WEDNESDAY 02.05.07 - After a eleven hour flight we touched down in Hong Kong 2:30pm on Wednesday.

Hong Kong comprises of a multitude of islands the two main ones are Lantau & Hong Kong Island. We landed on Lantau Island & following a wise suggestion from friends Pete & Sara made for the village of Mui Wo on the SE side. We jumped on a local bus & made it there via the village of Tung Chung fairly easily.

THURSDAY 03.05.07 - Breakfast at a local eatery, Ian had steamed pork bits & Caroline a sweet dough ball & a pot of green tea, which was to become the norm in future days. Today we planned a visit to Hong Kong Island. Caught a fast ferry over the very busy & congested harbour & arrived in the bustling, overcrowded city, but very clean & organised. One of the local attractions is to visit Victoria Peak. A funicular railway ferries tourists, which there are many, to the top - 552m above sea level. All very organised & from our vantage point from the top we could see thousands of sky reaching buildings below.

FRIDAY 04.05.07 - Sleep still a little fretful - which is always like this for the start of our holidays. Two sweet buns & a sweet coffee for breakfast.

The local library was thankfully equipped with Internet so made use of it. In the morning a trip to the Buddha at Ngong Ping which is a fairly new construction. In the afternoon we took a local bus to Tai O, a picturesque fishing village, some of the dwellings are on stilts. The local shops bursting with fresh fish and a speciality here being shrimp paste. Dolphins were a regularly seen off shore. We had light rain for most of our visit here.

In the evening at our chosen restaurant we met a lady who kindly gave us an umbrella & two tins of tea - a kind thought but Ian now has to carry these

SATURDAY 05.05.07 - A walk up into the nearby foothills to Silver Mine, the whole way we were treated to the sight of many birds unique to us. We visited a small waterfall & met a lone Welshman, twenty years resident to Lantau Island, who kindly explained all the birds - we had in fact seen nine types of cuckoo one the size of pheasant.

After a very pleasant stroll around the island we finished upon a manicured sandy beach with a shark boom, we enjoyed a long cool swim, the locals fearing the water too cold.

SUNDAY 06.05.07 - It was time to travel north into China proper. Caught the fast ferry to Hong Kong Island & another to Hung Hom, from here we jumped on a train to the boarder Lu Wo. All went well with our transit & we were soon aboard a bullet train to our next port of call Guangzhou (Canton). An error here & we had to catch a local bus to the south railway station. The bus station wasn't a happy place as two females were fighting aggressively & police were trying to calm things down, both Caroline & I broke into sweats.

MONDAY 07.05.07 - Ordering food in restaurants is still a big problem for us. We eventually had fried eggs & chicken feet - um! We spent the whole day roaming this huge Chinese city of twelve million residents. Our main project for the day was to purchase our overnight train ticket to Guilin for the night of the eighth. As we wandered around the city we found a seafood restaurant selling live animals for consumption including crocodile tails, water snakes, large turtles, fish & lobsters.

TUESDAY 08.05.07 - At last a restful nights sleep. Our plan today was to visit Shamian Island in the Pearl River, which is by far the quietest & most attractive area to stay in Canton. To get there we used then ultra efficient Metro.

Expecting the island to be mid-stream we mistakenly caught a ferry to the far shore only to realise we had to re-cross. The island is accessed by a fifty metre bridge. We spent a pleasant afternoon wandering the old colonial type buildings. Shamian Island is where Americans come to adopt Chinese babies.

At 8pm we boarded a very comfortable sleeper train to Guilin.

WEDNESDAY 09.05.07 - Arrived at 7:15am & quickly selected a hotel, after freshening up we had breakfast at a spot where we were able to select a variety of foods which suited us fine, all washed down with plenty of green tea.

Guilin is a city with a half million people so less congested than our previous

venues. The river Li courses through its heart & high lime stone peeks stand like sky scrapers along its shores, this area is a magnet for tourists both Chinese & foreign.

We visited the Solitary Beauty Park, a local park with a princess grotto, the 50yuan entry fee took us aback a little. We climbed the 360 steps to the summit, from here enjoyed fine views over the city. A little disappointed we left to spend a quiet hour at the rivers edge watching the local fishermen on their small but buoyant bamboo rafts.

THURSDAY 10.05.07 - Up & ready to go at 8am. Breakfast at same restaurant as yesterday but in my selection of foods was snakes skin (tasty) plenty of good old green tea to wash it down.

We spent the whole day wandering the city & met a young trainee teacher who was desperate to talk, however at the end came the hard sell wasted on us.He took us to a gallery selling students work - some of which was his.

At the riverfront many elderly groups were involved in exercising & ballroom dancing.

We continued to wander on the east side of the river & found a large produce market with many varieties of food stuffs on display, one lady was selling terrapins, eels & frogs - all alive.

We had strolled a bit too far & had to catch a packed bus back to our hotel.

FRIDAY 11.05.07 - We caught the bus to Yangshuo an hours ride away following the river Li south. During the whole journey we were treated to dramatic scenery of high, vegetated limestone peaks. Yangshuo has definitely grown around the tourist trade, the main street to the boat piers is known as "foreigners road". We made our way to the piers just after lunch & watched many large tourist boats dock & spew out hundreds of paying souls - which spoiled a little for us. Cormorant fishermen posed for photos, at a price of course.

