practice rooms, function rooms and business centre. The picture is of the lifeguard employed to ensure no-one drowns (he's at the far end). As you can see, there is no-one in the pool so I'm guessing he notches that up as 100% safety record today.

The area is also famous for being where the first Communist party meeting took place in 1921 and 2011 is the 90th anniversary of that meeting. The modest house where that meeting took place is still preserved today. If those communist party leaders were alive today I don't think they'd approve of the area they held that first meeting in. The precinct the house is situated in is probably one of the most materialistic, capitalist areas of Shanghai, a far cry from the minimalist, one wage for everyone doctrine of 1920s China. It does show how far the extreme left has swung back towards the centre....if not a little past the middle onto the right side.


These complexes also include significant office space as these bring in large tax dollars for the Government. These office complexes are extremely well-catered for with a unique service for tired Chinese businessmen whereby there are free girls in the lobby. This sort of thing used to be seen more in the seedier side of town but seems quite commonplace here. The picture to the left shows what I mean. The sign on the table says 'Please Take One' (just in case you got greedy). Hang on, it appears I'm mistaken - the sign really means 'please take a seat'....well I would if there weren't so many girls on it.

Shanghai

Shanghai is the world's most populous city (at least according to some websites) with over 21 million people. It has a slightly bigger population than Beijing however it's on a much smaller footprint which means it's quite dense. Every building reaches for the sky and most people live in hi-rise apartments. Shanghai also seems to have more foreigners than Beijing living in the city. Other comparisons with Beijing are that it also feels clean and safe, and there doesn't seem to be graffiti anywhere (its amazing the threat a firing squad has on hooliganism). I have heard however that theft is still quite common (bag-snatching etc).

Driving a car in this city is a luxury. You can buy a car easily enough but what you can't buy is a number plate. These are sold by auction by the State. Current price is about $,7500 USD. Some people buy plates from out-of-state which is fine up to a point, and that point is that out-of-state plates are not allowed on above-ground freeways or bridges. They can only be driven at ground level or underground. Presumably they photograph plates in areas where they shouldn't be.

Being a pedestrian in this city is just as hazardous as in Beijing. Rule of thunb: NEVER EVER assume they are going to stop for you, even if the signal says "WALK." The same goes for buses - they have the right of way.

And Spitting! If there is one thing that Chinese people aren't bashful about, it's spitting. They LOVE to spit! I don't know if it's the bad air or if it's just not a big deal to them but I see them doing it all the time. They aren't embarrassed about getting it from deep down in their throat either. I have read that the Chinese government asked Chinese tourists when travelling overseas to refrain from spitting due to the negative reactions it was generating from the locals.

Another gross thing I notice is that Chinese people sometimes blow their nose without a tissue in public. Not the kind of thing you want to see right before you have lunch...or shake hands with them.

Another peculiarity of Chinese people is they don't like waiting in lines. If you aren’t paying attention people will zoom right past you even if you are in front of them in the line. In fact, today as soon as the seatbelt sign went off when the plane landed I must have blinked (and I'm certain I heard a slight whooshing sound too) because I looked up and all the Chinese people on the plane had already stood up and were in the aisle. Two seconds I swear! Even the guy next to me was almost in my lap trying to get into the aisle and was slightly miffed that the gaijin in the aisle seat was still sitting down. It is a little bit annoying for foreigners who are used to respecting lines, but I guess that is part of travelling to other countries.

One of the most striking buildings on the skyline is the Shanghai TV Tower (pictured above).

As I'm a tower junkie, one of the first things I did was buy a ticket and ascend. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great today so the view was a little cloudy. The tower has a glass floor so just to freak out those of you who get vertigo, I've included a photo of my feet enjoying the view down below.

Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River and the riverfront, known as The Bund is a popular tourist walk. At night, the buildings on each side of the river light up like Vegas or Manhattan and its very pretty. A lot of brightly coloured, neon-lit dinner boats cruise up and down the river.

