Our chinese bus pulls alongside us in the pouring rain, and we find that English has instantly become an alien concept.

We have received warnings with regards to the behaviour of chinese folk. To be honest the way in which the elderly woman sharing the same bus pushed us out of the way at Laos check out counter and then proceeded to spit but caught her sleeve instead of the floor were hilarious examples of what some call rude traits but really are just a different way of living to us... though ask me again in 2 weeks!

Theres a grand archway that signifies that you are entering China, a land with wealth and extravagance. Check in occurs with a huge modern building that has a very perplexing arrival card print out machine, watching Prue struggle I opted for a good old pen. The immigration officer was bemused that an Australian and Brit could meet and end up travelling together, and while asking questions with regards to this dilemma was very pleasant.

We are in.

Another 5 hours of bus, a gentle rollercoaster of a highway cut into the landscape, or frequently through it. We had one stop off in the town of Mengla, nothing like we'd expected as everything screams development, maybe this shock came from spending over half my time in th elastv year in 'developing countries'. Here it was time to experience the dreaded public toilet, the core subject of many a tale from Chinas visitors. Ok, so I may have come out snorting the tissue from my nose that blocked the smell, much to Prues amusement, but the concrete slabs were adequate and as long as I never fall through them it is alright. For lunch we managed to recognise cake... that will do!

The scenery is dramatic, peaks and troughs and you still get a shiver trhough your body as you look at its beauty despite that the wilderness has been replaced with hundreds of rubber tree plantations, banana plots and rice terraces. We curve upon the awesome structure that is the highway and make the most of the black out tunnels.

The structures of our destination, Jinghong, contrast the surrounding mountainous hillside and within seconds you are in and amongst a sprawling city. Not a necessarily unattractive one, although the hoards of elephant statures and fountains maybe a little overwhelming. Immediately off the bus we are ushered into the station where hords of buses are advertised in unrecognisable fashion. Instead of booking a bus to a destination denoted by a pictures at the time that another picture dictatess we tried to follow the hand drawn map of Prue to our planned accommodation. Plans do not always have to work out, amples of sweat, and a screw over by our first taxi man later we arrive at an alternative hostel, Many Trees International YHA. Jumping for joy over soft beds and air con we realise we are shattered, and also craving breakfast, lunch and dinner. So far so good on the China front, a great lively city to explore, many foods to avoid, and a language we are definitely going to need to learn.