SATURDAY 12.05.07 - Awoke to rain - our plan today was to hop on a local bus to the nearby village of Fu Li. We eventually secured a ride on a small cramped mini bus & set off south through two tunnels & over the Li River.

Fu Li is a typical Chinese village, one main street with small retail outlets selling everyday essential. Today was market day & we wandered between the many stalls selling all matter of fascinating produce. The rain was still falling heavy & the stalls all had plastic sheets covering them. The raw meat section was both fascinating & shocking to our western eyes. One couple were dismembering a good sized dog which had only very recently been dispatched. On another stall a de-furred cat with rigor mortis stood like a macabre statue for some lucky mum to cook for tea.

Many bundles of raw tobacco were also on sale, a reminder of our previous visit ten years ago.

We eventually left the village & set off into the countryside, soon rural China appeared & we set off between the multitude of paddy fields, soaking up the atmosphere & unfamiliar sights. Ladies were walking with individual buffalo watching over them whilst they grazed.

Attached to the side of the irrigation channels were egg sacks with bright contents, we found out later these were from snails. A very pleasant afternoon was spent here in hot sunshine. Ducks were being reared in lakes associated with the irrigation channels. All these sights set within the shadow of the huge limestone peeks.

SUNDAY 13.05.07 - Today we had planned another bus ride this time to the small village of Baisha. The many tourists to this area do have a positive effect - we were able to acquire good tasting breakfasts.

The bus ride to Baisha was good & we alighted our bus in the main street, not knowing where or what was ahead. We set off along the road SW, in time we arrived at a small farming hamlet & as we passed a dwelling a young girl was eager to chat. She invited us into her home & we met the family, after chatting & eating fruit she volunteered to walk with us the river route back to Yangshou some four hours away. In very hot sun the three of us set off first visiting Dragon Bridge, a very old arched structure with bamboo rafts hauled up nearby.

Our new guide was called Feng Zhen a nineteen years old student.

We enjoyed a spectacular walk alongside the Yulong River etched between the now familiar peaks. We chatted as we walked, Zhen pleased to be able to practise her English. Her parents are farmers & work very long hours toiling in rented fields.

A frightening occurrence on the way was when we witnessed a very angry father beat his young daughter with a plastic syphon pump breaking it not only once over her back but smashing it to pieces.

As we reached Yangshou tourists on bikes appeared. We arrived safely & had a well earned drink & said our farewells to Zhen who caught the bus home.

MONDAY 14.05.07 - We lingered in our beds after our exertions of yesterday & after a rather good breakfast caught a local bus to Zing Ping 36kms. distant. Arrived at about lunch time & wandered west towards the Li River. In a shop on route were cages with four or five large rodent type animals with long yellow incisor teeth - water rats?

We arrived at the rivers edge & boat pier - we found a sheltered spot & settled down to just watch. A old man & his adult son were busy butchering & cleaning a dog carcass in the river, they spent the good part of an hour meticulously cleaning every morsel, including the head. Chinese tourists boarding nearby boats were also disturbed by this sight.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking high above the river, on the west bank, enjoying the scenes of the local farmland. Found a bar overlooking the river (as we would) where we enjoyed a couple of beers. Whilst here along came a large university group who were keen to chat, we enjoyed conversing with them, they were from Nanchang. They were a respectful group of youngsters with an unyielding thirst for knowledge.

We continued our walk & met a very old lady walking her cow, I stopped & chatted repeating the words she spoke & we seemed to be conversing, I shook her tiny hand when we left, we had a great afternoon.

TUESDAY 15.05.07 - It was time to move on today, caught the bus back to Guilin, spent the day in the city until 8pm. when we climbed aboard a sleeper bus for Guiyang, a stepping off point for our final destination of Chengdu.

WEDNESDAY 16.05.07 - The sleeper bus was surprisingly comfortable catering for thirty-six passengers in double rows of six. At 8:30am we arrived in rain at Guiyang, unfortunately we had missed the connection to Chengdu by only minutes so had to find a hotel for the night. Guiyang is a huge grey city & we spent much of the day resting in our room (that's how comfortable the bus was).

The evening meal was a struggle, unable to communicate we eventually gesticulated for chicken & fried rice & received chicken with boiled rice & cold tea.

THURSDAY 17.05.07 - A bus ride to Chengdu today & we set off on what we thought to be a ride of nine hours which turned out to be a journey of thirteen. The first section of the ride was through high peaks & we passed through many long tunnels & over many newly constructed bridges. Eventually good roads gave way to unmade tracks (as we recalled from ten years ago) with mud & massive potholes. The bus rattled & lurched for a good couple of hours. We crossed the Yangsi River at Nanjing, a really gigantic city with on-going construction in progress. Where does China get all its money? A heavy grey cloud of pollution hung over it. The hours ticked by & day became night, eventually we touched down at Chadianzi Bus Station at 10pm. miles from anywhere. Like lambs to the slaughter we battled our way through the hoards willing either to take us to the city or rip us off - all a bit of a lottery. All went well however & we found a clean quiet place & sleep came at midnight.

