Wish I was there?

I wish I was back with you guys. I'm stuck here in the blazing sunshine and all I can do to cool off is jump into into this waterfall...gutted!

Have a good day at work all, i'll be thinking of you!

Slowly down the Mekong

A few days ago I began the journey to cross the border into Laos and take the Slow Boat on it's two day, 4000km journey down the Mekong to Louang Phabang. It was a five hour bus journey, that emerged to be more like eight, to get me from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong at the Thai border where I had stop for the night. I'd a pretty late night what with various moments guesthouse nuttyness and my own mosquito paranoia (they still keep getting me bad. Preparing myself and mosquito nets for bedtime is a full-on mission), so I wasn't quie ready for '10 people and all their luggage on the back of a pick-up' journey to the border, but breakfast looking out across the Mekong river to Laos soon got me in the mood.

After clearing Thai immigration, a small long-tail motor boat waiting at the bottom of the beach ferried travellers across the river to the Laos border, and that honestly has to be the best border crossing I've done yet and will take some beating. The Laos side is chaotic. Leaving bags by the side of the road, I join the crowd to apply for a visa, pick it up and pay for it at one window (plus a sunday overtime charge of one whole US dollar!), take it to the next to clear immigration and then on to the last window to clear passport control. After clearing all this in intense heat, you fall out of the crowd and cross the final passport check and gain official entry into Laos, only to realise you've left your bag back on the other side by the side of the road and have to go back.

There's one boat a day, and mine is nearly entirely travellers. As more people cross the border (luggage and all), we're all gathered until it's time for a pep talk. It's a strange chat that seems only designed to scare. Talk of the overnight stop in being a place where you don't want to be if you're female (I'd found myself a bodyguard for the journey so was ok), a place where most could be relieved of their possesions and just in general somewhere we'll regret being. They also made the Slow Boat itself sound like a terrible idea too and suggested various other means of transport to get us across the country. Many were scared off but I was there for no other reason so waited patiently for boarding.

Assured that the only way to survive the two days on a solid wooden bench in an overcrowded boat was to take your own cussion, everyone bought one from the various placesthey were available, but all looked much the same. Not as you'd expect with a simple or plain pattern, maybe even something to complement the boats colour scheme, but all with kids designs on. Bright colours with cartoon bears or bunnies plastered all over them and lots of happy words. Nobody knows why the only cussions produced for the trip made almost completely by adults are like this, but all of them are. Every passanger made their way to the boat looking like they were fresh out of nursary too scared to be parted from their childhood comfort blanket!

Anyway, the boat was overcrowed as promised and so many people were sitting in the ilse, but it wasn't half as bad I'd heard or expected. The journey was great and evryone on board was in good spirits. The Mekong is a beautiful river with huge layered rocks cutting out in all places the whole length of the way. The speed boat is another option for the river, but reports are they crash into the rocks more than frequently. I liked the Slow Boat though, but I guess that because I'm tending to prefer to take the painfully long route from A to B.

As schedualed, we did make our stop for a night at Pakbeng (the slow boats can't sail after dark), and although the arrival was a nightmare (mainly because trying to reunite 100+ people with 100+ bags in the dark with no organisation, whilst trying to get up a steep sand and rocky hill isn't easy), the place itself was ok, not anywhere near as bad as guide books or our pep talk had made out. The local people were all very friendly, although a little overwhelming when met but a crowd of them all fighting for our business the moment we docked. The town only exists to serve as stopover for passangers on the slowboat arriving at dusk and leaving again by 9am the following morning and is really only one short street of guesthouses and small restaurants. A 6pm, generators are switched on and the village has electricity for 4 hours. Enough time to power lights to assist travellers search for accomodation, a shower and some food. At 10 pm it's lights out and all electricity is cut until the the next boat arrives in the following evening.

It the morning we had a smaller boat and I think less passengers. Maybe some overslept, and maybe some sourced alternative transport after deciding they couldn't face another 7/8 hours crampted on there. I could, I loved it! Again, the sceneray didn't change much but I was always happy to see kids playing in the water, locals out fishing and bison standing around (there's also quite a few albino buffalow which look like giant pigs). The way the water created whirlpools and waves as it danced over rocks just below the surface was always facinating too. If you ever end up near here you should definitely do this, but bring a good book.

