Not Approved by LP

Just as I was getting settled in Yangshou it was time to move on. Visa renewal no problem so yesterday took the sleeper bus from Guilin to Sanya. A 20 hour bus/boat/bus combo so quite a long journey and the bus overcrowded, something that so far not normally witnessed in China as the police elsewhere kept a close eye on things. But I did notice the fuel prices which are either just much higher here or that is the way things are now, certainly a lot more than a couple of weeks ago. I did think the ticket price was high but in Guilin a tourist price seems to get attached to most things.

So now in Sanya. Or think I am or maybe the driver took a wrong turning and we are now in Russia. Seems a bit strange, everything in Russian and loads of Russians around.

Sanya itself pleasant, a nice beach, good weather and easy going. Hotel room very good and big enough for at a couple of Chinese families and even has a mahjong table so if I get bored I can always take up gambling. Only downside no English language tv but other than that all good so now after 3 months I can finally relax. Certainly in the mood for a break, a lot of long bus rides and whereas China an easy place to travel its probably the longest I’ve ever travelled without seeing the sea.

So tomorrow a day on the beach and a chance to watch all the “trendy” Chinese in their matching hawaian outfits, lucky they are not in Rio, they would be marched of the beach for making it look untidy. But as long as they are happy and this place certainly not the most sophisticated anyway so who cares.

Need a holiday !!. Did my 24km hike from Yandi to Xingping, a lovely stroll along the Li river. Scenery excellent despite dry season so not very green. Surrounded by the karst hills and wandered thru small villages and farms with fresh oranges straight of the trees. The Li river itself packed with pleasure cruises back to back, however the current drought means they were battling the low river and currently cannot even make it here due to the low water levels.

Yesterday climbed one of the karst hills here, the highest point and so excellent views over the surrounding hills and weather excellent as it has been all week.

Next stop will be Guilin and assuming no problem with visa renewal, catch up with the Miss World contestants in Sanya, Hainan Is, kind of !, a beach holiday anyway.

Appled for a visa extension yesterday so now have to hang around the area until next Thursday. Luckily far worse places than here. Yangshou famed for being a backpacker hangout but whereas still has the backpackers now going more upmarket with prices and clientele to match. However the scenery still good.

Today did a pleasant hike to Dragon Bridge, a few hours strolling, but normally done by bike or boat. I heard China needs 100,000 new hotels by 2015, I think this area will provide that many
on its own. No luck of development in the surrounding villages and the charm already fading with tourism overkill, before you even start to look lost the locals pointing you in the right direction !!

The other downside is no luck of peple here or in Guilin touting or doing the tourist rip off bit but then the region has been a tourist destination for hundreds of years so the’ve had plenty of practice. Also good practice for Vietnam, in recent weeks probably become far too easy going in my attitude.

Tomorrow do a 24km hike all being well so should keep fit just trying to out pace the touts !!.

Did my week in Beijing. Overall good but 20 degrees warmer would have been nice or at least less of the chill factor. The sights good and the old parts, the hutongs a lot more enjoyable than the newer concrete block covered areas and were evidently where the budget hotels are to be found.
Did most of the main sights including the Forbidden City twice which was worth it as so much to see and even had Peking Duck – which didn’t think any big deal. Even the train station less intimidating on a later visit so all in all no complaints but still more than happy to leave my cold weather clothes at the station and board the train to Guilin so now some poor beggar blessed with a Brighton and Hove Albion football scarf, I hope he treasures it.

The trip to Guilin 27 hours and we seemed to stop at every station on the way which was tedious but the sleeper carriages painless, for some reason still prefer buses as miss not being able to get out every so often even if having toilets nice which for some reason Chinese buses don’t bother with.
In the last 10 years have mese 3 previous attempts to get here so fourth time lucky. Probably changed a lot in that time as well. Staying in Yanshou, which I was expecting to be much smaller than it is, a fair size town which plenty of construction going on. But a nice enough place, well established for tourism and plenty of tourists. Only downside they still don’t renew visas here, the PSB this morning saying its too a small a place which seemed hard to believe but nothing I can do about it so will have to trudge back to Guilin but can’t enter Vietnam until 19th Dec so have to time things right.

This area famed for its karst scenery and regarded as some of China’s finest scenery. With lovely blue skies and the first warm weather for a while, so far so good even if quite hazy for photos. Today climbed Moon Hill, some great views especially at the top. Will be here for a few days as plenty of chances to get out and about.

Yesterday did the Summer Palace, one of Chinas premier sights. Given the bitterly cold weather and rain probably understandable that it was a summer resort, not the best place in winter but still spent 6 enjoyable hours and at least quiet so hopefully some good pics. I am sure the original much better but us Brits and friends had a Taliban moment from what I remember of my history during the Opium Wars and looted it and dynamited the rest – not one of our finest hours and given the way the placards kept raising the issue obviously didn’t impress the Chinese.

Today did the Great Wall, a place seen so many times on film so as much as expected but a good day out. They probably need to widen it though as gets a bit crowded even in this low season !

