Spending time in the Mongolian countryside has enriched my soul. Leaving the hectic life of Beijing behind (after spending our final night there watching an acrobatics show that defied all logic on what the human body is capable of doing), we were thoroughly excited by the prospect of visiting such a remote location. Aboard our train, we were at first struck by the striking, jagged mountains that we passed through as we headed west, before veering north into Inner Mongolia. The barren and stark landscape was an incredible sight after spending so long in congested cities. In the middle of t [View Full Entry]

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After an overnight train trip from Xi'an I arrived at Beijing West Train Station and wandered around for an hour looking for the subway station, only to discover that the subway runs from Beijing Train Station, not Beijing West Train Station. This was a concern, as prior to leaving Shanghai for Xi'an, I had sat down and mapped out my way to the hostel we had booked according to the subway lines. After some futile attempts at communicating with taxi drivers and stall merchants, I spotted a group of university aged people and decided that one of them might have some [View Full Entry]

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When I was 9 years of age back in 1989, my mum went to China and the photo that I remembered most vividy was of the terracotta warriors in Xi'an. She also brought home two miniature models which I would often gaze at in wonder over the years, fascinated by the story of an entire army buried with an emperor to protect him in the afterlife. Therefore, my first visit to China would not have been complete without seeing these warriors with my own eyes. After saying a sad farewell to Marty who had decided to stay on in Shanghai for [View Full Entry]

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Setting out on foot in Shanghai was like stepping into the future. The building designs simply have to be seen to be believed. At one point, Marty said she felt like she was in an episode of The Jetsons, and when I saw the Pearl TV Tower commanding my gaze as it thrusted upwards into the stratosphere, I could only agree. The skyline is dominated by numerous striking designs and the bustling street scene at the feet of these towering structures creates an exciting atmosphere. Shanghai doesn't necessarily feel like you are in China, at least, not when compared with the [View Full Entry]

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Well, the train ride from Wuyishan to Hangzhou certainly was an experience! Our standing tickets for the eight hour trip meant that for the first hour we were in the aisle, having to move every thirty seconds for someone who was on their way to the boiling water unit for their noodles, or someone who was on their way to the toilet, etc. This was becoming rather tedious, but thankfully an attendant had found us a couple of seats. Little did we realise that one of these seats was taken, so we spent the next seven hours playing a game of [View Full Entry]

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When I first started thinking about what I wanted to see in China, aside from the obvious tourist sites, I really wanted to visit some mountainous countryside that was far removed from the big cities. I found this in Wuyishan. Wuyishan has a polulation of less than 30,000 and is essentially a town at the entrance to a national park. In the days that we spent at Wuyishan, we never saw another westerner and had significant challenges in communicating with people, as there was very little English spoken in this region. In fact, Marty and I felt like some sort of [View Full Entry]

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After our delayed flight from Bangkok (which Air Asia felt bad about, so they supplied every passenger with a burger from Burger King and a bottle of water), we arrived safely in Xiamen and caught a taxi to our hostel. Being the middle of the night, we would have to wait until the break of day to get a feel for the city itself. The staff at the International Youth Hostel were very friendly (especially considering the late hour) and we fell to sleep in what was probably the most comfortable bed of our trip thus far. Upon waking, I simply [View Full Entry]

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The first thing that I noticed as our ferry arrived at Koh Lipe was the clarity of the water. Even though we were anchored off shore awaiting a long tail boat to pick us up, we could see every rock and fish that was below the surface. At each of the three beaches on this island, the water is so clear that you can actually make out the individual grains of sand beneath your feet. Added to this, every day the weather was idyllic for such a location - warm, clear skies and a gentle breeze. We spent our days at [View Full Entry]

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Staring into the Andaman Sea whilst enjoying a meal with the water lapping below your feet is a glorious way to dine! Such is the beauty of the beach at Koh Lanta Yai. Marty and I made our way here after an interesting couple of bus (read: dilapidated mini-van) trips from Ao Nang. Our driver from Ao Nang to Krabi seemed to be discovering as he went along where he needed to pick up other passengers, via his mobile phone as he was driving. This man really had to be seen to be believed, for he had one specific feature which [View Full Entry]

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After a few days of traveling on planes, buses, tuk-tuks, trains, taxis and by foot, we finally arrived in Ao Nang, which is a beach just near Krabi. Visiting Ao Nang was recommended to us by my brother, who visited here last year. We're glad we took his advice, as we have had a very relaxing time since we arrived. All we have done is swim, read/sleep on the beach, swim, etc. Our most challenging decisions have been where to eat - what a tough existence! The 20 Baht banana shakes have been a particular highlight (that's less than one Australian [View Full Entry]

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