It was INSANE. So I had some trouble in Beijing finding the bus and station etc so I took a taxi. I arrived in Erlain at about midnite so I was stuck with the hotel the taxi driver picked. It was OK but I was only there for 6hr. My research said there was trains every day and about 6 buses everyday. I couldnt find them and at the train station in Beijing they told me train only on Tues and Wed. (same as Trans Mongolian). .I was up early to go to the train station...

I legged it to the Mongolian Embassy to get my visa. There was no problems, after we worked out which way the line was gonna go. I saw the 2 Tassie chicks who were there the other day, they had come back cos the line was too long the other day. I got a 30 day visa valid for the next 3 months and even though the signs around the place say you need letter of invitation I got visa without any other paperwork. Only thing I gave them was the form and my passport. Pass...

I woke up this morning with the flu. Eyes watering, runny nose and a sore throat, but you wont hear my complain. Like most blokes I will just work through it. I was booked on a tour to the wall at 7 and the guide was knocking on the door at 6.30. Lucky I was nearly ready. Spent the next 2 hr picking people up. There were some Uruguian's and I was kidding with the girls in my best Espanich...Buenos dias me nombre hhhhhjuan. They loved me. the tour guide, Scarey Sh...

As I said I was booked on the slow train. When we left Shanghai the carriage was only half full so I grabbed a window seat and had 3 seats all to myself. First stop was about 1/2hr after start and heaps of people got on. I managed to keep my window seat. Second stop and people got on and off and I still managed to keep my window. 2hr in and I lost my window and had to go back to the isle seat with a couple of fat blokes. At this point the train was nearly full an...

I arrived here about 1pm and the hostel is full so I am in a dorm. Shanghai is the most modern city in China. It is still a working port so some big ships come through here. The city is on the Hangpo river. The south used to be swamp but now it is the new part with all the glass high rise. The north is the old part that has been cleaned up and it getting trendy with eateries and cool bars. I walked along the Bund , a walkway alongside the river, and got some pics...