We left Ulaan Bataar, which had a population of 1.5 million people (out of total Mongolian population of 3 million) straight into Beijing with a population of 23 million, so many people and cars, many high rise flats, but people seem content. On our first day we set out to orientate our way around the city, and once we got used to crossing the roads, we set off to Tiananmen Square. (Don’t take any notice about the green man lit up when you cross the zebra crossing. Particularly the cycles and the 3 wheeled motorcycle’s they use for passengers or goods, that come from every direction). The security is quite tight here, bag scans and many police/soldiers. One area we had to check in my hand bag for a small fee. The Chinese are very friendly ... read more

After 4 nights, along 5185km of track and through 3 time zones (now GMT+8), we leave the train to stay in Listvyanka a small town on the bank of the huge Lake Bakail 70km from Irkutsk. Its -28 C when we embark on a walking tour of the town with our guide. Another ‘Lena’ this one is 20 years younger and has a masters in English she gained without leaving Russia. Lena was keen to tell us about the special Lake we were staying beside; Lake Bakail ‘the Pearl of Siberia’, shaped like a banana, 636km long but only 60km wide is world’s deepest lake 1637m containing one-fifth of the world’s fresh unfrozen water. Well it was unfrozen on the day we arrived, but subsequently froze over, so much so people walk and drive cars across ... read more

It was our last full day in Moscow and a planned visit to the Kremlin. Having familiarised ourselves with the Metro it was just 3 stops from our hotel to Teatralnaya Station the closest station to the Kremlin. We walked through Alexander Garden, past the guarded grave of the unknown soldier to the booking office. Well you would think it would seem simple to buy your ticket from the office, however we were sent quarter of a mile to an entrance only to be sent another half a mile in the other direction to check in our backpack. I think we went back to the original office 3 times! A sense of achievement when after several ticket checks we were in, only to be told immediately we were out of bounds by a guard! Our persistence ... read more

Sadly we cannot take the Mazda bongo with us. We will have no base vehicle, we will be relying on Trains, Planes and buses. Our accommodation will have to be cheap as we can find. Hostels, motels maybe even a tent!. When planning a world trip, with such a big canvas, what do you see and what do you leave out?. First it has to be what you instinctively want to see. Ali's was the Great Barrier reef mine was a remote Polynesian island. Initially we wanted to see the Galapagos and Machu Pichu in South America but this would have substantially added to the cost as well as taken a lot of time out of our journey. For the sake of connecting flights we do have a rough itinerary, but the beauty of this type ... read more

As we get nearer the UK, we’re starting to reflect on the trip and what we’ve seen and done. All has all mostly gone to plan, and exceeded our expectations. It’s been an amazing experience. In the 6 months we have travelled 10564 miles, stayed at 54 different Campsites, spent 7 nights on a yacht, 4 Different Apartments, 3 Hotels, 4 Nights with Friends, and one night on a ferry. We swam in seas, lakes, pools and thermal baths; climbed mountains, walked and cycled through valleys, sailed islands, and explored towns, cities and ancient sites. We ate in restaurants with amazing views, camped at spectacular sites, and met some great like minded people on route. Today travelling through Europe is easier than you think. Thinking how our predecessors managed to find their way through Europe with ... read more