We woke up to a very grey and wet Shanghai and it pretty much stayed this way all day. The hawkers were out in force selling umbrellas but we bought a large golf one from a cheap shop (which we unfortunately left on a train). We spent the day walking around, getting lost, getting wet and trying to decode Mandarin symbols on signs and menus. Shanghai is a massive city full of huge skyscrapers on every inch of space and big businesses. The backstreets were interesting - lots of ramshackle buildings with locals cooking all sorts of things on rusty hot plates, chickens hanging down on washing lines and ladies sweeping rubbish into the trains with handmade brushes. Its a complete mix of old meets new but I'm sure the old will sooner or later be completely overtaken by the new. We went to an excellent Chinese acrobatics show in the evening. We sat open mouthed watching the performers get themselves into all sorts of positions and viewed through semi-shut eyes as 6 riders drove motorcycles around inside a giant hamster ball! The highlight of the evening had to be at the subway station. The trains were so packed that the guards actually took a run up to the open doors to shove the people in!!!!! It was an insane method but it obviously worked as the doors shut and the train moved on. We stayed on the platfom in shock and waited for the next train.