Louang Phabang is a great reward for the long trip and although I've not been here long, I really like it. I again don't think I'll sleep much during the next few days. The food seems loads better too, even though I did only buy rice from a street buffet thing. Moments into selecting my food the whole city get's struck by a power cut and everyone quickly switches to candle light for the next half hour until the problem is solved. Brilliant! All I have to do now is get my head round the currency, so 5,000kip is 20baht...which is about 4yuan...which is roughly 40 English pence...but often they're keen on US dollars, so what's that?. Where's my calculator?!

Northern Thailand

On first arrival into Thailand I immediately headed north to Chiang Mai, a busy stop off point for many visitors making their way around South East Asia. It was good to arrive somewhere with no plan, and after getting off the bus at 5.30am, I wandered around a dark sleepy area that should be the hub of where I needed to be, in search of a guest house for the night. Really quickly I found many, but all were closed until a more socialable hour. Until that time came, I walked about some more and accidently disturbed a dog or two that inturn barked to wake all the other dogs in the area. Oops, sorry!

Straight away I can see the difference to how things are here compared to where I've been. I've come from a path less travelled and outside of peak times, into a well troden backpackers route at the hight of season. In Yangshou I'd started to get a feel for being somewhere more travel friendly but even there it was a quiet time for tourists. If I bumped into a westoner I probably already knew them, but now, more than every other person I pass on the street is just visiting. At the moment I like being in this place and just 'belonging' for a while, it's nice to feel familier to stuff after so long away (there's even a small Boots here just like at home). I hope however, that not every place I visit from now on has become focused and transformed by the strong backpacker trade, it'll be nice to see places as near to as they should be.

Chiang Mai is a lovely place to be though. I'm still getting used to the weather. The sun is always out and jumpers are a thing of the past (but I do keep one with me at times just to feel close to home). I'd caught the sun enough in South China to move up the tan scale to off-white, but here i'm making much faster progress and think I'm at beige already! The attitude is real laid back to and things move at a slower pace. Even at markets I'm not harrassed to buy something just because I walked past the stall. But what Chiang Mai is more commonly used for is being a base, either for people hiring bikes to explore more, or for going on treks further north in Thailand. I stopped here just long enough to go on a three day trek and do some washing upon my return.

The trek was was really good, don't think I've been in woodland as tropical as this before. The first day of walking was difficult, just a couple of hours but all of it was up. We were aiming to get to the Lahu hilltribe village before nightfall which is located 1000m above sea level apparently. Normally you may expect to be treated to a local cultural performance during the evening of arrival, but instead our guide performed classics such as Hotel California on his guitar complete with misheard/misunderstood English lyrics. Actually he was really good and the surroundings there were perfect. We shared a bamboo hut on stilts and hoped that we wouldn't fall through the floor as it constantly felt that we might.

The second day was far harder in the morning but after a swim in a waterfall and an interesting walk through bamboo filled jungle type terrain, things got a lot easier. I really like bamboo too, I've a lot of time for it. I heard in 24 hours it grows 1 meter, which I didn't get a chance to watch yet, but when I've a spare day I plan to varify this fact if I can. We crashed out in another stilted hut down by the river this time, and waited for the elephants to come home in the morning and do the walking for us for a while.

The elephants were really cool. I was nervous of this as I've heard tails of the animals being treated really badly for the sake of the tourists, but they did seem really happy. They wandered freely at night and in the morning came back to camp for a bath before we set off. Mine was called Banu, but I think Bananaphant is more appropriate. He loved bananas, every few steps he'd put his trunk back to me to feed him one, and then again for another before moving again, and he never even gave me a chance to peel one for him. When we passed the elephant convienience store (a banana shop on stilts) Banaphant insisted I buy him more. Dertermined to save him a couple as a treat at the end, he'd get the hump and let out a huge huff if I ever refused him his favourite food.

All that was followed by some white water rafting and then bamboo rafting before returning back to Chiang Mai. It was a nice really good and refreshing way to end a hard and hot couple of days, but on getting back I've got so much washing to do and a stupid amount of various bites to attend to. If I was a mosquito and saw someone had gone to the effort of coating themselves in Deet and sleeping under a net, I'd take the hint that they didn't want to be biten and leave them be. Shame the mosquitos and junhgle bugs here couldn't think in the same way.

That's all from China

Phase 2 of my travels is complete, and less than 24 hours after arriving into Hong Kong, I flew out to Bangkok, and within an hour of reaching the city center I was on an overnight bus to Chiang Mai.

