What a busy 24 hours it has been!

So I left things off at Auckland Airport. Everything was a breeze there. We checked in relatively quickly with no hassles and passed though border control without any issues that may see us on a TV show of the same name.

Usually I am one to be able to sleep well on a plane. I've been known to doze off on take-off for a domestic flight and wake up when we've begun our descent into another city. I guess I must be used to having short naps on planes, as I fell asleep watching an inflight TV show and woke up every hour. Sure, I missed the majority of 'Veep', but even worse was that I had a broken sleep. Here I was thinking I'd sleep perfectly through the 12 hour direct flight to Shanghai, but my body did not want to cooperate. Despite this, I really enjoyed my first international flight in around eight years and we landed safely at 8am local time, ready to get setup and see the sights.

The first thing you notice when you step off the plane is the heat. It's a stark difference from the twenty-something degree air conditioned cabin. You literally step on the gangway and feel a rush of hot, humid air hit you. It feels like midday at Grandma's bach during a Kiwi summer - and it was nowhere near midday. It was 31 degrees - which felt even worse than it was given I'd just come from the cold NZ winter. We got our bags, passed through customs with no delays (other than the very long walk from the gate to the exit) and we were on our way.

There were two other observations shortly after leaving the airport- the sheer size of this city, and its residents' driving skills.

In Auckland, there is a clear separation between the airport and suburbia. In Shanghai, you drive out if the airport to see houses, massive apartment blocks which would house possibly thousands (and identical buildings in the vicinity), mixed in amongst industrial areas. It seems there is no clear separation between work and play. How else do you fit 22 million people into one city? That being said, it doesn't feel like everything has been crammed in together as there are plenty of green spaces, even more as you get closer to the CBD.

When it comes to driving, I'd be a bit too scared to hit the road as it seems there are no rules. People switch lanes without indicating, using their horn as a means of communication to say "get out of my way" or "I'll let you in". The amount of scooters and cyclists intensifies as you get into the CBD, and you have to wonder if they have a death wish. They run red lights, zoom across the footpath if needed, tooting to communicate "here I am, watch out". However I still haven't come across any major accidents despite the quality of driving here. Anyway, we made it to the hotel in one piece.

We're staying in a suburb call Xintiandi (pronounced shin-tea-anne-dee), and you can tell it's a suburb where it's all about the money. Wherever you look, you can see a massive store selling luxury goods. Look to your left and there's Cartier. On your right is Louis Vuitton. Straight ahead there's a Burberry. Doormen are on standby in each shop, ready to welcome you in, and more importantly welcome your wallet as well. Sadly these are the shops that I'll only be able to window shop at. It would be nice to be able to purchase a Giorgio Armani suit but the budget won't stretch that far. There is also a whole street of luxury car dealerships including a Lamborghini showroom. From my hotel room, you can even see a very colourful Audi display. It's a contrast to another part of the city we decided to visit.

So for lunch we decide to go off the beaten track a bit, and try to find some street food. Larry takes us down some streets heading out of Xintiandi, streets lined with little makeshift shops. We find this little kitchen run out of what looks like a garage converted into a mini restaurant. It's probably the sort of place that wouldn't even get a look in at home, but surprisingly is relatively busy, with only one table left (we later found out we were sitting at the desk that was being used a till). We order a dish that was believed to be chicken and a beer each to cool off from the the sweltering midday heat. I'm sure Larry will chat about this on Tuesday's show, but we're not so sure it was chicken after all. I persevered, and haven't come down with anything... yet.

After a catch up drink this evening, as well as dinner with our friends at Air New Zealand, it's 11pm on a Monday night and I am shattered. It's been a long and busy day, and while I may be tired now, I'll be raring to go for our first broadcast and to see more of the sights of Shanghai.

Edward is travelling with Larry Williams Drive, live from Shanghai this week, thanks to Air New Zealand - more deals everyday. Read his previous blog here...