Breaking the land speed record

I have decided to fly to Hanoi, mainly because (1) I would have had to back track to Beijing and I really didn't want to have to do that, and (2) because my poor parents are having kittens about the idea of me travelling across China by myself into Vietnam. Bless them, but have they forgotten about the land of serial killers and mafia?

One of the more frustrating things about travelling in these parts is that things just aren't as internet friendly as over there with yall. Trying to book a flight ticket out of Shanghai and into Hanoi over the web was as easy as trying to find the death toll in that incident in Beijing where nothing actually happened or trying to find a Burmese military leader who isn't going to come back as a cockroach in his next life!

But then my little heart was lifted when I noted that the hotel actually had it's own travel agency. So this morning, after spending a late night watching HBO, I wandered down thinking now how difficult can this be. A one way ticket from Shanghai to Hanoi leaving on or after the 10th of Novemeber. Lets say that if i hadn't been paying attention i could have ended up here ... the lady was busy typing away, making faces and yelling on the phone, all the while i was wondering why there was a coffee cup with mould sitting on the otherwise spotless counter top. Then she said, okay only flight one way from Shanghai to Hanoi leaves 15 November ... Oh crap i thought, i really didn't want to do a Hong Kong on this and over stay my welcome ... I asked, how much and she said 10583 Yuan, about that's about eur1050, I asked her what airline and what route ... Luftansa. Luftansa, the German national airline. Yes she nodded. And pray tell how it is going to get me to Hanoi? Connecting in Hong Kong and Frankfurt!

So I left there feeling despondent and a little annoyed. I headed out onto the street in search of i don't know what. I was at a loss and lonely, what on earth was I going to do? When remembered the grumpy lady at the train station in Hong Kong who told me to go to the airport if I wanted to book a flight, where else can one get a flight ticket but in an airport? So off i trotted, in a taxi, who drove like a freaking manic. And after a little confusion mainly caused by me and a Dutch guy who insisted on cutting in front of me because his trip was business related ... I got my flight out of Shanghai on the 10th at 4.30, I have to change in Guangshoe, which i am sure will be an adventure ... but heck, that's what this is all about.

I caught the Maglev back into town, wow ... it went up to 431 km/h it was incredible. The fastest train so far, and the shortest journey! It was a totally awesome experience. And completely negated my earlier frustration at ticket finding. Another train passed us and the umph noise was shocking, there was a big bunch of Russians beside me and they all screamed ... I took a photo of the dial at 431km/h but it's not coming out properly when i try to show it here.

Shanghai is amazing if i met some of these guys walking down the street i wouldn't be surprised and the cityscape has to be seen to be believed. I took this photo about an hour ago down at the Bund, crazy tourists.