Beijing 21st - 26th May

The train journey was another smooth operation, we had the oneside of the six bed compartment (I say compartment as there are no doors in this class) top, middle and bottom. People who were interested by us came over for brief chats, only leaving when communcation broke down. Again, lullaby music played before lights off, I now reconise only one reason for this, it is a polite GET TO BED!! During the day on long journeys trolly dollies declare their goods (Usually noodles, beer and chicjkens feet) by yelling down the corridor, but we had come prepared with food. Besides as with the UK train food is expensive. We did nothing but read, catch up on our diaries and eat - nice.

The train arrived with the usual Chinese punctuality, we returned to the Far East Hostel as we where please with the location and rooms. David and I where really shocked at the progress of the demolition of the Houtons over the weeks we had been away. I don't think the shops get much say or notice, first a metal sheet barrier goes up before the shop so they can just about trade and then next they get bulldozed, me and David thought it smelt abit when we notice a street on our route to Tianammen Square had been knocked down - all apart from a bank.

Beijing was a change from the lush south, busy streets and smogg creating a sweaty atmosphere. Kate got a tattoo of a coin she had been inspired by and she showed us an area of Beijing we had not discovered before up by another Houton area. This was our last night as three and we look forward to seeing Kate (and Steph!) again as they have both been great company.

On the Monday we went straight to the Indian Embassy to apply for our visa's. Our Chinese visa runs out on the Sunday with this in mind and the Indian visa ready for collection on Friday we shopped for a flight to Delhi. We found cheap flight but, they wanted cash! Poor David really hasn't had much fun at the Bank of China, it's such a palarva to get cash out, he spent half a day trying to get money for the flight.
The rest of our time was filled with the usual eating and wandering, we tried what we think were ducks tongues and they where sooo tastey - don't screw your face up we really did enjoy them! We visited the Frangrant Hills a beautiful spot where you can really get a feel for how big Beijing is from the view points (well thats for as far as the smogg lets you see - not far today). Playing poker until the wee hours we won 80Y and who walked in the hostel but bus from the gorge! Wow ... small world.

As we are leaving China I got into 'shopping mode' is what David affectionatly names it and we packed them up for posting home. More prep for leaving washing, postcards, emails, transfering photos to disk - this was an absolute horror that I am not going to upset myself over again, 4H of bloody pain in a pokey shop with two spotty teenagers messing up our card ... hhmmm - see I'm still bitter!

Oooohhh, and how could I forget our last meal Peking Duck. Wow we certainly hit gold with this place. We chose the place because it was packed to the gunnels with local families, it smelt wonderful in there and the food was out of this world. After our last meal in Beijing/China we collected our bags and headed of to pick up our visa - it was Friday. We had to be at the airport at 17.30, it was 15.00.

At the Embassy it was claimed the five days that they had to produce our visa had not been enough and we should return on Monday, for about 15mins our world crashed down and David then kicked into 'Manager mode' (he does this so well). He managed to get to see the overall guy and explained our situation (flight tonight and Chinese visa running out on Sunday). Our visas where then ready in 30mins (amazing) and we where on our happy little ways to the airport at 16.30, a little drained from the crisis. In the waiting lounge we bumped into a guy who had been staying in our Hostel, he is from Bengal and was invited to China to exhibit his sculptures for hopeful picking to be displayed at the Olympic Games. He has invited us to come and visit him in the studio (darrrling) that he works at in some big uni that I really should of remembered the name off.

Would you know it after our rush the plane was delayed for 1H, after that the journey was straight forward we arrived at Delhi at 04.30.

Dali 17th - 19th May

Mama loaded us into a bus, it was nice of her to show us to this pick up otherwise we would'ave to march into the new town with our gear. Before we left Mama's she presented us with a Naxi goodluck neck charm, both me and David where very impressed with the stay and it felt really special to be given the charm (even tho everyone gets one). They both now jangle (scented with bells on!) on our day bags and cause much attention, especially for kids. Maybe one day I'll be prepared to part with mine.

Kate and Steph are getting a later bus, we have arranged to stop in the same hostel. Unfortunatly the flyer we had for the hostel had another on the back and we ended up arriving at the wrong one wondering where they had got too - opps. The bus journey was a quick 2H and through beautiful southern China scenery green, rice paddis, mountains and blue sky! Yes, Dali like Lijiang, has blue sky too - no smogg. On this journey, nearly 2mths away I really felt as if I was in China. Reality sunk in, we are travelling(!!) and I sat smiling to myself and at David, over the adventures and misfortunes that we shall have.