I'd prearranged to leave Hong Kong fast as I'd already spent some time there in the past, but on arrival I really regretted my plans of a swift exit. Getting there had been such an effort, overnight trains followed by crossing Chinese and Hong Kong borders on foot, and then mulitiple rammed subways trains before getting stuck in a station lift. It was also a shame because i'd forgotten what a great city Hong Kong is. But the biggest disappointment is the fact that I'm flying out. At the time of booking this adventure I hadn't thought too much about including the short flight, but now, having come so far overland it seems wrong to jump out of the route.

Still, it's done now and time for me to go it alone. I'm going to miss the last group a lot too. Having such a large group meant it took a little longer for us all bond as effectively, but I think we'd all gotten to know each other reasonably well by the end. I'm a little nervous of how well I'll make it round the continent on my own though, but think i'm doing ok considering yesterday morning all I knew was that my flight left Hong Kong at 17.00 with no other plans after that. Near to last minute I realise my flight was actually at 14.25. I managed to make it ok though, then almost immediately found a bus at the other end to get me all the way up to Chaing Mai and finally at 6am find somewhere to stay upon my arrival. This should be easy!

Apples and Pears

Conker pose foiled

Three of the four that did that extra sunrise hike at the Great Wall, also did the optional extra hike to the top of some terraces to overlook our village. It seemed only fitting we celebrated reaching another optional height with our classic conker pose. At somepoint between setting the timer, running to our chairs to take position (whilst others up there watched in amazement), one guy just didn't clock what was happening at all!

Rice Teraces

Departing Chao Long early in the morning, we took a long old bus ride to first dump our big bags at Guilin train station for two nights, and then onwards to a village where after a short hike we could rest for the night ready for a five hour hike the following day on to another village high in the Longji Rice Terraces. First arrival was a little annoying. Like the ladies at Moon Hill, before we'd even got off the bus we were surounded by local ladies wanting to be porters. I understand me giving them business would pay them enough to eat for a few days, but once it's on my back and the straps are done up, it means I'm going to carry my bag myself. But still one will try to take it from me whilst the other points inside her empty basket. The ladies were really little and according to the guisness book of records, are from the first village alowed long hair. I don't know what that means but they all do have very long hair.

The hike itself was ok actually and it felt really good to get some decent exercise for a change. The second village was great. Our guesthouse had an outside seating area overlooking the terraces out the back. Getting myself up early in the morning for a walk, leaving out of the front was like entering a theme village. All the buildings sit perched precariously on the edge of the steep hills at different heights, and a few narrow slate trails weave a route from level to level. On the path from the hotel I can see across to the other hill edge and try to work out what route leads to where whilst making an effort to avoid the chickens all over the place. There's not much more to say about here apart from stuff like that which'll probably mean more to me than you. It's good though, you should visit.

Chao Long to the Moon

Although we spent two nights here we only really had one complete day. It was a lovely place though, just 15mins down the road from Yangshou we were at a homestay style hostel, The Outside Inn, run dy a really nice Dutch family. It was like a series of farm houses and it was nice to just have a place where we all spend some time together without having to be a bar or someones room. It's still really hot here so it also felt really good to be able to sit outside for dinner again and although I think I wore a jumper I probably could have coped without. My room here was cool too. It had double wooden doors that padlock together from the outside, and they wedge locked from the inside by big wooden plank. I'm easily pleased. I did have a giant hairy caterpiller in my room when I arrived but he moved out during the night.

Given the short amount time we had, all I managed to do was cycle to Moon Hill in the morning (it took quite a while as friendly locals would helpfully point us in the right direction when we got lost...a lot. The right direction however, being not where we wanted to go but to their bamboo raft or restaurant instaed. We did eventually get there and the climb up was actually really tough. It felt harder than the great wall, I think because it was constantly steep and the weather was a lot hotter. We also had to contend with ladies following us up constantly offering us the chance to purchase water, and then staying with us at the top and offering it to us a lot more. They'd then suggest they're too old to carry the heavy bottles down and perhaps we should just buy them all to help out.

I took the opportunity to cycle into Yangshou on my way back and suddenly understood why the roads are so crazy out here. There are bikes of all shapes and sizes all over the place and many of the riders consistantly seem to misjudge what may be a safe load. Four of us quickly realised all you could do is go where you want to go and expect everyone to avoid you. There's no other way. Rules don't cater for half goings on in the road and it's best just to keep your eyes peeled and be ready to dodge!

