Hi all, we arrived safely in Shanghai yesterday, after a very long flight- but there were lots of movies to watch and games to play (including tetris mum, which was very exciting!!) So didn't get too bored. We got here first thing in the morning, so got a taxi to the hotel and dropped our bags off. Hotel does seem to be in the middle of a building site, but then so does much of the city! Don't think I've ever seen so many cranes- according to guide on the aeroplane most of the Shanghai skyline has been built in the last 10 years!

Went out straight away- ended up in big indoor market, don't think we'd seen any other Westerners by this point, and everyone wanted to take us to their shops to buy different things. Some guy also followed us, and every time we turned around and went the other way he did the same. Got lost for a bit, looking for main shopping area and the Bund (area near river). Managed to find it early evening (after a sneaky nap!) and ate in a place that looked like a light house- with a big teracce next to a massive tower. Loads of boats going past- some with massive tv screens with advertising on them- everywhere you look there are adverts.

Had an expensive meal, wine and an apple shisha to celebrate arriving- I had rice pudding- which was cold, had chewy rice and was banana flavour-sounds minging but was surprisingly nice!

Woke up this morning to Chinese breakfast- rice, noodles, dumpling, wierd chilli stuff, corn on cob and more- slightly odd first thing in the morning!

Going off to explore now- take care

Kathryn and Will xxx