FRIDAY 18.05.07 - Today duly settled in at Sam's Place we set of to explore the city of Chengdu. The streets were very busy with buses & many electric scooters making their way to daily business. The streets were very clean being kept so by an army of sweepers. As we approached Wenshu Monastery the streets became more narrow & the roadside shops less commercial. By now the heat of the sun forced us to a beer purchased from a local shop & we sat in out of the way to enjoy it. As we sipped a guy came out of his unit & began to show us his pride & joy - a mechanical Majong table. Fascinated by its workings he was good enough to take of the top to show us, unfortunately the mechanism decided to malfunction, we tried to assist but unable to decided to move on & leave him with it.

We came to a shaded park with terrapins swimming in pools, we sat with the elderly locals who were socialising, we were able to communicate & as one chap could speak English learnt from the TV.

We continued with a wander around the Monastry gardens & found a tea garden, for 20p each we drank green tea for the rest of the afternoon - as soon as our cups emptied along came a little man who topped them up again from a copper kettle.

SATURDAY 19.05.07 - Thinking ahead today we would purchase our train ticket to our port of call Xi'An. We did this with very little hassle at a kiosk near the entrance to Peoples Park.

We decided to explore the park & found the atmosphere friendly & relaxed, the tiny paths beautifully manicured. In an open space a group of mostly elderly ladies were ballroom dancing & taking it very seriously, we were invited to join in.

A small pleasure park with rides & games for the children was at the centre of the park, children sat contented making pictures from glue & sand.

We could hear sounds of a band as we drew nearer the melodic sounds of a choir singing. We sat & watched the group of people putting all their hearts into singing local folk songs - both Caroline & I had tears in our eyes. The ages of the group ranged from the very young to Gt.Grandparents.

The afternoon was spent looking around a bird & pet market, we were surprised to see so many puppies not destined for the table.

SUNDAY 20.05.07 - A visit to the Grand Buddha today at Leshan a bus ride of two hours away. We arrived at our destination & somehow managed to catch another bus to the Grand Buddha theme park. This unfortunately was not where we wanted to be, so jumped back on the bus to the far side of the river & made our way to a small local ferry which ran between the mainland & a large sand bank/island. Arriving on the island we set of for the walk to the east end negotiating a thigh deep fast flowing tributary on the way - we almost came a cropper, only a hand full of brave souls joined us. At the end of the island we had great views of the Buddha carved into the river bank cliffs on the far side of the river Dudu. The Buddha is 71m high & took ninety years to complete, it was started in AD713.

At this spot the local television station were just starting filming cormorant fishermen & we were treated to this unusual spectacle.

MONDAY 21.05.07 - A special treat today we were to visit the Giant Panda's at the research & breeding centre on the outskirts of Chengdu.

A tasteful site & a fairly lengthy walk to the enclosures ensured relative quiet for the inhabitants. We were able to see juvenile & the really large adults either busy feeding on fresh bamboo shoots or playing, we could have watched them for hours & almost did.

The large adults preferred just to lie back on their rears stripping & crunching their food. We were able to observe about thirty animals in all, a rare treat. A good clean well run establishment, a credit to China.

TUESDAY 22.05.07 - Today the slow train in China. We boarded at 2pm & soon discovered why the ticket we had was cheaper than we had expected. We were allocated the top two bunks next to the door to the toilet, which was ajar the whole time. The journey was to last 18hrs. Confined to the black hole of Shanghai we suffered all night either the smell of urine or tobacco smoke drifting from the space between the carriages.

WEDNESDAY 23.05.07 - Arrived at Xi'An station at 8am. thoroughly knackered & feeling chatty. As we left the station into the teeth of the touts bagging for our custom we decided to be led away by one, as things turned out this was a good decision, we were lead to a clean & comfortable room.

After a hearty breakfast we set off in rain for the Muslim quarter & enjoyed a wander around this unique area.

The streets of Xi'An are clean & modern enclosed within the confines of a large city wall. After our evening meal we both crashed out for an undisturbed ten hours sleep.

THURSDAY 24.05.07 - One of the most popular tourist attractions in China - if not the world - is the Terracotta Army a multitude of slightly larger than life model warriors of the Qin Dynasty buried in huge vaults 15' under ground. Today's treat was to visit them. We travelled to the site on a local bus. This unique place was only discovered in 1974 when a local farmer was digging a well & uncovered some relics.

Emperor Qin reigned 2010 years ago & believing there was life after death underground summoned his followers of some 750,000 to model thousands of figures & horses for his eventual demise. The task took forty years to complete. When all the figures were standing in their trenches the whole site was covered with huge wooden beams & earth. Gigantic doors sealed this secret from prying eyes. However after Qin's death the next ruler broke into the vault & destroyed much of what they found, setting fires as they went. The ashes of the beams still plain to see. In the main pit No1 some 2000 figures have been recovered & restored, there are a possible 6000 left to uncover. A remarkable sight & one we will never forget. We spent six hours enjoying this spectacle in well kept clean grounds.