Here I would like to tell up we did the all walking and exploring that was available but a bar called the Bad Monkey got in the way! We partied for two days - opps! With Kate and Steph, we made more friends and left this place early in the morning when the market salespeople where making their way into town with their goods. We even saw the two Belgium's again, crazy none of us could believe it.

In Dali the local restaurants display their foods in the open fronted shops, bowls of veg from earth and sea origin, mushrooms to get excited over, strange things and live things. Fantastic experience, this I really wish I would have photographed.
The town is not as old or as 'real' Lijiang, it feels far faker (which is a effort for China!) and the streams that flow around the town (this took the biscuit) are turned off after 12.00 a.m. Yet, Dali and Lijiang are both places that we would diffinatly advise our family to come too for a short immerse into China, they are sooo beautiful, easy to navigate (due to them being so small) and seeming free from the pollution China suffers with.

Kate came with us to Kumning by train, she had an untimely departure as her and Steph had further travel plans together - but Kate has been asked to leave China and was given 10 days - times up. Only a day was spent in Kunming, enough time for Kate to navigate us to a delish place for dinner, for us to watch part of a Yunnan Cultural Party and at 21.00 we where waiting to get on the 2 day train to Beijing.

Tiger Leaping Gorge 14th - 16th May

Amazing experience and excellent company. There where 6 of us that walked the gorge together Kate, Steph, Matian (soz for spelling!) and Bus. At 10.00 we left for a 2 and a half hour ride over the mountains to the gorge, we were quite worried about the amount of rain that had fallen but were ashored by the locals that the gorge has its own climate and we would be fine - how right they where. After being sneeked in on a scam for cheaper entrance we started walking 12.30, walking up hill, walking that would not stop until the first house!

Luckily the first house was not far, at 14.30 we made it to the Naxi Family for lunch, we where made very welcome and served excellent food. As usual when presented with great food, I ate too much and made the rest of my days walking uncomfortable. This was bad luck as this was the afternoon that we would asend the 28 bends up to 2490m. We (me not being an unfit loner) felt the bends in every part of our body and experienced our hearts throb in our heads, apart from Dave, Matian and Bus who attacked the bends and destroyed them! The path up was not a path but a distrubance of rocks and dirt from other travellers, animals and waterflow.

Once up tho, the views where astounding and we all appreciated the effort we had put in. Our Guest house for the even was the Tea Horse, we arrived at 18.00 ready for a seat, food and beer! Steph was our meal planner for the trip and choose an excellent dinner for us all. They put the showers on to warm as soon as we arrived but we never made it, instead Kate had introduced us all to the game "Four Kings". Its a drinking game and wow! does it make you drink - for those who want to try at home ask, I bet you'll regret it! Some evil rules were made and we stumbled to bed at 12.00 (that was after playing paper sissors and stone for 2H with the family who didnt understand us - they loved it!).

Waking up was a little painful but extremely rewarding, the view from our window was unbelieveable. We where in the clouds and back on the trail for 10.30 after great egg, onion and cheese pittas. On leaving we walked though damp clouds and watched them pass us by. At Five Fingers Guesthouse we had lunch where we met the most fantastic little old lady - the original mama Naxi. The G.H was so called because of the Five Fingers of the mountain that loomed over the adjacent side of the gorge. The path after Five Fingers took us past and through many powerful (ok so some where a trickle) waterfalls and down the Sky Ladder. Yes it was as terrifying as it sounds. It consisted of very steep winedy paths, clinging on to the edges of sheer drops and metal cliff ladders. It was then a short walk up to the Gorge itself where legend has it that the tiger leaped to the safety of the opposite side of the gorge, from a hunter. That's the story anyhoo. There was a rainbow in the crevice of the gorge where the water thundered through, it was from all the spray, beautiful.

From here we had a decision whether to continue by road to Sean's G.H or follow more crazy paths. Before we where informed we'd had to pay for this choice we made the crazy path choice. The locals had worked hard to make the path tho, they had blast a path, high up above the gorge out the cliff sides ooowwaa - we did feel the height at times with a little wobble at the knees! So after more climbing up rocks and weaving thro farmers fields we finally made it to Sean's knackered and fulfilled from our shared adventure, dispite the last set of evil steps to the G.H. At Sean's we where informed that anything on the menu could be made happy! Great! Physically and mentally drained (oh I can feel it now all over again) we sat and drank beer and ate masses of happy food. Matian particulary got in to the happy burritto's! Another night lost to Four Kings.

