Friday 16^th August, 2019 1800

Wednesday evening we indeed ended up eating at the Fat Cow burger restaurant (wonder who it was named after?) and if you thought it would be cheap you would be wrong!

The others tucked into chicken wings and strippers, I declined knowing full well that even by ordering the cheapest burger on the menu I wouldn't be able to finish. I was right! Mine was called the Cowabunga and they had been creative with the menu with such delicacies as fat pig, etc but I managed half. They close at 2200 which in Shanghai is unfashionably early but given the volume of trade they do (and the prices they charge) during the hours they do open then I can understand them not needing longer. Just the five of us, the usual suspects and Joanna, despite needing to meet a client at 2130, did me the honour of coming for the last supper.

I (and indeed Roland because he had work in the morning) had planned an early night but after Joanna, Alice and TJ decamped we had G&T next door then took a taxi back to the Lion bar near our hotel, where Cherry – who has legs second only to Joanna – was sure to give us a hearty welcome, particularly if we bought her Jaegerbombs.

Blow me if the German guy who had bored us rigid the night before with explaining a revolutionary (and now not Top Secret) new printing method Kodak developed for the first moon landing wasn't there again. He was in company with an Indian engineer and a Finnish (I think) chap who used to be a marine engineer but was now involved with wind turbines. Some of you may imagine the twists and turns the conversation took between two ex deck officers and ginger beers! I also learnt far more than I ever need to about offshore wind farms!

The Finnish chap was sloshed and contact was lost when he went next door, demanded a discount for a massage and disappeared inside. Quite what type of massage he expected or was going to get I know not except I will lay odds he passed out before five minutes elapsed. I think I got to bed at 0230.

And then it was Thursday and our evening flight back.

Roland went above and beyond the call of duty and offered to take us to the airport so we met at Big Bamboo for lunch. It was to be my treat but he paid. He always pays more than his share and at times such as those I wish I had cash to splash. I wonder if any of the girls I am always treating feel the same pangs of guilt I do? After all, Alice just had a week in a top class hotel, top notch grub and VIP flights and probably spent £30! Bless her, I know she enjoyed the new experiences and she raved about meeting all my friends – she even bought Roland a “sheep” keyring (translated it means ship!) - and she was forever having video calls with her Mum telling her about how fantastic Shanghai was. Me? I go for the rest (well in the daytime anyway), the booze ups and restaurants that really ought to offer pygmy portions for people like me.

I had a blast as always.

But oh God, last night we landed at about 2230 (and here's a first – our three cases were the first out on the carousel!) and rather than bugger about trying to get the hotel shuttle we took a taxi to Dongfu hotel, it only costs the minimum fare of 10¥ (about £1.15) and we checked in. The “meal” on the flight consisted of a chocolate dusted marshmallow, a round of cake the size of a blini and a few bits of fruit. I expected more than that and had only had a sandwich in the business lounge in Pudong!

Alice went out and bought Pot Noodles for herself and we retired. I heard every flight until the last one left about 0130 because this time our room faced the airport rather than away from it. I also woke up when the first flight left, Air China at 0715. So I am tired. And the aircon didn't work.

I got her to the bus station to go home to Mum and arrived home myself just after three. I wish I was still in Shanghai but the bank manager says “no”..........