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What a night! What a day! My travelling companions and I left Brisbane at 11.45 pm - for the almost 8 hour flight to Singapore, and arrived, somewhat fatigued (who can sleep sitting upright in a plane?) and arrived in the wee hours of the morning.

And there we sat - at the Sports bar of the amazing Singapore Changi airport. I had been there some 16 years ago - and it was incredible then - but the developments have continued and it is a huge busy place with amazing facilities for the weary traveller.

We had a few hours between our arrival and our flight to Shanghai (flying Singapore Airlines) so we sat at a bar for a beer (the guys) and a glass of red wine. (I had this feeling that it might just help me on the next flight to gain some sleep!)

There is a free airtrain between the airports lounges - and we had a bit of fun as two of us got on the wrong one and lost one of our fellow travellers.

Our arrival in Shanghai was in start difference. The facilities were adequate - but none of the glitz and glamour of Singapore.

The plain arrived early so our welcoming party had not arrived. when they did there was a small delay before we set off on a journey that will be etched into my memory for ever.

The roads around Shanghai are a myriad of expressways, overpasses, bridges, toll gates, over and around waterways, housing and industrial estates which are spilling smoke in all direction. The pollution was most confronting. (As the plane landed we could not see the terminal clearly, nor the end of the runway.)

Trees and plants around the airport and roadways all looked dead, but I suspect few are - they have all been in hibernation for the winter, and will start a massive regrowth as we enter Spring. That is my wish too - as it is quite a stark landscape otherwise.

We got the impression that road rules were regarded with some disdain as our driver took us on a journey that crossed 3 lanes in a heartbeat and then came back on the same route, as we dodged the thousands of trucks (many with their loads precariously overbalanced), the cars many of which their drivers must have had their foot stuck on the accelerator pedal. Drivers tooted their horns to warn that they were about to move into the lane (indeed the very space) that our vehicle (or others currently occupied) and we saw so many near misses that my mouth was in opened gawped status most of the journey. We were told it could be about three hours for our journey to Shaoxing, but it took over 4 - and every second of it we saw things that we could not comprehend.

From the strange things in the fields beside the road, strange signs, the plethora of advertising signs on both signs of the highway all the way. There were huge homes - some quite glorious and others right beside that looked like they were deserted and ready to be demolished.

In fact there were acres and acres of rubble where housing and industrial estates stood until recently - the building of residential, office and industrial sites us breathtaking. There were piles of what looked like rubbish all over the place, copious waterways often with high content of pollution.

And all the time the sun was trying to peer through the smog/smoke/clouds. It wasn't until late in the afternoon that the sun managed to get a clear view of Shaoxing!

We were so relieved to arrive safely and be shown to our apartments. And the adventures continued.

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