I had an extremely lazy day today, and just really walked around Guilin some more. I decided to be daring at lunch and picked something at random from a Mandarin menu (no pictures). The old man in charge of the ordering smiled, took my money and gestured for me to sit down. I did so and was soon served with a bowl of clear soup with seaweed it. A few surreptitious glances told me that this was the complimentary appetiser, rather than a finger-dipping bowl. It was fairly good, if bland. The main course turned out to be liver, fried with cabbage and carrots on a bed of rice. I'm not a huge offal fan, but this was nice enough. At least until I caught the old man's eye about halfway through my meal and he ... read more

My first experience of sub-tropical conditions. And it was raining. Undeterred, like any good Brit, I ventured forth - but soon realised that my raincoat was far too hot for the climate, despite the rain, and so invested in an 80p umbrella. I crossed the River Li which runs through Guilin, and went to the Seven Star Park to look around. The landscape is very green and lush, and dotted with limestone mountains, which form an impressive backdrop. Guilin was sold to me as a pretty little village, with stunning scenery. The scenery part was bang on: the town itself is nestled between karsts, with national parks galore all within walking or cycling distance. The result is this gorgeous green and mountaineous backdrop to everything, which was well worth the train journey. 'Village'. Hmmm. Maybe with ... read more

** ooops realised I have really fallen a bit behind! So here goes a mammoth session with Christian country music in the background. Imagine, if you can...** The day after the terracotta extravaganza, I essentially took off, and so felt that I should probably see a few more of Xi'an's sights before I headed off to the sub-tropical South on a 27 hour train (groan) leaving at 7pm. I went back to the Muslim Quarter, because I love it so much. It was raining today, so there was less activity than before, but I managed some ineffectual haggling for some dried fruit and street food. The street food in this area is unlike street food elsewhere in China, as there is a definite Middle Eastern vibe going on - for example, I had some delicious flatbread, ... read more

Found and checked into my new hostel, which is quaint and old=fashioned with inner courtyards, dogs and a cat. The room is small but impeccably clean, as is the rest of the hostel. Xi'an is very small in comparison with Beijing, although perhaps deceptively so, as the inner city (ringed by still-standing / reconstructed city walls) is small, but the city stretches beyond the walls themselves. I started with the Muslim Quarter, a great labyrinth of passages lined with stalls, selling food mostly. The people here are less frantic than in Beijing, and the whole atmosphere is more tranquil. I find the headscarves a welcome and reassuring sight that remind me of Whitechapel and home - I had never thought I'd miss them! Much of the food sold seems to be typical for Xi'an - walnuts, ... read more

I finally made it to the Forbidden City today and was, frankly, disappointed. I have two theories why this is: one, because the architecture is very similar to that of the Summer Palace and, having spoken with people who saw the Forbidden City first and then were disappointed with the Summer Palace, I believe that you are impressed by whichever one you see first and then let down by the second. The Forbidden City was certainly vast and the sheer size was impressive, but it was also a detracting point as I found it hard to navigate and quite samey in places. My second theory is that the immense crowds and heat detracted from the experience for me, especially as I was quite tired today. Anyway, I saw the sights and it was very impressive. I ... read more