Except for Hong Kong, Shanghai is the most expensive city to live in China. Prices seem to be about 5-10% higher than in Australia.

Beijing

Thursday: [        ] the word in the brackets is Beijing. What’s that? You didn’t see anything? Well that would be because it was obscured by smog! Wow, you look out across the buildings and you can’t see 3 kms and its impossible to tell if its foggy, cloudy or smoggy. But my money’s on the latter. It seems so thick that if it were raining I don’t think it would reach the ground for 20 minutes while the droplets made their way through. Enough about that. WOW this place is big. Beijing airport is HUGE! You know you’ve landed at a big airport when the gate number is 525, the baggage carousel is 57, and there’s at least 3 parallel runways. Terminal 3 was built for the Olympics and they’ve decided it’s already reached capacity so they are building another airport.

The building to the left is the 44 storey Chinese Central Television building, completed in 2008.

By the way, I've had to write some of the blog by emails as the Beijing Government doesn't allow access to blogs or YouTube for anyone  (can't have anyone expressing an opinion not sanctioned by the Government can we). The Shanghai Government isn't as fussy though.

Beijing is the worlds 9th most populouse city with about 20 million people. These stats are always a bit rubbery as it depends on where you draw the boundaries.

Apart from the smog, which they say is equivalent to smoking 10 cigarettes a day, I like Beijing.The streets are wide and tree-lined, the people quite friendly, and although drivers don't seem to be aware what pedestrian crossings are for, its not as perilous as some other cities. The city is clean and feels very safe. The language barrier hasn't been that bad as young people in China usually learn English and they are usually the ones serving in shops. Taxi drivers are a different story so usually the hotel has to write down where you want to go.

Other interesting buildings are those built for the 2008 Olympics, the Birds Nest Stadium and the National Acquatic Centre Water Cube.

[Saturday] Today we visited the Great Wall at Mutianyu. This site is a little less touristy than the usual site Badaling but it has a chair lift to the top which certainly helped. The Great Wall is actiually a series of walls built between 5th century BC and 16th Century AD (to keep the rabbits...er, Mongols out) and stretches over 6,200kms. Early versions of the wall weren't as secure so the wall was strengthened over time by successive dynasties. Its only once you are walking on it that you get a sense of the tremendous scale of the task of building it. As you probably know, it follows the line of the hill and when walking it becomes quite steep in places. When there are steps, these are angled to allow for rain to run off into gutters.There were locals selling water and beer along the top. It was a hot day but a beer before 9am is taking it a bit far.

After the Wall we came back into Beijing and went to the Forbidden City. Built in 1406 it housed emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has 980 buildings and covers 720,000sqm. Its been restored recently and attracts millions of visitors each year. Its 961m long and 753m wide, and surrounded by 8m high walls and a 52m wide moat. I didn't spend too much time here as most of the buildings look the same (seen one seen 'em all), however the gardens are nice and artefacts are interesting.

Just next to the Forbidden City (which for 60RMB isn't that forbidden anymore) is Tian'anmen Square - known more as being the site of the 1989 student riots and the massacre of nearly one thousand young Chinese people. The protests had being going for seven weeks before the Premier sent tanks into the square to disperse the protesters. Many will remember 'tank man' who stood in the path of one of the tanks. Despite the rumours, tank man was not run over but pulled aside by friends.

One session I attended had a panel of University students talking about retail brands they like, whether they'll stay in China and the like. Someone asked the question 'were they aware of the student riots at Tian'anmen Square?' They were aware that 'something' happened but they've never seen film or read anything about it due to Government censorship of the incident.

Mumbai

After a two hour flight from Delhi we landed in the tropical sauna that is Mumbai - population 21 million (the 5th most populous city in the world). The monsoons have arrived early (so we're told) and will continue now for about 4 months. Mumbai relies on the monsoons for its drinking water for the rest of the year.

