Part 1

As a citizen of the USA, I hadn't been to China all that frequently—well, never, to be exact. The only consistent advice I received was, "Don't drink the water."

I went to REI, bought a sports bottle with a built-in water filter, and suddenly, 11 hours of flying later, I was there. China!

Downtown Shanghai isn't Pagoda City. Much of the area has been redeveloped, becoming a city of bright neon and mirrored office windows.

The city is as crowded as I expected, but much more varied. People were dressed like peasants, like top insurance company executives, like soldiers, like boy band singers, all on the same length of sidewalk.

The new skyscrapers are impressive, even garish with trying to prove their modernity, but it's the river that is Shanghai's queen. Boats move constantly up and down, back and forth, moving freight and people.

The temperature in Shanghai in June was approximately "hell on earth," and the walkway along the riverfront was a popular place to stroll and cool off.

The ubiquitous umbrellas make outdoor life bearable in other parts of the city, providing a little shade for street vendors and scooter repair shops.