Hello!

With only 3 weeks to see Chna post bootcamp I've been clocking up the miles and packing in the big sights! Travelling solo with no Mandarin (well, I just about know my numbers and can say I don't understand!!), has been entertaining and challenging, but now I'm in Beijing among English speaking Chinese and Europeansin a really cool hostel!

Recent adventures have taken me to the Furnace of China (Chongqing) where I've sampled the local Hotpot(check out the photos) and put myself up in a Four Star Hotel!! But I balanced things out by racing up the Yangze in a claped out Hydrofoil that I think broke down on the way Well, we stopped for an hour inthe middle of the river, and because I don't understand Mandarin, I couldn't figure out why!! For all you Enginers out there the Three Gorges Dam Project was awesome! Now I know where all the worlds concrete and steel is!

I continued my big sights tour with a trip to Xian to see The Terracotta Warriors. The excitement here was that I nearly had my walet and camera stolen! Some nasty ads were walking a bit too close behind me and when tuned round to face them realised they'd opened the zip on my bag and were seconds away from nicking everything. At that point i'd had enogh of xian and jsut wanted to get out! So an overnight train with some friendly Chinese business men brought me here to Beijing!

Check out the photos of the Great Wall, by far the best thing I've seen in China. I walked 10km along the wall to Si Mi Tai and the views were fantastic!

Beijing is a cool city too and the Hostel is great. I've met loads of really nice people and enjoyed a bottle or two of the local brew with them. Last night I even met someone who was born in Poole! The highlight of the day so far is being kissed by two gorgeous Spanish guys!! Only on both cheaks though, shame!! Ah well, it'll give me something to dream about on my 12 hour train to Suzhou tonight!

Adios!