Olfactory assault

Shanghai now tops my list of cities with scents. There is an amazing
variety of smells eminating from the streets, from the sickly sweet
smell of deisel to the most aromatic cuisine..

For those with a heightened olfactory palate, walking around Shanghai
can be overwhelming, but is an adventure that will grow on you.

There have been a few smells I had to distance myself from quickly, or
risk losing my lunch. I have also been lured into a few dives that
seemed to be cooking something amazing. While I am not the most
adventurous epicurian, I have tried a few new things. I had a mushroom
yesterday I had to eject. Must be an acquired taste. The crab dish I
ordered quickly made up for the funky fungus.
Some dishes smell great, but don't look as inviting. Not even going to
try the "street meat", no matter how good it smells.

I don't find the air pollution much worse than other major cities, but
I'm not counting particulates, just an observation. There are a small
percentage of people wearing masks, so it probably is worse than it
seems.

cheers,

Paul (traveling in China)