Cooking up

One other thing I managed to get done during my limited time in Yangshou was a cookery class, and despite a few 'ify' moments I was quite good. I even impressed myself enough to eat my arch enemy of the food world, The Onion, and also it's sidekick, The Mushroom. I've learn't three dishes, each will be difficult to recreate back home, but not impossible, so anyone coming to mine for dinner in the future can expect something more than my signature dish of Cheese on a Plate. Bring your own rice though, they didn't teach us that.

The purpose of this post is to tell you about the only downside I encountered in Yangshou. Our head chef, Panda, began the lesson by taking us to the local market to obtain the vegitable componants for our meals. Upon entry we're struck by how big the market turns out to be. After appearing as only a few stalls in an ally way, the whole area opens up to reveal a huge covered markert space that continues through to another. On sale here in the center are carefully laid out collections vegitables, nuts and fruits, whilst along the left are washing bowls filled with various water based meats such as fish, eels and bullfrogs. I was upset to see one frog with the left half of his skull missing, but both eyes still in place. Panda wonders if we're all ok to see dog meat, and thinking after you've seen chicken and beef, all meat looks much the same, we agree it's not ideal, but it shouldn't be a problem.

We continue forward into the second market area to be hit by horrific scenes of dead chickens and ducks. I've seen these animals dead before, infact they've been everywhere lately, mostly hanging off handle bars of scooters rushing by, but this is like nothing i've seen before. Along the edges of the market are open rooms fronted by tables. One the tables the birds layed out with their heads hanging backwards over the edge and blood still dripping. A glance to the back of the rooms presents a barral spilling with blood and birds in cages waiting their turn. Needing to look away, to my right I see the market is stacked full with more overfilled cages of chickens, ducks, rabbits and something else (can't remember what). It was like a really depressing pet shop, and like anyone else would have done, I considered the feesability of buying them all and releasing them somewhere safe, but of course it'd never work

Looking back to the rooms on the left, I saw a pig carcus hanging up, and that was ok, I've seen lots of butcher shops hanging their stock out in the streets lately. In my disturbed state of mind however, I was surprised to see pigs had paws. It took a good while for the penny to drop, but a another glance to the back of the room did the trick. Three big cages full dogs, the nice, light, fluffy labrador type ones, stand in waiting. Looking back at the carcus I realise that there's nothing pig-like about it at all really, and remember pigs have trotters anyway.

I, along with all the others, am just about done with it all and am heading for the nearest exit but not knowing where to look in the meantime. I don't want to witness anything meet it's maker although I am surrounded by the potential. I do get out but do tread on some intestines on the way, I'm grateful it hadn't occured to me to wear flipflops that morning.

It was a silent walk back to the kitchen as we all toyed with the idea of becoming vegitarian. Our first task at our counters was to prepare the meat, which we did quietly. Although to be fair our cooking was so good, by the time our meals were done we'd close to forgotten our plans never to eat meat again, and the shock of the dogs got replaced for a short while by the shock discovery of the ingrediants to sweet & sour pork.

Yangshou

Long time no write but the past week or so have been really good at a little remote. I initially spent 2 nights in Yangshou which I loved. Being one of the first parts of China to open its doors to the tourist trade, it’s clear to see this focus here with one or two main pedestrianised streets and several more smaller ones branching off, all serving as Westoner friendly eats places, hostels, hotels, excursion operators, bars and shops. Aside from all that though, a matter of meters on from this small area and you’re back to Yangshou as a Chinese town.

There are so many reasons why I enjoyed my time here so much, but I think what really helped was the sudden arrival into summer (it’s so nice not to have to layer up all the time for a change) and the beauty of the area. Yangshou is surrounded by the Karst mountains, hundreds (I’m pretty sure hundreds, I did try to ‘wikipedia’ it for you but freedom of information sights don’t work so well in China) of pinicals and kind of mini-mountains. They looked like the stereotypical jagady mountains you might have drawn as a child. The view of one group of these peaks are distinctive enough to make it on to the 20yuan note. Then positioned in the flat areas between the peaks are the villages and crops which, after 3 weeks on the Chinese diet of fried, deep-fried or sugar coated everything, and an average view of snow, desert, concrete or smog, looked even more appealling to me with the lush fields of bright green dotted with the colours of fresh oranges and strawberries. The orange juice is good here too, the first place it’s actually has been fresh. Everywhere else it’s been more expensive than beer and artificial anyway with loads of sugar added. One glass could leave me buzzing for days!

