Guilin – My re-entry back into "Real China" After nearly two weeks of civilisation in Hong Kong re-entering “real China” was always going to be tough because it’s so easy to fall back into your old ways when surrounded by places and people you feel comfortable with. Although it’s very strange to say this but I did actually miss the noise, the semi organised chaos and the many Chinese special character traits that are a part of everyday life here. On the train from HK to the boarder everything was really relaxed and the journey was so easy, but as I stamped out of HK and crossed the border it was like someone flicked a switch in my fellow passenger’s brains to engage auto-spit mode and to increase the volume of speech by at least 50%. ... read more

Shanghai…..Could this place be any more different from the rest of China??? When I first rocked up at Shanghai I was lost for words and by the time I left I had many very carefully selected words for the place. As you can probably guess I’m not in love with Shanghai but sadly for all the wrong reasons, although putting this to one side it has it’s own unique qualities and is a city unlike no other. Whilst approaching Shanghai by bus it was apparent things were going to be very different here from the rest of China, sitting in the traffic beside me were Rolls Royce’s, Porches and all manner of BMW’s and Mercedes, sorry Martin not many Volvo’s apart for a classic 340 in beige with a mix of different coloured replacement panels! As ... read more

Xian – The point where I realised my limitations and my fears got the better of me….. Xian is a very modern city with pockets of history scattered amongst modern day high-rise buildings with a twist. They have tried to incorporate minor traditional features such as flared overhanging roofs or temple looking facades I’m not sure that it works but you can’t fault them for trying. And slap bang in the middle of McD’s and Starbucks are the famous Bell Tower and Drum Tower, again I'm not sure on the town planning regulations here but hey I guess it works for them. I decided not to visit the two towers but just take photos from the outside because I didn’t need views of the most famous golden arches in the world. Xian felt a lot less ... read more

All in all you’re just another brick in the wall (before you say it I know this song wasn’t written about the great wall, but it was the only song that sprung to mind containing a reference to a wall.) After my last blog it might have seemed as if Beijing was getting the better of me, well thankfully I’m pleased to say that was not the case. Don’t get me wrong the spitting and general lack of personal space is something I may never get use to but whilst in China I really have no choice but to accept it. It’s my last day in Beijing before I fly to Pingyao, well somewhere within two hours of it on bus because that was the closest I could fly to. My final few days in Beijing ... read more

Well stage one of my journey has come to an end! My memories of South Korea will always stay with me as a country who’s people make it a truly amazing place, if you’ve ever thought of coming here and had reservations for whatever reason then I very much recommend making it a place to visit. The people I’ve met both local and foreign have made this an unforgettable start to my travelling, if the trip continues in this way then I’m in for one hell of a good time. My last week in South Korea involved an internal flight to an Island called Jeju for 3 days, 2 days in Busan and 3 days in Seoul. Jeju Island also known as the Hawaii of South Korea was stunning but came with the normal random weather, ... read more