At 10.00 we had breakfast under brillant blue skies, we where back at mama's for lunch and spent the time gabbing till dinner. Bus was leaving that night and these rest of us went to an English bar, Frosty Jacks, to play pool for the evening - great relax but, bloody achey legs!

Lijiang 12th - 17th May

After a quick flight we arrived at 22.00 at Mama's, a widely kept secret of Lijiang old town. We had been recommended it by a couple we had meet in Xi'an, she makes her business by word of mouth only and she deserves every ounce of excellent reputation she has. As soon as we arrived she gave us bananas and told us off for not calling for a lift from the airport. Breakfast is 2Y and dinner is 8Y, what value and dinner is served at the same time with everyone who stays so you get about 10+ different dishes to pig out on, troughing with all the peps there and you are full the dishes still come! Mama's is run by a Naxi family one of the 43 ethinic groups in the Yunnan.

Lijiang was made a UNESCO world heritage after an earthquake that demolished the new town, left the old town standing. It's a spellbinding labyrinth of narrow cobbled streets and romantic bridges across streams of clear water, absent of any rubbish you would normally expect, they have even put goldfish and koi carp in some of the streams and pools. Bright red lanterns illuminate Lijiang by night, the town square is full at this time. Full of tourists snapping away at the cute old ladies that gather to dance together and particularly in one street named imaginatively "bar street" the tourists (mainly chinese) are encouraged to sing louder than the other side - oooh the noise! The town is set on the side of a mountain where the full view is amazing. On walking through the streets you where free of the usual drone of horns and clapped out vehicles chugging to get along. It was quite a sheltered break actually from the daily business of China.

Here we came across the best local market veg, fruit (mountains of watermelons) piglets, dogs, chickens etc. We where lucky enough to see how they prepare their piglets once drained of their blood - they blow torch it to get rid of those irratating spikey hairs and then gut it....interesting.

During our stay one day it rained hard, allllll day. A particular japanese guy we made friends with decided that there was nothing better than to drink Biao jiao allllll day - oopps by 5 he was in bed - Ha!

From Mama's we went to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, returned and got the bus to Dali.

Chengdu 10th - 12th May

Chengdu is a great city, the first thing that we noticed was the change in weather and scenery. Green, lush and wet! There is a huge Tibetan influence - Chengdu is the main legal loop hole for visiting Tibet on ghost tours. We felt our hostel had a great location, was cheap - Holly's Hostel, with a good roof terrace. We orientated very successfully, everyday the buses get easier to use. Infact we feel that the key to us enjoying our stay somewhere is how mobile we are able to become.

The first visit we made in Chendgu was to see the Panda's at the Research and Birth Centre early in the morning. The place was set up very well with excellent interpretation, when we saw the panda's they all seemed very happy and occupied with stuffing themselves.

We saw a couple of temples that really paled in comparision to what we had seen in Xiahe, they where bigger but looked far tackier and badly restored. At one particular temple we where drawn by the lore of a Kung Fu display. We waited for 2h for this display - David demanded to see the manager and through an interpretor he demanded our money back, very calmly loosing face doesnt go down well here, by jove he did it! The manager was very embrassed and twitchy with Dave.We had the hottest food ever in the Wushu temple that had a veggie (that sold shark fin soup Hmmmmm) restaurant. It consisted of mushrooms of all different variety but the main ingredient was chilli! Another food adventure here was our Sichuan Hotpot hhhmmm, skewers of raw foods are set out for you to pick your choice of (most of them where unidentifiable), you then submerge them to cook in a boiling vat that contains simply a sea of chilli. This sits on a gas hob in the middle of your table - great fun. The cooked skewers, once cooked should be dipped in seasame oil mixed with raw garlic, the last stage is lovingly sprinkle them with salt, sugar and fresh corriander - yum. However, some skewers never made it out the pot. For amateurs like us they held a slotted spoon on reserve so we could fish our food from out the depths of the 'Sea of Chilli'.

Markets where spread all over the town food, silk, arts and antiques. The local food markets where the best, as usual, the highlight had to be the herb market in the N of the city. It took some time to find but once there we where overwhelmed with the amount of food - sacks of dried mushrooms, seaweed, flowers, herbs and lorry loads of chilli's - really lorry loads!

Next stop Lijiang!

Kashgar 7th - 10th May

The train journey was 24H and very comfortable. We now feel in the swing of things when it comes to Chinese transport. Sleeper trains really are fantastic, you fall asleep at A and get up for B! Very simple logic I know but you can't beat it. I managed to read and entire book in the evening we got on the train 'Walk across America' - a book that was actually given to David but he didn't mind. During the journey david taught our two bed buddies how to play suduko, they didn't speak a word of english and he got the point across by using our manderin phrasebook, they where hooked - excellent!

