Shanghai is a mixed up, crazy kind of place. It's like it's at a crossroads in its development. In Pudong (new Shanghai)you have the high rise business buildings, huge new roads, big new houses and smart new entertainment complexes then over the river in Puxi (Old Shanghai) you have a complete mixture of old and new. Shanghai is hosting Expo 2012 so it's undergoing some serious redevelopment and restoration at the moment.

The Bund could be nice but as well as the area being currently under developmentyou can't walk 2 steps without someone trying to sell you a pair of roller-skates, a kite or a fake watch.

We've had a random few days here though…

Sarah and her friend Ruth invited us to the switching on of the christmas lights at the Westin Hotel - this was a complimentary evening involving our first live sighting of Santa, champagne, opera singers and a fantastic buffet meal.

This was followed, just one day later, with a great day spent with Kris (who we met in Xi'an) and her husband Brad. We visited the Old Town which was complete madness but broken up by the relative calm of the Yuyuan gardens right in the middle of it, stopped at a fab Irish bar in Pudong for a drink and bite to eat and then went to a wine tasting evening in Puxiorganised by the American Ladies Club where we were fortunate to meet some really interesting people.