As some of you know it used to be called Bombay (the original Portugese name was Bom Baim meaning Good Bay as it was originally under Portugese rule, however when a Portugese princess married King Charles II the city was given to the British as part of her dowry. The city was renamed Bombay and then leased by the British to the  British East Indies Company. Fourteen years ago the political party that came to power renamed it Mumbai - referring to the goddess Mumba who was the patron of the fishermen. Mumbai was made up originally of 7 islands which used to be fishing colonies. Mumbai is the most affluent of the cities in India and is the commercial and entertainment capital.

One of the 'institutions' in Mumbai is the dabbawalla. Literally it means a 'person with a box' but this person will pick up cooked meals from homes and deliver them to offices and schools. There is a dabbawalla association and over 5,000 dabbawallas deliver over 200,000 meals daily. Dabbawalla's either use bicycles or catch the train to deliver the meals. Despite this apparent low-tech system, the dabbawallas have recently embraced technology by allowing bookings by SMS or through the internet.

The photo on the right is not a slum but a dhobi ghat or public laundry. The Dhobi are a caste (a complex social system comprising elements of occupation, tribal affiliation, social status and political power) that specialise in washing clothes. For a modest 10-15 repees (20-25 cents) they will collect your clothes, wash (by beating them on the flogging stone), iron, fold, then return your clothes to your house in one week. Although you can clearly see the clothes hanging to dry, the grey cubicles are in fact sinks.

The next stop was Gandhi's house Mani Bhavan where he used to stay when he was in Mumbai. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi's (1869 - 1948) non-violence philosophy and leadership helped India gain independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi is often referred to as Mahatma which means 'great soul'. The house is now a memorial to the Father of the Nation and houses a research gallery, film and recording archive as well as personal items.

The photo below is of Victoria Terminus built in 1884. Its is the westernmost point of the Indian rail system and approximately 4 million people travel through it daily. It is the second most photographed building in India after the Taj Mahal and this gothic styled building is now listed as a heritage site by Unesco.

The building to the left is the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (built by Jamsedji Tata in 1903 after he was refused entry to one of the most exclusive hotels in Mumbai as it was 'whites only') that was the site of the terrorist attack in November 2008. The terrorists also bombed the Victoria Terminus above. The hotel has now been restored however the entire front section was burnt.

The picture below is another India Gate - not too dissimilar to the one in Delhi.

The photo to the right is the 'apartment of Mukesh Ambani, the worlds second richest man. The apartment cost $2b USD to build and is 173m high. This is equivalent to 60 storeys however it will have onky 27 livable floors with above average ceiling height. There are 6 floors of parking, enough for his family's 168 cars. Because he has so many, there will be a motor vehicle service centre on the seventh floor. The eight floor is a cinema. Floors 9 - 11 are for health and fitness with a pool and running track. The whole building requires 600 staff daily to run it. Poverty in India? I don't think Ambani is aware of it. There's a picture of some 'low cost' housing below.

Agra

Today we booked a car to go to Agra, about 250kms south of Delhi and home to the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 New Wonders of the World. Leaving at 5:30am the trip took about 4hrs each way due to the many small villages you have to pass through, despite there being a reasonable 2 lane highway. The journey was interesting to say the least. Along the way the driver contended with bicycles, tuk tuks, trucks, buses, cars, buffalo, and of course people. I think the first thing to wear out on Indian cars are the brakes and then the horn as it was used consistently every 5 seconds and the brakes every 10 seconds or so for the entire trip.

Agra is in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which is India's poorest state. There is an immense amount of poverty here and its hard to describe the squallor that some people endure daily. The area that we passed through has a median age of 15 years which means an extremely high population rate as it would have very few income earning adults.

