7 - 10. EXPO ALL DAY

it was like a giant theme-park and entertaining to watch how different the styles and contents of the pavilions were. Hour-long queues made us seek out the less visited pavilions. Cambodia only had plaster copies of old stones, Uzbekistan mostly tourism posters and souvenirs. Nepal had constructed a futuristic pagoda. Under the roof in the big Australian pavilion dancing divers diverted the crowd. Portugal showed the kingdom's old ties with China and the modern nation's emphasis on wind energy and electric cars - illustrated by a Norwegian mini city car. Singapore performed a poetic ballet with umbrellas and fountains. New Zealand had planted a tropical garden on the roof. Serena was surprised and happy when she discovered they were real and not made of plastic. Sweden displayed pedagogical models of sustainable technology. Turkey showed in a great way how advanced their cities were thousands of years ago. We are still on the look-out for new ideas for the better cities of the future.

Nina