We'll what a lovely time we're having! Many nights of balcony and chatting/ me and Lucy have gone wedding crazy - can't believe it's 10 weeks until she's we'd! As Friday is a holy day for the Arabs for the expats it's a day of winding down after the long week at work with brunch. All you can eat all u can drink. It was never going to end we'll! There we're too many drinks too many cigars and way too much fun had. I threw up in Lucy's sink and fell over 40 times...

We did it..made it to the final destination big high 5 for us! Flight was delightful and then we we're greeted at the airport by Lucy Ben and dale holding a sign saying future mr and mrs Cooksey aka the gypsy backpackers- Lucy thrust a card and a pandora charm in my hands as an engagement present how delightful! So on the drive to their apartment Ben gave us a brief tour whilst whiz zing down the sheik zayed road which is the big 7 lane motor way going through ...

Started the day early as...05:30 pick up to set out for the Great Wall of china. We decided to book our transportation through the hotel..it probably cost us more but we we're that sick of being lost and not understanding it seemed worth it! Headed 3 hours outside of Beijing to the janshanling area of the wall. When we arrived 2 Mongolian farmer women latched onto us. Most people caught the cable car up the side of the mountain but 5 of us decided to walk up. I...

Was an early start to the day..walk to the train station seems a little longer with a 20kg backpack on. FINAL OVERNIGHT MODE OF TRANSPORT!!!! can't tell you how exciting that is. However it was a day time sleeper train- nothing worse than that to mess the old body clock up! Arrived in Beijing (yet another destination I've spent years talking about) at 23:00 bit of a rubbish time to arrive. Hostel is huge! Our room has a window yay- as a result it's much easier...

Journey to the train station kind of felt like we we're a freak show so many people just gwarping at us. I've decided I'm going to stare back! The rush when they announced boarding of the train was almost comical..someone actually trod on my leg to get in front. They don't really have queuing rules here. Normal train - cheaper seats are the top beds so we don't have much room. As usual I read a few books we got onto the conversation about the first few meals we ...