This morning we woke up in Xi'an... It was quite a restful night but I struggled to settle as I kept thinking of what everyone at home was doing ...and eating and got a little homesick. I think i settled about three am and didn't wake till about eight am. The cabin was comfy and more spacious than the ones in India so I didn't feel hemmed in. We arrived in Xi'an at about eight thirty and headed to the hotel via the local bus. The journey didn't take long an...

So we awoke about 7am to Christmas morning in China which had a very surreal feel to it. I think both Laura and I had feeling of excitement and sadness, the latter due to thinking of presents, family, Christmas dinner and of course a bucket load of Bailey's. I started the day on very bad form and acquired a McDonalds breakfast which I do hate doing. It was very tasty however (much better than the U.K) and we all checked out of our rooms ready for a day of sightse...

Today was the day we had been waiting for... We were off to the Great Wall. We woke at six am and Steven jumped in the shower while I put layer upon layer on... In the end I was wearing two pairs of tights, socks, trousers, a vest, two jumpers, a hoodie, a jacket and a scarf, hat and gloves! ...and I was still freezing. We headed to the lobby at seven am and met the group before venturing out in the minus seventeen degree bitterness.... Ouch! The bus was cos...

Today we woke up a about ten forty five am to the crisp sun creeping through the curtains, we had slept soundly and felt a lot more refreshed, despite the small amount of hours. It was weird waking up and suddenly being in China... In a strange way the journey from the airport last night and driving down the motorway towards the hotel had felt almost like going home. It was weird, as arriving to the coldness of China had almost felt like we were returning home...