Greetings from Shanghai. I feel as if I stepped into a sci-fi movie. Huge modern buildings are lit up in neon. Cabs race through the streets packed with thousands of people. The city has a vibrant energy.

Coming here was half the fun. The ferry ride took us through Japan's inland sea, with spectacular sunsets over the islands. The ocean was calm and the trip relaxing. Coming into Shanghai, past the industrial ship building areas, into the center of downtown, was spectacular.

We will spend about a week here, before heading to Xi'an. Will do my best to update when I can. The technology here is a little wonky. I can't access several websites (including this one) but I can post to it. Messages are all in Chinese. Someone send me an email if this ever gets published.