After Intrepid

The rest of my time in Shanghai was spent in pretty much the same way. The group of us that has more time in Shanghai after the tour, the number kept dwindling as the week went on, spent our time walking between Cheapu and all the other markets. One afternoon we rode on the Maglev. The Maglev is the 'train' that runs between downtown Shanghai and Pudong Airport. It uses magnetic levitation technology which allows it to hit warp speed at 430km/hour. It feels like an airplane but you don't need seat belts.

For the last two days I was alone in Shanghai with the Wendy and Martin, the couple from New Zealand. They were really kind and continued to include me in their daily activities. We did a lot of walking and just soaked up as much of the city on foot as we could. I was really appreciative of their company and it made my time in Shanghai a little extra special.

One more thing about Shanghai, I noticed more homeless people there then anywhere else the tour had been. It was totally 'in your face' and sad. There was one homeless man in particular who Wendy had a soft spot for. We saw him near Yuyuan Market one day and Wendy gathered all our empty water bottles to give to him. Later on in our last week he kept showing up on Nanjing Road near our hotel and Wendy would give him her left overs from breakfast. The smile on his face when got the food was unforgettable. It was a little shocking, all the people on the street. Often is was very young children walking up to me to sell me something or beg for money. Its a sad and unattractive quality of Shanghai.

It just so happened that Wendy and Martin had to be at the airport at the same time as me on Friday, the last day. Through Intrepid they had prearranged a car to drive them to the airport and since I had planned on taking the train the let me go with them. It was nice to end the trip with company to the very last moment.

I could have spent more time in China and I really enjoyed my experience. This was my first crack at a tour and I was really impressed with the organization but at the same time easygoingness of Intrepid. Vivian was extra friendly and incredibly helpful. We couldn't have asked for a better tour leader. China has soo much to offer and every place we visited was very different. Two thumbs up!!