The journey took us through mountains and ended up in desert. In the morning the train passed through a number of villages that had noticably just been bulldozed - we tried to question our new friends but they wouldn't say. We have a thoery (from what we have been reading about) that they where involved in the heavy handled events of 1990. Kashgar was first emptied of foriegners who could bear witness, the border with Pakistan was closed due to 'landslides' on the Chinese border and then the army was sent into pacify the town. The minorities here tolerate the chinese rule, a statue of Mao stands in the Peoples Square to remind them of who's in charge but it seems that they just carry on reguardless, e.g. the whole of China has the same timezone: here this is ignored and they have their own local time. At our time of visit the sunrose at 08.00 and would set at 22.00, during the height of summer the sun doesn't go down till 02.00! It is said the Xingjiang (this province) has recieved treatment worst than Tibet on ethical grounds, it's just been very hush, hush.

Kashgar is untouched by tourism, of course there are main attractions, but you really feel alone as a western traveller in the town. The locals are extremely welcoming and friendly, all the kids greet us hello!, those who know a little more have a brief chat. "Welcome to Kashgar!" one lad shouted.

David and I spent an afternoon hanging around on a corner near a local hang out, within 10 mins the old guys across the road offered us seats in the shade and we chatted (no english) about our families and themselves - one of them was 102!! Later in the week we returned to that spot to say Hi and bye, all the guys where there, we tried to tell them we had just had a fanatastic meal but I think they all thought we had come by to tell them I was pregnant! They where over so joyed we didn't try to explain, a small misunderstanding that was best left.

We have made friends here with a couple and have decided to treat ourselves to a jeep for the day with them. The destination was a lake on the Karokarom Highway, it took 3H to get their on dirt tracks along rivers and through mountains. We where all awe struck with the scenery. It was the second time we had seen snow in China, the lake was freezing, I did try to paddle but lost all feeling in my feet! The surrounding mountains are said to have roles in local folklaw and one is to be 7000m, the lake itself stands at 3900m. The lake was beautiful but commercialised with pony and camel men nagging for rides.

It was a good day to chose to leave Kashgar for the day as terrible sandstorms hit the town, so bad no flights where leaving! We had previously booked a flight to Chengdu with Swanson and Train that was too leave on the 10th - our anxiety was not helped by stories like the last time it was this bad no flights left Kashgar for 2wks! We have again chosen to fly as we are short on visa time and it would take about 5 days to reach Chengdu from Kashgar - just check out the distance on a map.

Turpan 2nd - 5th May

Got the bus to here from Urumqi, painless. David fell asleep for most of the journey and commented on how the scenery had changed to rock dessert when he woke. The temperature had sored. Turpan is the 2nd lowest place in the world and recieves little than 2-3" of rain a year! Dispite this it remains a beautiful oasis. The irrigation system is donkeys old (1000yrs) and it disperces the snowmelt throught the town. This area is popular for growing grapes, best weather, oldest roots and constant water. They are tastey, small and green when ready to eat.

We knew there was a place close to the bus stop with cheap rooms (more like concrete cells as we discovered!) so we made a bad choice at walking - it really was vvv hot, the town itself is small enough to wander but not with bags at 15.00. Soaked and drained we arrived and with first things first, happy we could see the hotel, we sat opposite in a cafe and drank a cold beer....hhmmmmm.

Voter (guy we met in Urumqi) strolled in and before we knew it we had spent 6H drinking with out even checking in! This night was very messy indeed. Bruce (voters mate) wanted to go to a club and so after a very yummi street dinner we found a Ugir Disco (Ugir are the locals here; they speak a turkish-arabic and refuse to speak chinese) that was amazing fun. David entered and lost the 'pop your opponents ballon', he strolled on the dance floor and in seconds a young bloke saw him as an easy target and popped him. The night was very strangely chorographed, traditional dances, frantic happy house and party games - great fun!

The stuff to see around here has been very impressive the Jiaohe Ruins being the finest. The ruins are naturally defended by the river that splits around the town stranding it as an island. Over the years the river has eroded into a deep gully either side of the town.

And the food is delicious, we had had a carnivous diet since arriving as there is plenty of kebab stalls grilling hearts, kidneys and other bits of tasty unreconisables. Noodles go down very well here and breads are the staple diet.

We had missed the sleeperbus to Kashgar the day we decided to move, so we headed back to Urumqi by bus to get a train from there.