We've managed to grab a bit of log on time (it's 12:30 in the morning and we need to go to bed because we've a long journey tomorrow over the border to Laos) but are taking this opportunity to update the site.

Sorry if you're having your dinner but we meant to mention some unmentionables!! Toilets so far have been OK - some great others generally acceptable and some downright awful!! One at the Great Buddah park in Leshan was a real stinker - gents and ladies) and they were right next to a kitchen!! But the worst so far was at Wuchang railway station in Wuhan - the facilities in general were appalling, no doors and simply an open trough running through them all and everything just lay there until it was periodically flushed down the length of the trough! Margaret got some advice from Natasha (who we met later) that you never use the cubicle furthest from the cistern!!

But enough of this and back to Lijiang where we arrived early evening on 31 October. Our small hotel was in the old town which is all old style Naxi or Han buildings. Very attractive place, and although a bit twee and very touristy it still has a real feel of old style and is a welcome change from the modern cities we've stayed in so far. The setting is in wonderful, on a flat plain surrounded by mountains and against the spectacular backdrop of Yulong Xue Shan, more commonly known as Jade Dragon Mountain (5,596m). Went out to explore the local area, pick up a bite to eat and suss out the pubs. Sampled some local rice wine while sitting next to group of young blokes, one of whom had his 'pet' hawk sitting on his arm. It was great to see one at such close quarters. The next pub, the Mouse Bar, quickly became our favourite with good live music and that's where we met Crystal (who is a student of English at Yunnan University) who works in the bar. She was really keen to chat to us to practice her English. At one point during our chat she dashed outside to reappear a few minutes later with a large candyfloss for us - it was really nice of her, especially as we hadn't had one for years. She is a really lovely person and it was great to meet her.

After a pleasant day wandering round the town and the peaceful Black Dragon Pool Park, we set off early the next morning for the main reason for coming here - to walk through Tiger Leaping Gorge. The bus station was at the other end of town but we arrived in good time to catch the 7.30 bus to Daju - despite the taxi driver's efforts to thwart us by insisting on first taking us to every other bus station in town (there always seem to be loads of bus stations in Chinese towns) - only to be told there was no bus today!! We met a western couple standing on the street corner outside the station. Simon and Natasha turned out to be in the same predicament so we got talking and we decided to see if we could get a car to take us to Daju - a three hour drive away. A big bonus was that Natasha spoke Mandarin and very soon was able to negotiate with a keen driver. However, he didn't seem to know where Daju was but we all climbed into his 'bread van' as they call the little white mini-buses. Soon he was on the phone to a mate whom we picked up in town. This looked like a real jaunt for the pair of them funded by our fare. The journey was a long bumpy ride, but through beautiful mountain scenery. As we headed down into the flat plain of Daju we expected soon to striding out into the gorge.

However, all is never straightforward in China. The driver's mate got on the blower and next thing we pulled up outside a school. Thanks to Natasha, we found out that he'd called a teacher friend to leave his class and lead us to the starting point. He came out of school, jumped on his motorbike and off we went. We were hoping to have a cuppa before we set off so were pleased when we pulled up at a guest house sort of place for a green tea and fresh pomegranate. Time was wearing and we needed to make a start if we were going to make our overnight stop before dark. Due to a combination of misunderstandings and a large dose of connivance to get us to eat and stay at the guest house, we had a bit of faffing around. Turned out we were told we were at the wrong ferry point for crossing the Yangzi and starting the trail. So with an offer to take us to the new ferry - at a further cost, of course - we headed off. Arriving about 30 minutes later at the top of a high cliff we thought we'd soon be on the way. How wrong could we be! There was no ferryman and a quick phone call to our overnight stop confirmed we were at the wrong place. They said we should have been back at the previous tea stop. Frustration, frustration - and we had a great deal of sympathy for Natasha who was doing all the communicating and negotiating. It turned out, as we were negotiating being taken back to the other place that a phone call had been made summoning a ferryman who had a boat at the new ferry. As we were heading back the ferryman and is mate arrived, wouldn't budge from a 30 Yuan per person fare, but we reckoned that it was better to be over the other side and on our way. Because we may never have reached the other ferry, there may have been no ferryman and the walk from that point was at least an extra two hours. So negotiations complete, farewells to our driver and his mate, we were soon making our way 2,000 feet down the Yangzi cliffside - looking straight into the mouth of Tiger Leaping Gorge.

The scenery was absolutely stunning. Half an hour later we reached the boat and soon were crossing the fast flowing river and scrambling on to the opposite bank for what turned out to be the hardest part of the whole trip - a 2,000 feet almost vertical climb zigzagging up a rough path on the sheer face of the cliff at the hottest part of the day with the sun beating down on us. Two boiling hot hours later we reached the path through the gorge. A further hour saw us at Walnut Garden and settled in for a few very welcome beers at Sean's Guest House, in a spectacular setting facing an enormous and very high rock face at the other side of the gorge.

We learnt from Sean that the plan to dam the gorge now had the go ahead and that where we were sitting on his terrace would be under water within a few year. (As we'd headed down to the ferry we'd passed a large cardboard package which turned out to be dynamite, and as we'd climbed the other side there had been several very loud explosions, which we took to be bore hole testing.)

A very convivial evening with Simon and Natasha and a number of other westerners who were walking the gorge in the opposite direction. We were really impressed to meet Lisa and Neil who had given up their teaching jobs in Norwich, flown out to China with their bikes and were cycling round China and SE Asia for 10 months. It would be good to bump into them again at some point. After a few beers, some food, a few games of cards we retired to probably the most comfy room and bed yet, and a really good night's sleep after a hot bath to soak away the aches and pains.

An early start next morning, and sorry not to have been able to say our farewells to Simon and Natasha - good luck with the school opening (Natasha's company has helped funded a primary school near Lijiang) - we set off on the 26 km (yes 26!!) walk through the gorge and out the other end near Qiaotou where we hoped to get a bus back to Lijiang. The walk, although along the path which is now more or less a road, was exhilarating, beautiful, stunning - all superlatives apply - and the weather was glorious. If we'd had more time we could have done the high level route which takes you through more stunning scenery and small ethnic villages. We are so pleased to have walked through the deepest gorge in the world, especially before it is flooded when they build the dam.

And what do you know, we bumped into Bev (England) and Jeff (NZ) - both from the Trans Siberian - and Abe (Edinburgh) and Kyra. It was really great to meet them - who says China's big - when we stopped for a photograph on one of the old town gates and so led them off for a beer at the Mouse Bar to meet Crystal.

Wish we'd been able to spend more time in this area but there are only 2 days left on the China visa.

We are leaving for an overnight stop at Jinghong, close to the Laos border which we plan to cross on 5 November depending on bus connections. Lijiang is a great place and we're really proud that we managed to walk Tiger Leaping Gorge - which involved quite a bit of work getting there and around 40km of walking over 2 days. So we're a wee bit sore.

We've loads of photos to download as well as a complete Lijiang PC to add to the site. But it will be difficult to keep things updated over the next few days as we cross the border and find internet access in Laos. So bear with us and keep watching.

If your interested, we'll be staying at the Boat Landing in Luang Namtha for a few days - have a look at their website (a Google search throws up up quickly).

E M xxx