Back in Shanghai after 25 years

Twenty five years ago, Shanghai had not had new development for over a decade, and the old houses were still there, except with much more crowded conditions. Houses that were meant to hold one family held two to three. One of my relatives had two generations living in what was the master bedroom, by the way, I meant the father and mother in one bed, with the son and his wife in another bed built on a platform above the parents' bed.

Shanghai now is a non-stop construction site, with large apartment complexes being built everywhere, people and traffic, including a very modern subway system, on a backdrop of tall office towers, billboards, western and Chinese stores, and did I mention people? Lots and lots people.

Shanghai has always been full of people, except 25 years ago, they were all on bicycles, now it's cars and motorcycles. Pollution is bad, and being here in one of the worst heat waves doesn't help at all.

I woke up at 7:00, thought I would go to the back of the hotel, which is on the bank of the Yellow River, to take some early morning photographs. Forget it! The humidity was so bad my camera lens was completely fogged up. Can't see a thing.

Solved the problem by going into the Shangrila Hotel and taking the pictures from their second floor windows.

(pictures to be posted later)