FRIDAY 25.05.07 - Cashing travellers cheques in China can be a long & bureaucratic process. Here in Xi'an we had to find the Bank O Communications this we did without too much trouble but were unable to complete our transaction here but had to visit the main branch in the centre of the city. A three parts of an hour walk followed by another three parts of an hour cutting red tape.

Today we had decided to hop on a local bus for a half an hours ride to an outlying district of the city. A long & dusty walk east along a wide busy road, school children were leaving school & the sight of two foreigners caused some excitement. We stopped for a couple of beers bought from a local chap who kindly allowed us to sit & enjoy them. The object of our trip today was to visit a Neolithic Village which eventually located only to find a hefty entrance fee in a drab setting. We left wondering why the Chinese are hell bent on charging the earth to view their treasures.

Eventually we made it back to the city popping into a local super market for a few supplies, as we left the security alarm sounded as I passed through much excitement & confusion - I then had to empty the contents of our day bag to reveal a bottle of sun lotion bought in England with a foil bar code.

SATURDAY 26.05.07 - We tried to purchase a train sleeper ticket to the next location of our journey but were told no seats available until the 3rd. July. Not knowing what to do next decided to try the bus station & we were able to secure a sleeper ticket here. On the way we passed some ladies of the night looking for early morning business - I resisted!

Today we decided to visit the largest park in the city, which is sited outside the city wall. A fairly long walk found us at the north gate. We had our lunch under a tree & enjoyed watching the Chinese having a day out. At the heart of the park is a large lake where people enjoy boats. We sat & watched a tern swooping over the water, occasionally dipping for a fish - the sea is thousands of miles away where did it come from?

Along with fairground rides & other attractions was a rather shabby looking circus, it seemed the main attractions were large wild animals eg. tigers & lions. In a very confined small iron cage outside lay a very unhappy looking black bear.

SUNDAY 27.05.07 - Tonight we were to take the night bus to Ping Yao, so packed our bags & left them at the hotel reception for the day.

We visited another park today - Revolution Park - arrived in time to watch a couple of games of croquet played by two teams of very enthusiastic elderly participants on a dusty pitch under the trees. Occasionally heated discussions raged.

Our bus journey was less than straight forward. Arrived at the bus station on time & boarded our bus, which only had a couple of other passengers ready for the 7:30pm departure. However after much frustration we ended up leaving 3hrs. late, having to lay in our bunks in the sweltering heat, for much of this time Caroline was not a happy bunny. To add insult to injury as we were about to take off a couple of drunks boarded & one of them chose the bunk next to Caroline, fearing the worst Caroline moved her position.

MONDAY 28.05.07 - Good roads & a good bus saw us at our destination at 4:30am. However we were dropped off alongside the motorway & had to walk a couple of miles to the toll exit, there was a dusty putrid smell in the air. A prearranged lift from the tollgate saw us safely at Harmony Guest House.

Ping Yao is a well preserved, renovated in places, Han Dynasty Chinese city surrounded by a 6kms. city wall, claimed to be the last remaining one in China.

After a fine breakfast we set off to explore on what was to be one of the hottest days of our trip. One has to say much of what we saw had been tastefully renovated to attract many tourists. We wandered the back streets & saw where the residents lived, their homes were very basic built from dry cob. Very dusty narrow streets with a lot of new sewer work in progress.

We found a Catholic Church here & we sat a while in solace out of the sun to reflect.

TUESDAY 29.05.07 - Today having seen most of Ping Yao decided to catch a local bus to the nearest nearby city of Jie Xui. The ride was along a very dusty & through one of the most polluted areas of China. Many coke making plants & coal mines lined the way, not a pretty sight. We arrived in the throngs of a large busy city & began to explore. Lunch was to be a fascinating event. Unable to find many eating houses we instinctively followed a group of people through an arch & found a busy noisy eating house. We entered & all noise abated. With not a word of English to be seen decided to point to a dish being server - a big mistake - this dish was one of many included in a set meal, so what we hoped would be a snack turned into a full blown banquet. After we were invited to a nearby hotel foyer for a chat, one young girl brought along her English textbook.

It became quite obvious that the residents of Jie Xui hadn't seen many foreigners & we felt rather special.

At a local park we enjoyed the sight of six elderly men flying their hand made kites.

On a street corner a rubber stamp cutter was carving intricate patterns so decided to have a stamp cut - WISTMANS WOOD -so watch this space!

We made an acquaintance of a young auxiliary nurse called Wu Wengao who was keen to chat, will email him later.

WEDNESDAY 30.05.07 - A return to Jie Xui today having had such a fascinating time yesterday. Lunch time today also proved interesting. We were passing a hotel & Caroline noticed some firecrackers laid out on the ground in preparation for a special occasion, we decided to wait & see. We stood quietly eating a couple of bananas & slowly but surely a large crowd gathered watching our every move - we now know how it must feel to be in a zoo. The crowd caused so much commotion that a young woman arrived & invited us in to partake in the celebration of her niece's 13th. Birthday. We accepted & enjoyed being treated like royalty, we were lavished with food & birthday cake which was eleven tiers high. Caroline was led to the stage along with the main females of the party for a photo shoot.

