I just discovered that i have never written anything on Shanghai before. I always thought i have. Thanks to my reader, Lu Lu, from New Zealand who pointed out this to me.

First of all, i need to warn you that the city of Shanghai needs no introduction. The largest city in China has grown as a result of its location on the banks of the Huangpu River. It is now leading the way for China to become a first world country. It has over 17 million people and every year the number of affluent people grows seeing a slight shift from communism to capitalism. I have been to Shanghai many many times and it’s so interesting to see the city changing every week. Arriving from the Pudong International Airport is very easy. The 430 km/h magnetic train (Â¥50 single, Â¥80 return) makes the 30 kilometres trip in 8 minutes, and arrives at a line 2 metro station (Â¥4 single) not far from the centre. The metro is modern and safe, but rather infrequent and no platform information is displayed. Good signage on the other hand seems sufficient for foreigners like me to find their way.

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Punapi Gatre (means how are you in Balinese). This page is a special tribute to all the friendly Balinese friends i met in Bali. Also a big shout out to my friends from UK whom i met in Bali; Benny Forte (Ireland), Gavin Taylor (England) and Paul Allaire (England). Yes i do fancy milkshake! Not forgetting the others; Andy & Marita Walther (Germany), Megumi-san (Japan), Tomoko-san (Japan), Chie-san (Japan), Nanako-san (Japan). Thank you for making my trip an emotional and sentimental one.

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One of the many questions Thais may ask a foreigner visiting Thailand is ‘Have you been to Chiang Mai yet?’, underscoring the feeling that Chiang Mai is a keystone of any journey to Thailand. Along with Sukhothai further south, it was the first Southeast Asian state to make the historic transition from domination by Mon and Khmer cultures to a new era ruled by Thais.

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