After getting up at the ungodly hour of 0430 I prepared for my airport departure at 0530…that proved to be the first glitch ……over 8000 taxis in Nanjing but not one available to take me to the airport!!! Luckily I have the most fantastic colleague at NMU - Roshan - who ever so kindly got up and drove me to the airport – how's that for going out of your way to help someone.??? As an added bonus he also took me inside and we got through the VIP lane as "strange foreigners" without lining up with the rest of the population…I am certain that the entire population of Nanjing was at the airport heading off for their national day holidays .

Arrived in Chengdu to have to collect my bags and then line up again to get my next flight to Lhasa…..love Chinese airport efficiency……. NOT. Wandered around the airport to stretch my legs and came across some most interesting foods that I decided to give a miss – ducks gizzards and tongue!!! EEKS it doesn’t even bear thinking about.

Am sitting in the airport café writing this with a great sense of excitement as in a few hours I will be in Tibet…can you believe it??? I am pinching myself to make sure I am not dreaming.

Will write as soon as I'm in Lhasa and give you my first impressions of Tibet.




Bye for now. xxx