THURSDAY 31.05.07 - A travelling day today with the initial target of Taiyain we set off for the bus station. When travelling in China it is critical to have destinations written down in Chinese scripts. After a bus ride of a hour & a half we were in the heart of the huge city with a population of three million people. We decided to continue the journey to our final destination of Wutai Shan - a mountain retreat. We had to connect with a local bus ride to a bus station on the other side of the city, all going far too well. Boarded our bus at 13:40pm & left at 14:00pm. We left the station half full, from here the local scammers took over, we parked up in a city side street where half-fare paying punters & much cargo boarded - our planned start was delayed by an hour.

Our journey was to take 5hrs. firstly through flat farmland which gave way to mountains. The last leg of the journey took us over a snaking pass, we crested the ridge to be confronted by a gate where most of the passengers were made to leave the bus & pay $12:00 entry fee to this scenic mountain area. This was a bit of a shock - China seems always to have the last laugh. We look forward to some good rambling in the coming days.

FRIDAY 01.06.07 - Wutai Shan is the name of the five sacred mountains that form a gigantic ring, at its centre & on the valley floor is the small town of Taiyuan.

We were to spend the next few days exploring some of the many Taoist temples that perch precariously on every peak.

Today was a hot day. Breakfast for us in the is country poses problems - we set off to find a suitable eating house, found one with a Chinese group enjoying their breakfast, however our attempt to order something tasty went astray & we ended up with watery rice soup & a dough ball - yummy!

We left & emerged into the hot sun & spotted a large monastery high up on the east hill & decided to make for it. The going was easy , up along a paved road. We enjoyed an hour exploring this serene place. The views from the courtyard were sublime, all the five sacred peaks were in view.

SATURDAY 02.06.07 - The main tourist attraction in Taiyuan is the main temple & its huge white bottle shaped Stupa 52m high, the largest in China.

We spent the first part of the day along with hundreds of Chinese pilgrims enjoying the temple & all it brings. Just inside the courtyard was a stage upon which was performing a Chinese opera - cats choir came to mind.

Taoist monks flock from all over the country to visit this sacred area & pay their respects.

We left the temple to wander into the hills, we had walked a couple of hours or so & happened upon a solitary dwelling outside of which was an old typically dressed China-man. We helped him a while to sort out some dried beans for the coming growing season, as we left we gave him a string of beads used for uttering prayers. It was so good to be out walking the hills in the refreshingly clean air & we continued to visit another temple all closed up & a shrine high up on a hill in memory to a famous monk. Here we met three young monks who wanted to chat. Views of the valley way below were good.

SUNDAY 03.06.07 - Breakfasts from now on were to be taken in our room from supplies bought in local stores. A restful morning, at about lunchtime we heard the sound of music emanating from a large marquee on the opposite side of the towns river, so decided to investigate. We arrived to the hustle of the market & sat quietly at one of the stalls & enjoyed a beer, people mingled all around us, always happy & friendly. We had appeared to have missed the performance in the marquee. There were many stall selling clothing including plenty of double layered thermal underwear, it must get very cold here in the winter.

Another well visited temple near the town has a cable car connected to it, but for the fit & enthusiastic a flight of many steps, at the foot of these were a few unfortunate souls begging for survival. Yet another alternative means to climb the hill was on horseback & a large group of horses all in prime condition with their handlers waited for fee paying pilgrims.

MONDAY 04.06.07 - Awoke to mist on tops of the mountains which developed into rain then thunder & lightening but soon passed.

Just south of where we were staying is lonely monastery & today we followed the paved path to the top. We enjoyed a quiet time here observing monks & pilgrims worshipping. A classic event here, as I peered into the main temple a lone pilgrim along with a monk were involved in a serene moment when out of the blue the monks mobile phone rang!

Today we had our sights on a distant peak so we set off along the ridge path enjoying the tranquillity, spring flowers & insects were in profusion. On the way we met monks coming in the opposite direction, two of which sat with us a while & chatted, one of them kept smoothing my arm, he seemed to be fascinated by the hairs - that's my story anyway.

We arrived in time at out target peak & had our lunch, below approaching along the route we had taken was a lone young monk singing his heart out as he went. In time he duly arrived & we chatted. These guys seem so at one with their surroundings.

Our return was taken over a different path down steeply into a valley passing a couple of disused farm houses & temple one of which had a temporary resident squatting with his few cattle.

TUESDAY 05.06.07 - We revisited the main temple in the town today, the same opera was in progress with many more pilgrims paying their respects, we had occasion to visit the toilets which were pretty gruesome.

A walk north up the valley alongside the depleted but clean river, had lunch in a small copse out of the hot sun.

In the distance we spotted a small white Stupa on a nearby hill so went for it. Soon we arrived & found a temple in refurbishment.

On our return we were treated to some torrential rain & had to take refuge in, yes you have guessed it a temple.

WEDNESDAY 06.06.07 - Today it was time to move on & a bus ride to Datong our next port of call was planned. We arrived at the bus stop early whereupon we were asked for the fare prior to getting on the bus, breaking every rule in the book we handed over the money & were led like lambs to the slaughter passed a half full bus to an empty one. We sat here like lemons for a while until the penny dropped, we had been selected to leave on a 10am bus & not the 7:30am. Guns blasting we emerged like two demented banshees, a confrontation with the offending guy in the street for all to see, eventually were given our money back & we boarded the early bus.

