I'm so behind I'm having to write my blogs in twos and in the place after stuff actually happened. I think I'd got to the end of my day in Lijiang. Travelling again overnight by sleeper bus I made it into Kunming early in the morning, dropped my bag off at the train station and set off to find my train tickets. I only booked my train tickets in advance through Vodka Train because I needed proof of exit from China (I've since found out I could have just shown the...

I have had an action packed few days since my last entry and am now having a much needed rest day. Having planned to go to Lijiang by sleeper bus I was just on the point of setting off when an American guy Eligh appeared. When I told him I was going to do the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek (described by another American guy I'd met earlier as "epic-ness on a grand scale") Eligh got very excited and asked to tag along, so having found a friend we set off tog...

Well, the non-encouragement of men is not going so well so far. I got hit on twice on the train. One was a very sweet Chinese boy who couldn't speak any English but proceeded to write an epic in Chinese in my journal (which I will have to get translated), fold up all my clothes and give me presents. We also shared dinner: I introduced him to peanut butter and he introduced me to chicken feet in instant noodles. I don't think either of us have been converted. I wa...

I always seem to write this when I'm just about to get on a train, and well, big surpise, I'm getting my train to Kunming tonight. I'm pretty sad I think as I'm looking forward to being on a train for a couple of days as I quite like them now. I'll try and make sure to get in the right compartment today... I hope you like the photos. I have more to come but the computers here are v e r y s l o w. Since my last entry I have learnt to haggle somewhat more effect...

Well, it seems as though people like peanut butter and budgie stories so that's all good :) I am currently in Xian, and this is the first step of my trip all on my lonesome as Laura and I have parted ways. It feels a bit like I'm setting off all over again as Laura and I had got used to going everywhere together, even if we normally wandered off by ourselves when we got to places. Though my bid for freedom hasn't worked just yet - I went to the train station las...