We started our Intrepid tour on the 11th meeting in a really posh hotel in Hong Kong. Jon and I spent most of the day admiring how large the bathroom was in comparison to the hovel we had been staying in previously! We were a bit appreshensive about our group as 11 of them had been from Bejing to Hong Kong together and seemed a little bonded! However, it turns out that they are all lovely and we are having an amazing time. Left Hong Kong and spent the first day o...

After leaving the tropical paradise of Yangshuo (although it wasn't that tropical in the end, it rained solidly for the last three days!) we took the sleeper bus to Guangzhou. It was a really weird experience.... 7 beds long, 3 beds wide and 2 beds high.... I never realised that many people could fit on a bus! Our "beds" was surpisingly comfy but not much sleep was had due to the craziness of the chinese bus driver. Corners, round tight roads, at a high...

Thinking back to being in Yangshuo I am filled with warm and happy feelings of a tropical paradise, when the Chinese actaully smiled and spitting was kept to a minimum. And then I remember the bike ride along the Yulong River.... or as it has been more aptly named The how-long River! Jon assured me that we were going to do a gentle cycle ride and the views would be beautiful so I would love it. Now, give him his due.... the views were amazing. Karst Mountains sur...

I decided the activity category for this blog had to be that of swimming/beach because that is what Yangshuo feels like; it is a toursit hotspot, abundant with tourists (as in you see more than 3 a day) and the weather is just glorious - as I write this Barnes is recovering from sunburn! We started our first day in Yangshuo with a walk down West St (colloqially known as foreigner st) plagued with cafes, restaurant and people selling tat. Now to some this might so...

Finally managed to leave Shanghai after a few more rounds of backpacker but no rounds of beer, due to the alcohol consumption of the night before! Hopped on a train to a place called Nanjing- a mere three hours so a doddle. Jon a little disappointed that the scenery was not quite as amazing as our previous train journey but he managed to amuse himself nonetheless. Had booked ouselves into the Sunflower hostel that got rave reviews! A little trouble was had in fin...