Tomorrow hopefully check out the hutongs or at least whats left.

Now in Beijing after the overnight train trip from Xian. Took a sleeper so easy, admittedly not sure I would like to be in a big city train station during the festival period, it was daunting enough in the “quiet” period.

Like Xian have no info on this place nor guidebook. Unlike Xian proved to be a complete pain. Plan to walk out the station and dump my bags in any old hotel and then check the place out went pear shaped as couldn’t find a hotel at least not at this station. Also raining and rush hour. So ended walking aimlessly and either the hotels ( not the very big ones ) hide themselves well or Beijing is just not well supplied but eventually found a reasonable place and never expected the places to be cheap anyway.

Spent the day wandering around, so my second day of pumping in the pollution, I hope next years athletes don’t forget their face masks. Did the Tiannamen square, Forbidden City and a few other bits. like the T.W the Forbidden city an absolute bargain, you can entrance to those two for half a lake in Yunnan or just the bus to carry you around Juizhaigou but not the entrance fee. Feel I have been getting ripped off these last few weeks !!, at that price might even go back again to the Forbidden City.

Anyway tomorrow plan to go to the Summer Palace and cruise the metro. Also hopefully at some point meet up with the girl I met at Danba. Will be here a few days so hopefully have a break from buses.

Done the sightseeing, taken the pics, bought the postcards and even the book of the Terracotta warriors, plus had the farmer who originally discovered them sign it – not that I would trust anything in this country as original. Overall the Terracota warriors better than I expected and even thought the entrance fee a bargain by Chinas standards. But regretted doing it on a tour as needed more time as a lot to take in and given the crowds would have been nice to just wandered at my own pace. As it was the tour typical Chinese style, besides the T.W a few bits mildly interesting but some total crap. Not only did we get the jade shops but rushed the Tw to go to a place selling kitchen knives !!! – theres a big Walmart in the city, if any one was desperate couldn’t they go there !! So that will teach me to be lazy and take a tour, admittedly at times little choice.

So today did a very independant tour around the local sites, too much walking and a definite lack of clean air but Sundays always a lively day so good to be out and about and then play sardines on the local buses. And to add insult to Chinese cuisine splashed out on a KFC, sometimes has to be done and a lot better than the dog meat I had yesterday ( hope it was a Tibetan dog ).

Tonight take the train to Beijing

Survived another 12 hour overnight bus journey and made it here Xian.

Given that it was never part of my plans to come here my knowledge stretched as far as knowing its name, what it has ie the Terracota warriors and it having a reputation for theft. My LP for this area also at home in the UK so thats of no help so meant arriving in a large city blind which could go 2 ways. To be dumped in some edge of city bus station, or worse the side of the road with no one willing to help, or arrive in the center and find the place user friendly. Luckily it was second. The driver did dump me on the side of the road but at least pointed out a building which turned out to be the train station. Even at 6am the place buzzing and a tout quickly took me under his control and despite quoting those kiss of death words “its in the Lonely Planets” took me to a hotel. As it was the rooms fine despite the premium price. And a backpacker style place so at least get the chance to be loaded onto tour buses, whizzed around the sights and then at the end given a train ticket and sent on my way without too much thinking or effort involved. Which at this point in time probably suits me just fine !!.

As it was had a fairly quiet day just wandering around the city. A well established place on the tourist map so all easy enough with a fairly pleasant center surrounded by a historic wall (which isn’t probably very historic but the thought is there). Tomorrow do some more serious sightseeing of the T.W etc.

Feeling very very tired !!. Left Dunhuang and took the bus to Xining. Some lovely scenery thru the mountains especially the sunset, but the night was cold to the point my clothes froze to the window of the bus and they didn’t supply blankets. Fairly good road but a lot of large lorries after Golmud, possibly on there way to and back from Lhasa. So arrived in Xining after a sleepless 18+ hours in a bit of a daze. Too cold and foggy to hang around so jumped on the train to Lanzhou. Train cheap but prefer buses – at least compared to a hard seat.

So now back in Lanzhou, as polluted as ever so will now leave tonight on another overnight bus to Xian.

Another ! long bus journey overnight to here, Dunhuang. The place a major tourist destination, with a modern easy going center and user friendly with good hotels and food. However as elsewhere the tourist season finished so very quiet despite the nice sunny weather.

Dunhuangs claim to fame is the Mogao caves, as per LP, one of Buddhist arts greatest respositories in the world going back to 366ad up until the decline of the silk road. Basically hundreds of caves/grottoes along a sandstone canyon wall which were hidden by the sands of the Gobi desert until discovered and raided by western explorers in the early 20 century. Impressive sights despite only getting to see a small selection of caves and given my tour group consisted of only me couldn’t complain about the crowds.

Today did the crescent moon lake, a none descript bit of oasis nestled amongst huge sand dunes up to 1715m high. Climbing the dunes proved great exercise ( hard work) and very scenic
so all good fun and well worth the effort.

Tomorrow another long trip across the mountains to Xining, and going by the weather forcast will be none to warm.