Shanghai!

The financial mecca of China, Shanghai is more modern and with a different feel to it. We are warned that the food doesn't taste as good. Oh dear.  We start the day at a museum, mostly because, I suspect there aren't as many 'bucket-list' things to do here. After the museum, which held only the most marginal of interests to us...

 
I spotted a cat outside and took its picture. Now, we're off to another high end shopping centre. Needless to say, the tour company expects us to shop here, but all we take in is McDonald's ice cream. It's a un-tasty mix of whipped milk and Cool Whip with a gel like chocolate sauce. Some try the green tea ice cream to much the same result.
At one of the high-end sports stores, we ask about basketball shirts and one store clerk waves us off in disdain. Really. In disdain. Only the younger woman explains that local sports teams' shirts are not allowed to be sold anywhere.

Again, the tour company has misread its demographic. We are not here to spend $1500 on a purse or suit or pair of shoes. We only have $800 in duty free allowance. The company is based in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. They would know this. 
One thing we did enjoy was a view of the iconic skyline. I do like how the Chinese allow incredible architecture. 

But the Silk Factory is interesting. It's more a factory outlet, but we learn where it comes from and how it's spun, and even get a chance to stretch the fibres into a quilt. 

 

They are a reasonable price, but I opt to buy a 'quillow', a silk pillow that unzips to become a small quilt. We are told that sometimes they incorporate man made fibres into their silk, depending on their use and then are allowed to enter the store. It's a nice clothing store but far too expensive, and very few purchases are made. 
Lunch proved to be ridiculous. We are off to a Mongolian Grill. It's where you choose your own ingredients and they grill them for you.
But with 300 people to feed, the room is busy and crowded and when I step up to the window to hand over my bowl of food, I watch in horror as my choices are dumped into the same pile as the woman in front of me, and then mixed it all together. I tell that woman what has happened, as she didn't notice, and she immediately complains. To no avail. The young female cook laughs at her. Yes, laughs.
Neither of us are impressed. I opt for the salad bar and find it tastier. And someone has set out normal cookies, so we choose them instead. 

Tomorrow, the market. Remember that show Destination Truth, where they fly halfway around the world to some exotic locale, eat weird food at an equally weird market, then fly to a remote location to film a ghost, but someone throws up and Josh Gates blame the ghost? 
Well, that market is coming up. Just wait for it.