I think I made the most of my time in Yangshou and probably managed to get a whole 8 hours sleep across my 2.5 day. Both mornings I succeeded in getting up at 6am to make it to the park by 7 for my master classes in two Chinese diciplines. The first being a non violent approach to kung-fu and then the second being an extremely non violent attempt at Tai Chi. Both consisted of learning a universal series of moves, so as far as kungfu is concerned, I reckon if I practice enough, I can defend myself ok just as long as I’m attacked in the right way, at the right time and according the sequence of my routine.

The park is nice though, positioned at the base of a mountain or two and separated from the town by a small stream, it gradually came alive between the hours of 7 and 8 in the morning. Men walked around a dirt court clapping as a warm up before embarking on a croquet style game a bit later. Meanwhile other groups of people gathered in clearings for their morning Tai Chi workout.

In the evening, the place really picked up for the lantern festival, which I think co-incides with end of Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). Riddles are set up for people to compete to solve whilst parades of dragons march to and from the town. Further into the crowds a variety of cultural acts are being performed on stage. Thinking this place existed mostly to serve the tourist I was reassured to see how wrong that impression was. The festival was rammed but with locals more than anyone else. The previous night, when we arrived, was a far quieter occasion. After some food we had the whole street to our selves to play that foot badmington game, and anybody that did happen to wonder by joined us for a few minutes before continuing on down the street. Even local bar staff played for the best part of the game and returned to their duties once they’d suitably shown us up and worn us out. Festival night was packed solid with people, games in the street just wouldn’t have worked.

I did some climbing here too (pictured), which was really good but a little sharp on my hands. I’ll admit I was pretty nervous on the first route up, but was forced to settle in to it quite fast and the team were soon forcing me to jump to the holds I couldn’t reach. I wish I was taller. I also took a bamboo raft along the River Li which was quite peaceful apart from the odd Cormick fisher who’d paddle over and do his best to get us to photograph him for money. At one point however, on dry land after wandering off to picture a bull eating the only bit of rubbish in the lush landscape, I was stealth like enough to snap the fisherman from afar as he spied out our group by the shore and paddled in.

I've found Summer

I've made it to Yangshuo and am loving it here. The weather is really warm, not even I need anymore than a jumper, even at night. I'm all 'citied' out and haven't spent anytime anywhere out of a concrete jungle since Lake Baikal. It is a real backpacker area, which for now i'm enjoying. There's a great atmosphere and lot's of English words, which for a change is really nice to just understand what's happening. There's also lots to do here, so I'm not going to write much but go and do it. I'm only here for 2 days don't think I'll sleep at all, just want to make the most of it. I've already been taught Kung Fu by a master, sadly not on a hill (there was one behind though), but in a park 7am this morning. I think today is the end of Spring Festival so a bunch of dragons keep marching up and down the road outside my hotel, Fawlty Towers! Think I'm going to go join them now, bye!

Shanghai and the Great Tea Scam

I'm rushing these posts alot because I've got so behind I just want them out the
way so I can go enjoy this new destination I'm in now, so I may not do Shanghai justice and give it the write up it deserves! I really liked it here, the favourie of all the cities I've been to on this trip. Many I have considered worth another a visit sometime, but Shanghai I could make a point of coming back to sooner rather than later.

One of the most noticable things first of all was the improvement in temperature, I was even able to pack away my big down coat for Siberia and down grade to two jumpers and lighter coat. Even on two occasions I went without gloves for half a day! There were trees and grass here too and the sudden reapperance of green in the streets made me realise how much I'd missed it. At one point the grass was being cut, and never before understanding why people say they love the smell of fresh cut grass, I developed a real appreciation for it. I've not seen real greenary for a long time, on this trip it's always been snow, dessert, concrete or smog.

Having a lot of time for New York, I liked the areas of Shanghai that they have tried to make reminisant of such a city. Although it's not quite there yet, as I discovered when I decided to walk down to the main square one night to get a shot of the lights, I arrive at 11.30pm to find they'd switched them all off and were hosing down the streets. It was still nice though. Everyone is really friendly too, even those that try to catch you out with the classic Tea Scam.

