Monthly Archives: June 2018

Shanghai – 1stJune 2018 ‘Shanghai began life as a fishing village in the 11thcentury, but by the end of the first Opium war it had become one of the five newly opened treaty ports, a factor that saw it grow … Continue reading →

Chengdu – Sanjijang – 26thMay Another train – 18 hours of hell. Noise, snoring and insomnia. Hours passed, so difficult even to toss and turn when on a thin bunk with a long drop down. The only highlight was a … Continue reading →

China Diaries – 4 Chongquing to Chengdu – 24 May When I last wrote we were on the cruise boat, all set to leave the Yangtze River. In the morning drizzle we had to walk across the gang planks, flip … Continue reading →

China Diaries – 3 Train to Yichang and the Yangtze River Cruise Boat – 20thMay. We travelled fourteen and half hours on the train from Xian to Yichang before arriving at 1 a.m. on the cruise boat, the Hua Xia … Continue reading →

China -2 China – Somewhere between Xian and Yicheng – 20thMay Another train and I have just consumed a pot noodle. Actually quite tasty. Outside the hillsides are crawling with pumpkins, cabbages and runner beans. Wheat is being harvested. We … Continue reading →

China – 13thMay 2018 We arrived in Beijing and felt a little overwhelmed. The tour leader failed to send anyone to meet us, so found ourselves in a rickety taxi tearing down a six lane highway under a milky sky. … Continue reading →