The bus zigzagged out of the valley north & down the other side leaving the mountains behind. We passed through busy industrial areas where hundreds of huge coal carrying trucks proceeded along the narrow roads. Inevitably a couple overheated which caused a long tailback. We caught sight of a famous temple on the way called the Hanging Monastery perched under the overhang of a cliff.

Arrived Datong 1:30pm. & soon found a good clean room.

THURSDAY 07.06.07 - Had to change money today so caught a local bus to the south end of the city, all went well & we were again in the black.

A visit to a local park was a bit dismal, renovation was in progress Decided to attempt a visit to the famous Datong Locomotive Factory on the south-west outskirts of the city. This factory was the last to manufacture the famous Iron Rooster steam engine in 2004.

We were able to wander the massive grounds for an hour of so & looked in at the many huge hangers where diesel locomotives are now assembled, the smell of heavy engineering works brought back distant memories of the Dockyard. A couple of old steam engine stood sadly beside one hanger.

The long hot walk back just got too much so called in at an eating house for one, two or three beers washed down with a small porcelain bottle of local white spirit, nibbles were provided by the owner. The rest of the walk back to our Hotel went surprisingly well.

FRIDAY 08.06.07 - Today we had planned to visit Yungang Caves, the main tourist attraction around Datong. We hopped on a local bus for the 16km. journey & were dropped at the gate & duly coughed up our entry fee.

The caves are cut into the southern cliffs of Wuzhou Shan next to the pass leading to Inner Mongolia. The caves contain over 50,000 Buddist statues & stretch for about 1km. east to west. On top of the overlooking cliffs are the remains of a huge mud brick 17th. century Qing Dynasty fortress.

In the immediate area are some huge coal mines & dust from the massive trucks once covered the artefacts, until the road was diverted. The spectacle of these caves were one not to be missed.

Apparently near the caves is a small still standing section of the Great Wall, but try as we could we failed to find it. However during our quest we hopped on a bus & travelled another five miles east & were dropped off slap bang in the centre of a coal mining community. Had a great cold beer in a nearby eatery & chatted with the owner & his partner best we could.

We wandered off over a smart road bridge & ended up in another world of clean high rise flats surrounding a well manicured central square. Pictures depicting injured & miners in failing health were all around the perimeter of the square. It seems this place is a retreat for old retired miners.

SATURDAY 09.06.07 - A rest day, a visit to Datong Park, the usual opera singers occupied the bandstand.

A small but great fun park with plenty of simple rides, Caroline dragged me screaming on to a water dipper ride & we managed to get a little wet, much to the amusement of a small crowd who had gathered to watch the foreigners make fools of themselves.

There was a reverse bungee jump too, but not ideally sited beside overhead high voltage cables - but that's China for you. Another amusement & great fun with the children, was a large shallow pool full of goldfish, each punter was given a fishing rod & was able to catch & possibly eat all they aquired.

SUNDAY 10.06.07 - Off to Inner Mongolia today & the city of Hohhot. A rough road to start with which soon developed into a super highway with little traffic. The landscape changed from small mud walled farms to the wide open grasslands Inner Mongolia is famous for.

Occasionally we spotted the odd yurt in the distance (the home of the native nomadic people). We passed a tipped coal lorry, which had wandered off course & ended up in a 5' roadside ditch.

We arrived at Hohhot at midday & escaped the bus station touts to emerge onto the busy streets. The pavements had many ethnic people selling all sorts of strange animal bits, mostly from endangered species e.g. lions claws, rhino horn, antelope antler & tigers penis.

We settled into the best hotel yet at $11:00.

MONDAY 11.06.07 - A visit today to the Inner Mongolian museum, it was well worth the visit. The collection includes a large Mammoth skeleton dug out from a coal mine near Mauzhouli, dinosaurs exhibits, a yurt & excellent array of Mongolian dress. Also artefacts,these included archery equipment & horse saddles, as well as detailed introductions to the other ethnic groups in the province.

On our way back we stopped off at the huge central square & were treated to a massive array of water fountains spurted in time to music - very impressive.

TUESDAY 12.06.07 - Today we bought our bus ticket to Beijing for the 8:30am bus on Thursday, we were helped greatly by a pleasant young English teacher.

With our tickets safely purchased we hopped on a local bus & travelled north to the edge of the city. Our plan was to wander the hills here but for some unknown reason all access seemed to be denied & an endless barbed wire fence with red & white posts stretched for as far as the eye could see. However we did manage to find a break in it & climb to the top to set off on a very pleasant ridge walk. The wind on top was strong but warm. Our route was a gigantic loop & we enjoyed great views of the city & the nearby hills.

A couple of well earned beers before returning to our hotel.

WEDNESDAY 13.06.07 - MY BIRTHDAY - A leisurely awakening & I opened all my cards!

Not much planned today, so we made our way to the main central square, as we approached hundreds of young school children passed us hastily making their way north, they had been attending some sort of ceremony at the square.

On the north fringes of the square a stage was set up & many people were in columns waiting to be presented with awards, most of these people were from the medical profession.

