I should point out that there is no Facebook access or any access to Twitter or YouTube in China. It's possible but hard to get around, so I'm not going to bother and you'll need to contact me by email or through the offexploring site if you want to make comments. So, my first two days in Beijing have been fairly nice given the disastrous start. I woke in my overnight hostel at 11:30am and checked out just in time at midday. A brisk walk through the Beijing traf...

A new country! And depending on your political beliefs, maybe even two! This morning we set off to meet the Unique Path car that didn't arrive. Instead we got a taxi for 200 rupees hard bargaining and Gez checked in on time. That was actually the last time I saw him because my flight hadn't even begun checking in yet. So besides flying in, this is my first time alone! I got into the departure lounge with half an hour before my flight boarded. Security is SLOW! I...