Loy Toy anchors a Thai delegation trip to China.

[Loy Toy]

Well it has been a week since I arrived back after an 8 day China visit and I must say I wasn't keen to go but was glad I did because the place is amazing.

Our group (18 in all) were very fortunate to have 2 fantastic tour guides who took us off the beaten track and so we could experience things not normally seen by foreigners.

We landed in Shanghai and first night went to have dinner in this place which they say is the highest eatery in the world.



I have many more interesting pictures and will need some time to go through my notes as the names and places we visited are as I said "off the beaten track".

[Loy Toy]

We did visit the China World Expo which was an amazing experience just because we were there and the place was so huge with an average of 700,000 visitors per day.

This construction was opposite one of the many main entrances and was purpose built for the future.

[Loy Toy]

Well the Expo was no more then a massive public relation exercise with every pavilion having their own styles and presentations.

The first pavilion we visited was of course the Thai exhibit and we got VIP entry and didn't have to wait for 2 hours to get in. It was a fantastic show and one worth seeing.



We then rushed over to the German show but could not be bothered to wait 3 hours in line.

So I left the group and walked over to the African nations area and watched some football and had a coffee.

[helge]

The Danish one any good ?

[Loy Toy]

The Australian Pavilion was right next to the Thai one and I returned the favour and got VIP entry. The bases of the display was highly Pro-China with BHP partners pumping millions into a seemingly friendship attempt with China.


The USA presentation was easily the biggest but again I didn't want to wait for 4 hours in line to see it.



The South American exhibits were also very popular.


The Northern European Pravilions were also well attended with the Danes sending out something very special. Does anyone know what?





I tried hard to find the British exhibit but couldn't find it but I believe it was this depicting the Tower of London.


And my favourite by far from Spain.

[Loy Toy]

The public amentities and other services were top shelf in fact I have never been to such a large exhibit and be so pleased to find so many clean toilets, bars and transport everywhere across the expo.

In fact the whole show was run so well it is a credit to the Chinese.

A picture of the German Pavilion with one of the many free buggies that took you wherever you wished to go.

[helge]

The Northern European Pravilions were also well attended with the Danes sending out something very special. Does anyone know what?

My first guess would be Larvid, but could be that little lump of bronze, called the Mermaid.

[Loy Toy]

^ Yes and I believe it is one of the few times the Danes have allowed the icon to leave Denmark.

Shanghai has changed so much since I was last there but still retains some of its old world charm being the oldtown centre.



Then you have the fast growing city on its doorstep.

[Smug Farang Bore]

LT, wheres GBs?

[Loy Toy]

Everywhere you visit you can expect the unexpected and this truck was parked in the centre of Shanghai.

Ducks going somewhere and a lot of em.

[Loy Toy]

^^ What mate?

[helge]

Good pics, LT

[Loy Toy]

Thanks mate and a lot more to come of up country China.

[Smug Farang Bore]

Great Britain.

[Loy Toy]

Honestly could not find it mate and aparently it was grouped together under 1 roof.

[Smug Farang Bore]

Nice pics anyway.

[daveboy]

Great pics Lt looking forward to some more.

[Bower]

Thanks, i am thinking of making a visit myself in September.

[Loy Toy]

Great pics Lt looking forward to some more.

Thanks, i am thinking of making a visit myself in September.

Thanks fellas and I hope the next pictures in the coming days are up to scratch.

We really went to some obscure places and enjoyed seeing things not many tourists witness.

I did get some shots I am sure were not appreciated and missed some whereby I asked permission but was denied hands down.

[Loy Toy]

The only British thing I saw at the Expo was this piece in the Aussie Pavilion.



Again still in Shanghai and at the old town market these girls were peering into this amusement game with a bloke running off commentary. Has anyone seen this before?



And finally still at the old city market inside the main house estate, aparently once belonged to the richest man in China and so close to the main city.


I brought an amazing cheap copy watch in the back streets which wouldn't cover the cost of the leather band here in LOS.

[Loy Toy]

Last picture in Shanghai and then off up country to see some real China.

This area was quite interesting and worth at least a day visit. The Shanghia old town centre and markets all built on canals.

[helge]

^ In 87 I got fined there for feeding the goldfish/comets/kois.

I bought a tin of Danish Buttercookies in the Friendship store just outside the garden, and gave the crumbs to the fish.

A guard shoved me a sign in chinese and fined me 4 yuan.
An english speaking local told me I was paying double.

I felt like criminal of the month, with the hordes of curious chinese wanting to see the me repent

My mate took pics of the hole misere and I treasure them

I wonder if the famous Jazz Band still plays in the hotel nearby

Edit: Apparantly they do

Famously, the musicians are ancient. The Peace Hotel Band has existed since before the declaration of the People's Republic in 1949. In the current band, playing nightly, the senior member is drummer Cheng YueQiang, who was born in 1918. Trumpeter Zhou WanRong was born in 1920. The average age of the six musicians is 76.

[Loy Toy]

^ I didn't see any police let alone anyone being fined mate and the place was very friendly so to speak. Maybe times have changed or just plain bad luck.

[sabang]

If I was looking to go offshore now, as opposed to twenty years ago, I'd probably pick Shanghai over Hong Kong.

Great stuff LT- what was your overall rating of the Expo? Those waiting lines seem a nightmare.

[baldrick]

nice photos LT - if you get up to Shenyang , the original forbidden city is there as it was the original capital - also the site of the largest land battle in history.

so we could experience things not normally seen by foreigners.

so you got a blow job from a chick hanging upside down in a sash from the roof ?