Three Chinese students, Tetra, Tiger and Sunshun, stopped me to get me to take a picture of them and very quickly befriended me thereafter. It was no time at all until I was being invited to a traditional tea ceremony, which is my que to run away! The tea scam is when you are befriended by a student wanting to spend some time with you to practice their English. They'll could stay with you for as long as a couple of hours before inviting you to experiance Chinese culture and sample many different teas, maybe up to 10 miniture cups or more all made and served by your own tea maid. At the end you'll get stung for a bill for up to a couple of hundred pounds. It happened to a couple from my VodkaTrain group so I was ready for it.

Anyway, I attempted to make my excuses, I was heading to a Propoganda Poster Museum, but they still seemed to not let me get away. They were being so friendly and polite that I had no choice but to do the same (I've been approached several times before by others, but always managed to make a smoother getaway). Every few steps I made my excuses again but was just met with 'You like tea' and 'You should just come for one'. I was physically lead (in a friendly way) across a busy road and up to a tea house that Tiger apparently knew. I ended up going along with it until I was sat within our own private room with the tea maid standing before us. Happy it'd gone far enough with me still being as nice as I could, and not wanting a single drop of tea to be poured in my direction, I muttered a few more excuses as I ran away!

Human Zoo

Since I last documented my time racked up on the rails, I've made another three long distance journeys, clocking up 52 or so more hours. I'll probably talk about these another time, but in general, train experiences in China have been quite different to those from the great Russian route. Rather than spies and drunks, there are just lots of curious Chinese. As I may have already mentioned, as a Westoner I'm getting stared at a lot, but on the train it's far more intense.

Having more modern trains, but a lower standard of accomodation, we travelled from Beijing to Xi'an with six to a cabin (two triple bunks) and no door. This concentraion of Westoners in one place was too much for many locals on board to take and meant they had to just come to our cabin a look in...a lot. In the morning I opened my eyes to see one sitting out in the corridor just staring a me!

Anyway, I think this proves the demand for the Human Zoo. A place where natural habitats for people of all cultures around the world are created, and native families to each are placed to live an everyday life as they normally would. Such a place would then be opened to the public so all could learn about different people and cultures from all over our planet.

It is funny though, even in the heart of a city people are still amazed by us and many, especially kids will shout 'Hello, what's your name?' as they fly by on the back of a bike or walk past. Parents also watched us play cards at the station and then, after a while, sent their child over to have their picture taken with us. Others just gather to watch. I like it best when the surreptitious pictures are taken. In the corner of my eye I might see a camera raised in our direction when we're in the street, at a restaurant or anywhere really. Sometimes I even see a relative or friend is side-stepping closer to be in the shot too!

China, sponsored by McDonalds

They are a few companies here that this country seems to love. Apart from the city based youth uniform brands of Micky Mouse and Nike (which certainly in Beijing can be bought nearly everywhere), McDonalds and KFC dominate the streets like nowhere else I've seen.

Old people playground

More than I saw kids playgrounds I saw these, outdoor gyms for adults. I've heard about them before, in Germany I think, and they were placed to help the older generations keep more active. However, I'm sure they're actually intended for anyone who wants to use them to keep fit. Here, they did have every varient of gym equipment you could ask for including a treadmill, which consisted of conveyor belt type rollers and a couple of hand rails.

In the other image, I think the woman is trying to encourage the old man dressed as Santa to do his exercises. I took it as I walked past a hospital courtyard. I'm sharing it because I like it.

Chinese doing what they do best

Guides with flags and the taking of group photos all rolled into one!

The Great Wall Dyslexic

Upon the four of us reaching the top of our early morning Great Wall hike, one of us, Tom, suggested our triumphant group photo should be of the conquer pose...I got this confused with conker. We did it neither-the-less, so here we all are at stupid o'clock in the morning being conkers on string.

A great Wall in China

I finally got out of Beijing (it's not that I didn't like it there, just think a week is too long especially when you're used to moving around a lot) and headed 3hours north to Simatai to spend some time with the Great Wall. For fear of being unoriginal, I'm just going to quote and confirm Lonely Planet's description of this line of bricks and rubble "...this 19k section is an invigorating stretch of watchtowers, precarious plunges and scrambling ascents. This rugged section of wall can be heart-thumpingly steep and the scenery exhilarating. The eastern section of wall at Simatai is the most treacherous."