A colourful drumming band sat waiting patiently to perform. In time & to the dramatic theme music of The High Chaparral each nominee was led to the stage to receive their reward - presumably earned for good works in Hohhot. The Chinese certainly know how to reward good work & loyalty, which there is an abundance in China.

We sat a good couple of hours & were entertained by a variety of singers, dancers & musicians. A strong wind blew which made the release of balloons & pigeons very dramatic.

Had a Mc.Donald's for lunch!! Red wine with our evening meal.

THURSDAY 14.06.07 - Time to move on today - to the capital Beijing & we were at the bus station in good time. There was some confusion as to what gate to use but found our vehicle eventually. We set off on time & plain sailing Caroline befriended a young woman & was able to converse with her via a pocket held translator. This venture was to prove most valuable in Beijing. We were only an hour away from our destination when we had to pull over & change a wheel, the water leak from the radiator was duly ignored.

At our destination & for some unknown reason we were dropped off at the side of a bustling city street. Our guardian angel also alighted here, together we jumped on the underground & made our way to the main central train station where there is plenty of budget accommodation. We said farewell to Yu Ling Ling & thanked her for her invaluable help.

FRIDAY 15.06.07 - Move on today after cashing our travellers cheques in the only place left The Bank of Communications Beijing. We hopped on the Metro & for 3yuan duly arrived in the cities financial centre, huge skyscrapers surrounded us. After much red tape we had cash in hand so hopped back on the Metro for a ride to Dongzhumeu bus station. It took us quite some time to locate the bus to Chengde - our pronunciation not ringing any bells with who ever we asked.

Our rather shabby bus only a couple more passengers on it. Happy with our lot we settled down for our ride, but China being China this wasn't to be. We had only journeyed a few blocks when we were told to get off & join another even shabbier full bus, even the drop-down seats between rows were occupied. The driver was a little erratic so our trip was a little nail biting. We left the sprawl of the city behind us south & drove through some dramatic mountains arriving at Chengde at 3pm.

SATURDAY 16.06.07 - Always prudent in this country to secure the next journey early to accommodate any hick-ups. After much frustration we made our way to the bus station on the south outskirts of the city only to be told "buy ticket tomorrow". A little disappointed we caught a local bus to the city centre.

The main tourist attraction in Chengde is the Imperial Summer Villa, this park covers some 590 hectares & is bound by a 10km. 10' high wall, surprise surprise! For the two of us entry would have cost $24:00 so thought better of it, however hundreds of Chinese tourists appeared to be oblivious to this admission cost which to us bore no comparison to the everyday cost of living in China.

We next hopped on a bus to Puning Temple & enjoyed a walk in the hills. As we climbed the small path along the way we passed groups of young people sitting under the trees just enjoying each others company. The path we were following ran out some 100m from the summit but we enjoyed fine views over the city & surrounding countryside. On the skyline to the north east we could see a gigantic upstanding rock, on checking our guide book it is known as Club Rock.

SUNDAY 17.06.07 - First job of the day was to purchase our bus tickets to Beidaihe so a return to the bus station, & mission accomplished.

Club Rock was our target for today, we caught the bus to Pule Temple, all the usual tourist trappings around the gate.

In time we located a track leading towards Club Rock which we could just see in the far distance. As we started up the track it wasn't long before warnings of imminent payment appeared on notices. Pre-empting the approach of the dreaded ticket booth I branched off north looping around access gate, however the loop wasn't long enough before I was spotted & had to admit defeat whereupon I was ejected from the area. Both Caroline & I were aggrieved at not being able to walk free in the hills so decided to attempt a larger loop to the north, this time success was ours & after negotiating a deep vegetative valley found a hole in the barbed wire fence. We decided to sit a while to allow the heat cool off. While sitting we spotted movement in the valley below & soon two young Chinese couples arrived who had had the same idea. In time we made it to the main path & continued like any other paying guest.

We had a great day, & enjoyed visiting the huge Club Rock before looping around & descending along the general line of the massive chair lift. A couple of beers went down a treat.

MONDAY 18.06.07 - A rest day today, we visited the city & enjoyed a walk alongside a depleted Wulie River, where many locals were catching tiny silver fish.

In the afternoon an elderly gent allowed me to take charge in flying his kite in the park. The kite flew high above the neighbouring skyscrapers. Whilst I was busy with the kite he started another on its way.

TUESDAY 19.06.07 - Always awake before the alarm clock & up at 5:30am. Noisy taxi drivers were gathering outside our room collecting like jackal's waiting the arrival of the overnight train from Beijing.

Today we were to travel to the coast at Beidaihi.

The bus left on time & we enjoyed a great ride through dramatic mountainous terrain following the courses of a couple of rivers. Eventually we left the alps behind us & moved into a more industrial setting, passing two gigantic steel mills. We were dropped off on the outskirts of Beidaihi, a beach resort for the well to do. We knew the coast was south so continued our journey on foot some two miles until the sea came into view. We managed to secure a room but the cost reflected this beach resort, we only booked in for two nights, will investigate hopefully a more reasonable room tomorrow.

