The roof of the train station in Shanghai.

Trains in China can be rough. It can take over 24 hours to arrive at some places. The cost is dirt cheap. about 10-20 times cheaper than Europe, but maybe equally less enjoyable.  

This guy is not enjoying his trip so far. I get a lot of information from just speaking with the travelers. 

I was happy to find vacancy.

Who could resist this picture? Old meets new... hopefully not on a collision course. 

GPS confirms my location. I really feel like I went back in time and my phone is my only way to communicate with the "modern" world. 

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My Little Red Folder is like a space ship landing from outer-space. 

I tried desperately to chase this woman down and capture this image. Here is a great demonstration of the usefulness a floorboard and rear rack. She already dropped two tanks at this point. There were at least 3 tanks balanced on this gas scooter. She would ride by the drop-off location and just toss the huge tank on the ground without even stopping!

Cleaning and covering the bike with pride. It is an important part of ownership. 

I get some popcorn from my new friend. She is here EVERY single day selling popcorn from the back of this trike. The economics of her business work because the vehicle expenses are nearly zero. 

I believe if you put 100 shoe-shiners in a room, there would be enough combined wisdom to solve all of the world's problems. 

Bike sharing program. 

Here is how to lock up your bike. 

I'd like to believe that this puppy is someone's pet. 

E-bikes are ridden until they absolutely will not function any longer. 

E-scooter with trunk and aftermarket battle guard. 

These little skateboards are all the rage in China. There are many knockoffs. You can get one for about $10. I asked the kids if I could ride. The answer was a big "NO!"

When I first saw this style of ebike, it seemed like the ugliest design on earth. The more I looked at how the users interacted with the bike, the the more I appreciated in its hidden genius. There are at least six major functional advantages to this hugely popular design. 

I take the bus. 

Parking right at your doorstep. Now that is modern living. 

DVDs and software of your choice: $1 each. That is the price folks will pay and no more. $20 DVDs don't work in China.

No internet, so back to podcast re-runs. 

This kid has a toy machine gun, obviously. It makes annoying noises and what not. What's amazing is that it has a fully functioning red Laser pointer and blue light scope attachment! He points it at his mom and just about everybody else. A few years back, lasers were only found in huge university laboratories. This demonstrates how cutting-edge experimental technology eventually ends up in a toy for Chinese kids. What are they working on in labs now? 

Bike-share loaners parked outside of Watsons.

Hello Transformers: This is the result when a couple must share a single car. 

A man takes a piece of wire and makes a functioning model bicycle. 

An e-bike battery is removed and charged during work hours. 

A woman makes a flip-flop out of nothing more than string. 

Not to be outdone: Just 10 meters away another woman does exactly the same thing. Just when you think something is unique, you discover there are a million people doing exactly the same thing.    

A bicycle rental kiosk. 10RMB ($1.50) gets you 1 hour. 

This boy claims to have been abandoned. I believe him, it was school hours and no adult in sight. He did not ask for any money. I gave him a stack of paper and a mechanical pencil to draw on. He told me he wants to own a restaurant franchise.  

I interviewed this security guard about his 3-year old electric bike. He told me that his bike is getting slower and slower.  It could be his battery loosing power after many charge cycles. I don't get the impression that he likes this bike too much. When asked if he ever pedaled to help the bike, his answer was, "No way!" He complained that its hard to pedal and the crank arms are too short. Hear the interview.

This is the security guard's bike. 

The last picture of my e-bike before disaster. 

The bike is getting shipped to someone who needs it. I can not take it back to the USA since it won't fit in my luggage. As I grabbed the handle of the battery and lifted it to the truck, the handle snapped and the pack came smashing to the ground. I was speechless for about 5 seconds trying to come to grips with what just happened. The plastic covering was totally broken and 4 big lead acid batteries exposed for all to see. Amazingly it all went back together and could be held in place with a little tape. Now I realize why so many people have tape over their battery packs.     

We are all tired by the end of the long trip. Even the indestructible TravelPro struggled. 

San Francisco's AT&T 3G welcomes me back to the states. Amazing right? 

One more leg to San Diego.