Shanghai in the summertime

hong kong international airport at 6am - summertime is a busy time for travel and last-minute business travel in these cost-conscious times necessitate layovers in various asian cities

though layovers are still an enjoyable experience - catching some sights as the airport wakes up

there are always restaurants open to cater to the temporarily-stranded traveller

on an evening stroll in the suburbs of shanghai, walking by a restaurant, past a couple enjoying their late-night meal

the view looking down from a hotel room on the 27th floor to the streets and apartment buildings below

the iconic view of pudong from an extremely crowded waterfront walkway on the bund

women taking a rest along the bustling tourist-lined, pedestrian nanjing road between the bund and peoples park

in the sweltering heat of the summer night, a local man searches for a more comfortable position on a street-side stone bench while his son enjoys watching people go by

a look up at a hotel building - the sky is strangely blue in shanghai - and the air is not as polluted as in days past

a young girl carries a baby boy as she dodges traffic along a busy road looking for sympathy and handouts

another view of the strange blue-sky phenomenon

carp served with two types of peppers in a gourmet cantonese restaurant

a storekeeper selling family seals

serene moments are not easily found in this populous city - this moment is no exception - taken in the overcrowded yuan-yuan gardens while battling for balance so as not to be pushed into the pond by a mob of frenzied amateur photographers

just a few meters outside the garden grounds, the crowd of weekend shoppers and tourists seemingly approaching critical mass

the mother of all doglegs - one of the many entrances to the world expo - taken late in the day - i'm told that they fill up in the mornings

the expo experience is one of waiting for endless hours in the sweltering heat while water is sprayed down onto the restless masses, in an attempt to reduce heat-related health incidents.

there were some incidents of deaths in week prior to my visit

there are some glimpses of other cultures

some exhibit halls from various nations are quite stunning - this one from Taiwan

this one from hong kong - aptly titled history of the banknote

and ofcourse the mother of all expo exhibition halls - not sure if this needs any introduction