At a couple of points the driver got out to pay taxes or buy a drink and the car was besieged by pan-handlers selling books about Delhi, small elephant trinkets etc as well as one guy who wanted cash to make his poor monkey do tricks. The tuk-tuk above, believe it or not had 18 people in it. They are basically arranged as 4 bench seats so you can take as many people that will fit on. In this one there's a couple of extra kids in the front which make up the numbers. The cost to have a tuk-tuk take you somewhere is about 5 rupees (10 cents) per kilometre. I'm sure many ex-tuk tuk drivers now drive taxis is Sydney.

The bike to the left has 4 people on it and although I couldn't get a picture, one bike had 5 on it. Very few of these cyclists even wear sunglasses. They do however keep their mouths closed as dead bugs on your teeth is not a good look. It was actually an anomaly to see a motorbike with only one rider on it. As to helmets, if there was a helmet, it was usually on the husband/boyfriend driving - the female on the back rarely (if ever) had one. I was hoping to see if some enterprising bike owner extended the seat so he could fit more people on it...who knows?

The Taj Mahal was built in about 1653 entirely from marble. It was essentially a tomb (mausoleum) for the Mughal (Persian - Iran) Emporor Shah Jahan's dead (3rd) wife. When the emporer died, his casket was place next to his wife's in the tomb. The temple contains elements of Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles. It took 21 years to build and at one stage there was 20,000 workers engaged. There are two pink coloured buildings on each side of the Taj. One is an Islamic Mosque (shown here) and there is a mirror image on the other side - with no other function than architectural balance.

The picture of the pink building below was taken from the Taj Mahal back towards the Great Gate. There are 3 entrances (East, west and south gates)to the courtyard that lead to the Great Gate and then to the Taj Mahal. The temperature in Agra today was about 40 degrees and was even higher inside as well as being mixed with a whole lot of body odour. Ewwwwww!.

Delhi

My hotel window overlooks a large roundabout and all I can see (and hear) are motorbikes, 3 wheelers, buses and cars honking each other as they jockey for position so they can get off at the required exit. It reminded me of National Lampoon's European Vacation when Chevy Chase drove around the Arc de Triumph for hours, except these Delhians are experts and just push there way through.

Speaking of the Arc de Triumph, I went for a walk (with a map supplied by the hotel) and came across the arch known as India Arch. Its in the middle of a large park with 'a lot' of stray dogs (now I know why they suggest rabies shots) although to be fair, I didn't bother them so they didn't bother me. Generally the parklands have a lot of rubbish and parts are quite smelly. Having said that there was no shortage of people ostensibly employed to clean the streets - its just that I think the task may be beyond them..

On the way back I passed the National Museum of India and the picture below is a wooden chariot that was used to carry around a replica of the deity so the people could be near it. It was fortified to ensure the figure inside couldnt be damaged by an overzealous public. So, to quote Erich von Daniken, this really was a Chariot of the Gods.

Things that have surprised me so far: considering how hot it is here, there are not very many people wear shorts or sunglasses. So yes, a lot of people in long pants squinting a lot.

In the afternoon, we travelled to Mercer's (NGS' administrator) Indian offshore processing office. This was located in Gurgaon which is a dedicated business district to the north of Delhi and we experienced Delhi traffic in all its unregulated glory. Road markings are not even suggestions - they are completely ignored. Drivers drift across lanes to gain precious feet of crowded roadway. To assist other drivers know you're there, Delhi drivers beep their horn every few seconds. So its sort of an aural positioning system - a APS instead of a GPS. And, as you'll see from the picture to the right there is almost no limit to the number of people you can get on a motor scooter.

Off to Agra tomorrow to see the Taj Mahal.

Sydney to New Delhi

The flights all went smoothly, no delays anywhere. Even the bureaucracy overkill I was expecting at Customs and Immigration was almost non-existent. There is a military presence but its not in your face. Although the drive from the airport to the hotel (about 20 minutes) was slowed down at about 3 places for 'checkpoints' but no one was being checked. In other words, it gives the impression of control without there being any.

The Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi is a stunning building nestled amongst the embassies along Shanti Path and Akbar Road. The pictures are of  the hotel and the view from my hotel window at the grounds and pool.
Its overcast and a little rainy today which will hopefully keep the temperature down. Last night at 2:30am the temperature was still over 30 degrees. I think today's high is a more acceptable 26.

Day 13 - Buenos Aires

 

Today is Sunday and we're off to San Telmo. San Telmo was falling into decline and once elegant mansions have been turned into tenement housing. Recently though, money has been pouring into the barrio and its charm is being uplifted much like its sagging balconies as they are restored. The San Telmo markets are officially classified as the Antique markets however they include contemporary artwork too. It really is an eclectic bunch of stalls displaying things like old comics, records, glassware, jewelry, watches, cutlery, and other knick-knacks. The markets stretch over a small plaza (park) as well as going along a 3km stretch of Avenida Defensa (all of it cobblestoned) from San Telmo to Plaza de Mayo. The markets are evidence that very large numbers of locals and foreigners are attracted to the area and as most of Buenos Aires shops are closed on Sunday it thankfully provided a reason to get out and about.

Day 12 - Buenos Aires

The Australian dollar stretches a long way in BA. Food becomes remarkably cheap, I estimate about 1/4 of what I'd be used to paying...clothes likewise. However, wages in Argentina are very low. For example, an admin assistant in Sydney may get about $50,000 but in Argentina that position would get around 40,000 pesos or about $10,000 per annum. A teacher would earn around $14,400 per annum. A 2 bedroom flat would cost around $7,200 per annum.

Taxis. I think the drivers here are really just frustrated pilots as they seem to enjoy driving right on the lane lines instead of between them. Most cars seem to arrange themselves in a brickwork pattern so they can see further in front of them. This makes sense in a weird way because drivers change lane and stop without much warning. Having said that it doesn't feel unsafe and considering the large distances travelling from suburb to suburb and the relatively cheap fares (where a trip from Sydney Airport to the city might cost around AUD$30, here it would cost around $5), you don't mind the occasional bit of organised chaos. This city has about 1 taxi for every 3 normal cars - taxis are everywhere! You never have to wait more than 2 minutes for a taxi. Bliss!

Anyway, enough economics for today. It was raining this morning so we spent the day in Palermo Viejo (which means old part) which abounds with shops, cafes and restaurants. Its a bit like Paddington except the shops don't open until midday (today is Saturday). We just wandered around the shops and after lunch walked along to Palermo (not the old part - presumably the new part), and Plaza Italia which is where the Zoo and Botanical gardens are.

Day 11 - Buenos Aires

We continued the bus tour today first stopping at Recoleta where the BA old money lives as the city's wealthiest citizens relocated here after San Telmo became unliveable after yellow fever hit there in 1871. This is BA's most Parisian quarter, featuring wide tree-lined avenues and landscaped parks.

Cemetario de la Recoleta is the final resting place of Eva Peron (among others), wife of the President and of course, the subject of the musical Evita. The cemetary is interesting when viewed in contrast to Australian cemetaries which have very few crypts.

Rich families in Recoleta believed God lived in this cemetary and hence paid large sums of money to secure land in this cemetary and erect small granite or marble houses to entomb their loved ones.

The families continue to pay cleaners (maids?) to keep the crypts in good order. That sounds a little spooky dusting around a coffin but it just goes to show everyone has a price.

When then moved on to La Boca, which is where working class Italian immigrants settled around the port area in the mid-19th century. They often borrowed ship paint to decorate their ramshackle houses and while some resident's houses still reflect this heritage, you don't need to travel far before you realise it's still a relatively poor neighbourhood.

Apart from the usual array of public buildings such as art galleries, universities, ministeries and the large number of parks with statues, one interesting sculpture was this, Floralis Generica which looks like a giant chrome flower. The unique thing about this sculpture is that each of the 6 petals close at night due to electic motors in each petal.