Saturday, 7 Jun 2008 | Views [478]
Beijing is big, and suprisingly clean and shiny - in fact more than most of London right now I'd say. Unfortunately I managed to coincide my visit with a bank holiday weekend, so I got to meet most of China's 1.3 billion citizens at the Forbidden Palace ... Read more >
Saturday, 7 Jun 2008 | Views [463]
Got last minute tick borne encephalitus jab before I left Tokyo, and was assured at the clinic that I'd be able to get shot #2 easily in Beijing. So, armed with a list of Beijing hospitals courtesy of Yukiko (thanks!) and at the lst minute the British ... Read more >
Thursday, 5 Jun 2008 | Photo Gallery
Xian - ancient capital; terracotta warriors
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Wednesday, 4 Jun 2008 | Views [479]
Decided to do put my vertigo to the test with a two day trip to the mountains near Xian. Hua Shan has 5 peaks, each like a stone needle jutting out of the valley. Looking at them from afar, they don't look like they are meant to be trodden by humans.... Read more >
Monday, 2 Jun 2008 | Views [590] | Comments [1]
A welcome 27 hours of rest on train from Yangshou. The only other foreigners of the 1000s of people on this train happen to be in the same carriage as me - two American guys - theology post-grad students from Ohio. Arrived in Xian and faced the ruthless ... Read more >
Wednesday, 28 May 2008 | Photo Gallery
Shangahi
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Wednesday, 28 May 2008 | Views [496]
I hasten to add, this was as an outpatient! Dunno if it was something I ate on the boat over or soon after I arrived, anyway felt a bit 'wrong' pretty much from day one. 'Wrong' got progressively worse - with all the symptoms of amoebic dysentery, ... Read more >
Tuesday, 27 May 2008 | Views [530] | Comments [1]
Arrived first thing in the morning, after sailing a couple of hours down the river, making way between clusters of coal carrying barges. Everything shrouded in fog haze - just like Stephen Speilberg had got there first to 'authenticate' the river scenery.... Read more >