The Great Wall of Smaze

Flying into Shanghai I was greeted by a layer of haze that covered the entire region. It was tempting to label this smog as I've heard so much about the hazardous levels of the stuff in Chinese cities. We've heard about how the smog levels in Beijing dropped significantly during the Olympics as the government forced loads of factories to shut down for the duration of the event. But it turns out smog isn't always visible. I was in Beijing too, and there were days when perfectly clear blue sky emerged on a virtually windless day as high cloud lifted. But the recorded air quality index for the day didn't change that much. I flew from Chengdu to Beijing one morning and didn't see the ground at all through the entire trip (about 1500 kms). I'm sure that wasn't all pollution. Maybe China's just a hazy country :). During my two week trip the recorded AQI levels in Beijing and Shanghai were 'moderate' despite the hot days. Chengdu was higher, in the 'unhealthy' range. Back in Cape Town I went surfing in a big north-wester at Muizies and there was quite a haze over the bay. Cape Town also has its pollution problems but that day the air was clean and sweet. The pic is a section of the Great Wall of China. Now there's a place to get some exercise. And is that smog in the distance?