Shanghai has several of the Top 10 world’s highest buildings. Here, on the plexiglass floor of the Oriental Pearl TV Tower one can peer 1000 feet below into the streets of Pudong.

There is a sensation of stepping over thin air.

Shanghai Tower , the world’s second tallest building has just topped out at 2073 feet , 638 meters – 125 Floors !

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What’s For Dinner Tonight ?

Before

After

Any thing that walks, flies,swims or slithers is considered food.

A Muslim Uigyr Restaurant in Shanghai featuring the cuisine of Xinjiang.

Drunken Venison .

Delicious Pigeon Head at Bao Lu in Shanghai.

Giant Crab at Norman’s Seafood in Shanghai – RMB 4000 – about $ 600 each.

Delicious Duck Tongues.

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Shanghai had changed a lot in the 14 months since ArcticTropic had last visited. There were 3 new buildings , all taller than the World Trade Center, all built in two years or less.

THe 120 mile ( 190 km ) trip from Hangzhou to Shanghai took 45 minutes on the Bullet Train -at 343 kph – 212 mph.

Crossing the Huangpu River from the Bund to Pudong.

Just completed – building on right –  the Shanghai World FInancial Centre , at 429 m ( 1614 ft.) the 3rd tallest building in the world.

View from the top – last year’s tallest structure – the CCTV Tower. ( See March 2010)

No matter how high – windows always have to be washed – especially in smoggy Shanghai.

Vertigo sufferers need not apply for this job.

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ArcticTropic attempted this post last week, but photos would not upload properly in the People’s Republic, even with, or perhaps because of, the proxy server. The purpose of this trip was not exploration, but rather business meetings taking place in office towers in major cities. This morning hike in Huangzhou, one of China’s secondary cites – smaller – meaning New York sized at about 9 or 10 million people was one of few outdoor excursions .

WIthin the city limits are large forested expanses surrounding West Lake. In the hills above the lake is a pagoda surrounded by shrines the Buddha – which were smashed with sledgehammers by fanatical Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution in 1967.

The brick pagoda – about 200 years old. It was probably too difficult to destroy with sledgehammers.

A sloping staircase through the mountain.

A peddler’s village.

The thoughts of the Chairman are always with us !

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On April 3rd I will return to China , for the first time in a  little over a year. This time, the focus will will on South China, entering from Hong Kong and finishing in Shanghai.

After a short flight from Miami to Newark, I will board Continental Flight 99 – the 9th longest flight in the world. Flying time is 15 hours and 50 minutes for the 8055 mile / 12980 km distance. Leaving at 3:45 in the afternoon,  the 777-200ER  will fly northwest over New York State, Quebec, Hudson’s Bay,Baffin Land , and across the Arctic icecap within about 200 miles of the North Pole. Continuing in the same direction, due south, the plane will travel over Siberia,Manchuria and East China, before landing at 7:45 the NEXT night.Because the northern Arctic is in 24 hour daylight by April, all but the last hour or two of the flight should be  sunny – hopefully with few clouds – to enable aerial shots and videos.

ArcticTropic will be meeting with many South China adventure travel providers. If you would like to meet with us between April 4th to 14th please email  – travel@arctictropic.com

Newark is also home to the world’s longest flight – to Singapore – 9535 miles/15345 km at 18 hours 50 minutes !