I think that I may have been rushing this little jaunt, for I'm no longer sure what time it is; what day it is; what country; or what currency I'm in. It took Phineas 80 days to do the lot, I'm over half way in 3 weeks - time to slow down.

I'm a City boy and, should they ever get to finish this place (and if it doesn't get to choke itself to death on its own smog and filth), Shanghai could one day provide the blueprint for all major cities. I first came here in search of Marlene and Noir and found only a 21st century building site, returning years later I've found a 22nd century building site - it's impressive.

For r&r, I've got me a swanky hotel, ten minutes from the tourist Bund one way: three minutes from a real bit of town (street food; massage parlours, cum brothels; girly bars and a Buddhist veggie place) the other. From my 10th fllor window I can see nothing but lasars and flashing neon lighting the sky - shame it's so smoggy, it's all yellow fugg, but v impressive.

Downtown seems to have developed into a major tourist trap and I've seen more Westerners in one afternoon here than in the whole of my journey to date. They're  all in v large groups and chasing madly after guides' flags. Many of the locals appear to have become v v insistant and v v persistant hawkers: 'wanna' buy a watch? massage? DVD? sex? bag? hashish? Polo t-shirt?" or other gaudy tat; hard core beggars, persistant and instant (each with their own USD); or wanna' talk with me: ' hey mista' nice hair you cool where you from? Buy me coffee.' Now, I'm assuming that these pretty young girls really do want an opportunity to practice their English with me, but my mother told me never to talk to strange women, so. I remember little of this last time I was here, only the occasional tat hawker and cheeky child who'd run up, touch you and run away, giggling to his/her mates, Nihow.

Yep, Shanghai's changed - 20 million and rising and (although I can't fathom the politics) capitalism is rampant. I hear that the average disposable income is around $140 a month, a small beer on the Bund is $5 and there's Cartier, Gucci, Vuitton and all their mates, so some must be getting much more: most much less methinks.

The problem with staying in an hotel is that, unlike a hostel, it's v impersonal and you don't get to speak with many people. So, I've been playing the tourist and spent most of the time strolling around, avoiding getting runover (I thought that I'd be safe in a taxi: BANG, as a bus went into the back of me - I got a shock, nothing more); sight seeing (Temples, gardens, etc...); getting dreadfully lost; and trying to find somewhere to sit down in peace with the China Daily Post and a beer. Problem is that the only places you can get a beer, other than with grub, are on the Bund or in one of the girly bars (and if I'm not buying a pretty girl a coffee, I certainly 'aint buying one fake fizz) so it's been pretty dry.

I've done most of the tourist spots, including Pudong which didn't exist last time that I was here. It's impressive, a brand new tourist tunnel (hi-tec, tackky, spacy, ghost train ride) under the river and a Shanghai history display - excellent, plenty of Noir; naughty white man at it again; but no Marlene. Last time I was here I saw a dead body floating down the river, no one seemed to care: now they're all looking at neon-ed dragon boats and pleasure steamers. Oh yeah, I went up the tower.

The museum was a bonus, 4 floors of everything Chinese and these people have a culutral history far older and greater than ours - it dosen't do much for me, but it's v impressive. Best of all, an exhibition: 'From Titian to Goya' which was loadsa' my faves from the Prado - heaven. Most surprising was bumping into Tintoretto's Venitian whore, who'd been welcoming visitors to Melton and Addlestone for years. No Maja, naked or otherwise though. The following day I met with an artist paininting 'bamboos in the wind' in the park, we spoke of art both Eastern and Western, he knew more of mine than I knew of his, and each preferred our own.

I've got over not finding Marlene so, despite the filth; the lack of bars; the smog; the traffic; the constant hassle on the touristy streets; this massive, smelly (diesel and smoke fumes) dark and 'orrible internet cafe (the only one in town and I have to hand over my passport to log on, many sites are unavailable); and my taxi smash, I love Shanghai and wish it well for World Expo 2010, by then they hope to have it finished. I'm off to Lhasa. Oh yeah, don't be afraid to leave a comment or, if you're shy e mail me - m_addlestone@hotmail.com a friendly word always comes in welcome. Be seeing you.