On arrival the the staired climb up the mountain side to the wall was initially shock to the systems of many but once up there, the first few k was pretty easy going. The wall was in good condition and still had all it's brick sides to the path intact. It wasn't long however, until the sides had crumbled away soon followed by much of the path and steps. The reasonably flat level had also gone so the steep staircases and slopes made an appearence. Getting tougher under foot, afer 10k we made to our hostel at the wall just as the mountains started to do their worst. The hostel was is a great location at the bottom of a vally and a farmer prepared us dinner not too long after we arrived. The accomdation wasn't up to much but I guess finding the odd bug or two just about everywhere in the room didn't hurt anyone.

The next morning, 4 out of 16 of us decided it would be worth getting up at 4am to continue East to complete the last half of wall that was still passable, in time for sunrise. Anyone who knows me will be impressed to hear that I managed getting up that early and will perhaps see it as a greater acheivement than the climb itself. Whilst the others slept, we set off at 5am and were immediately stopped by 'security guard' that made us pay him but refused to give us a ticket or open the gate and just gestured that we went away as he walked off. undetered, we jumped over the fence in the pitch black and continued our assent with just one headtorch to guide the way.

Immediately after reaching the wall it was clearly going to be a completely different terrain to what we were dealing with yesterday, and now we couldn't see a thing. In the daylight, as the sections got steeper, all focus had to be placed upon my feet as each step was different. One as high as my knee, the next barely a step at all, and everything height in between. Often steps would barely be wide enough to fit my toes on, and even more often on this harder section, the steps weren't there at all.

Shining the torch up gave just enough light to present a skijump like ascent to the next tower that was perched way above us. After each tower that we thought should have surely been our last, another steep ascent waited. At no point did we walk on a level for more than a few meters and the path quickly closed in to be just a couple of meters in width with a close to vertical drop each side. There're aren't any side walls at all now.

The previous day there was barely anyone else there, and this morning there's even less, just a couple of lights in the distance going up and up. Near the end, parts of the wall had deteriated too much and we followed a rocky climb forwards and up around it until we could find where to rejoin. We made it to the end of the route by 6.30am before being forced to stop as the next sections were deemed too dangerous even by the Chinese! We messed about up there for a few group pictures, even one that nearly saw my SLR camera find the fastest route down (fortuanlty i'd tied it to the post with the strap of the headtorch), and then watched the sun come up before returning for beakfast. The journey down, now light was more terrifying as we could see how treacherous conditions were and how small a margin of error layed either side. Still not fully used to my boots, my heel would occasionally clip a step on the way down giving a few real heart-in-mouth moments, if I fell, these'd be nothing to break my fall anytime soon. The farmer cooked us breakfast.

New Group

I'm still being a bit slack with my posts, so sorry if the next couple aren't the best on here. I was going to write a couple out last night but ended up doing the whole 'Lost In Translation' thing. I spent the evening with the others in our own private karaoke room high in a building overlooking the main road. It was shocking really, exactly how the movies make out. Every now and then a guy would come in and eagerly change the microphones over, not that we were really using them. The videos that accompanied the tracks were the best, completely unrelated to the songs themselves and created in the cheesiest 80's style i've ever seen. Drink was the only way through but I'm still being victimised for my dislike of beer, but i'm going to stand my ground on this one. Vodka was too expensive so I found refuge in JD and coke (I never thought I'd see the day!).

Anyway the group are nice, we've been together for just over a week now. Initially I took a little while to take to them. I was partly disappointed by the lack of diversity amoungst us (everyone is of similar age and all except one are from GB), and I think I also missed the old VodkaTrain group(s). The first few days I found I spent more time with other members of another group following us a couple of days later. One of these was an Australian who'd I'd met whilst crossing the road. General Western courtasy here is to acknowledge one another as we pass, but I was nervous she'd turn out to be German or Italian or something and I'd still end up in a dead end convosation. After a mad dash across the road avoiding everything and anything on wheels, it turned out we both spoke English and we were fine to communicate.

From the last group I'm not missing the jibes about my upset at lack of hair straightners, but I am missing borrowing some from Sarah! This new group is mostly girls so I think tonight on the train I might ask about to locate some more. Apart from that there isn't too much more to say about them, we've barely mixed as a whole as the group is really big, 16 of us in all, but we're all starting to see more of each other now and are getting on well.