This morning we boarded our train to begin the exciting journey to Mongolia. After an early start we settled into our 4 berth compartments and enjoyed the scenery roll by, very mountainous early on, then big flat expanses of land. The train compartments are small, but comfy. Boiling water is available in each carriage, along with a unisex toilet at each end of each carriage. There is a power point in the hallway but it is too low in voltage to charge anything. A...

Impressions of Beijing Beijing is a modern bustling city with many of its old traditions still surviving along with changing ways. People are mostly very stern faced and serious looking - rarely does anyone smile, particularly noticeable with service staff. The few who do smile catch you by surprise and they look so lovely. Our Chinese guide was delightful, one of the smilers. She accompanied us for our whole stay and showed great warmth and humour. She told us...

The Great Wall of China - where does one begin to find the words to describe its grandeur and the wonder one feels when first seeing it, and even more so, once walking on it? We have again been blessed with a glorious blue sky and clear air, so the views were spectacular. No snow, but the starkness of the bare winter trees gives the wall an added sense of awe. To see the wall has been something I have always wanted to do and I must say it is all I hoped for and m...

The journey is the reward. Chinese proverb My journey is now into its third day in Beijing and I feel I am being rewarded every moment of the day. As a frequent independent traveler I am always uncertain about choosing a group tour, but I feel I have hit the jackpot with Travel Directors. They have chosen an amazing itinerary with care given to every detail. The tour guide, Elena, is Russian and is very friendly and efficient. The local Chinese guide is May, o...

UNESCO has declared the Summer Palace "a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design." I can't argue with this, now that I have floated in the harmony of its gardens, bridges and palaces. Perhaps I should say "shivered" in its harmony. We are buried deep in several layers of clothing to ward off the cold, but it still seeps through some how. The palace gardens must be spectacular in the other seasons, but winter has its own beauty, even in the starkness of ic...