WEDNESDAY 20.06.07 - Today we planned a walk east along the coast. At the end of the beach was a collection of some forty fishing boats, many police were in evidence & were checking some of the boats, we stayed a while to observe but never did learn the full story. We continued our walk & passed rod fishermen & women on the rocks. Soon we came face to face with a fence & a lookout post, there was a hole in the fence that local people were using so we did also. Sandy shale soon became a large jagged headland, a couple were busy harvesting seaweed for their meal tonight.

Much clambering & scrambling brought us to a rocky pool & a swim seemed a good idea, we were both changed & were about to plunge into the Yellow Sea when we were startled by the words "No PRIVATE - Chinese Army". We turned to see an armed guard who motioned for us to retreat, not wanting to retrace our steps over the rough terrain we persuaded him to escort us to through the army compound to the nearest road access - at least we avoided jail & a major diplomatic incident.

The afternoon was spent swimming & watching the many Russian tourists enjoying the segregated beach.

THURSDAY 21.06.07 - A move up town today to a more reasonable room, so hopped on a local bus for the two mile trip.

After settling in we decided to visit the beach & enjoy a couple of restful hours in the sun. A strong onshore wind blew which made the people enjoying pedalos work quite hard.

We walked the full length of the beach & at the far end enjoyed another swim. The sun was deceptively hot.

A small purpose built harbour was nearby & we wandered around many old fishing boats, the water was stained rusty brown.

We found a great eating house with cheerful friendly staff to enjoy a couple of cold beers & freshly prepared peanuts.

FRIDAY 22.06.07 - A lazy awakening & breakfast in our room - locally made yogurt in unique porcelain pots.

What we thought was a small coastal village Qinhuarigdao a short bus ride away proved to be a huge bustling city, so we retreated on the bus & stopped off half way at some huge sand flats. The area was similar to that of Morecombe Bay & like Morecombe Bay many people were harvesting cockles.

We tried to have a swim but had to walk such a long way out to find decent water depth.

A walk along the beach south & we spotted a large flock of birds at the waters edge, feeding amongst them were egrets, large terns & small waders.

After our evening meal we strolled down to the beach which was floodlit - we were able to watch many Chinese tourists sampling the seaside for the first time, all were acting like excited children.

SATURDAY 23.06.07 - A visit to Nandaihe today some 5km. north. We left the bus & were immediately engulfed by noisy touts wanting to ferry us the 1km. walk to the coast, needless to say we made our own way to the resort.

A one hundred & twenty chair chairlift was in operation transferring visitors a couple of miles out to sea to an island on which was a huge high tower & helter skelter. From the top of the tower bungee jumpers occasionally leapt from a platform on top & were recovered via a boat.

We found a quiet spot between some fishing boats & enjoyed a warm swim.

After lunch we walked north along the beach through a very busy area, the water was crowded with bathers all wearing rubber rings, very strange sight to see grown men & women wearing these.

SUNDAY 24.06.07 - Another day at Nandaihe beach much like yesterday. However the bus ride out was abruptly halted by the need to change the fan belt. We were then taken the rest of the way by the following bus.

After our evening meal we strolled through a purpose built pedestrian area, all new & well kept. We sat a while to watch the world go by. The spot we selected to sit was where a few ladies had marked out an area to sell trinkets with an old rope. A group of four policemen approached & after much shuffling the rope was recovered, only to be replaced when the officers had gone.

MONDAY 25.06.07 - Move on today to Shanhaiguan & hours bus ride north. Shanhaiguan is where the Gt.Wall of China meets the east coast. We arrived at 11:00am. & after securing a room we set off for the rest of the day. We thought we would check out the Gt.Wall at the coast for our visit tomorrow. However not knowing where exactly to get off the bus we over ran the stop by about 20kms. & ended up at the outskirts of Qintiuangdao almost back where we had started this morning. After jumping back on the bus we were soon at the Gt.Wall scenic area.

A high fence rings this tourist attraction & the whole sandy coastline is prohibited to the locals - this is a great shame! Followed by a number of taxi drivers & a woman we set off to find a way around the fence. We ended up walking 5kms. until we found a chink in the defences - an open gate. Cautiously we crept through half expecting angry dogs to pounce, however all was quiet & we made our way back & along the coast passing a small fishing boat harbour.

We stopped at a small sandy beach at the side of a fast flowing inlet to the harbour, our progress was slowed somewhat due to five Chinese men swimming in the nude. We were able to have a swim as the tide crept slowly in. During our stay here we saw many cockle pickers returning from their days work, some were being ferried by returning fishing boats.

TUESDAY 26.06.07 - A visit to the Great Wall today, a restored section which meets the east coast. A local bus dropped us at the site & we duly coughed up our entry fee. In the 16th. century when the Great Wall was in operation some 1000 men were garrisoned here. Not many tourists roamed the ramparts & we enjoyed the spectacle. Where the wall met the ocean many years ago a dragons head was carved, hence its present name of Old Dragons Head. An original section was encased behind glass.

A beautiful beach lay to the south & we spent 2-3hrs. enjoying the solitude & warmth of the sea. We wondered why no one else was swimming then we noticed the numerous signs 'No Swimming'.

WEDNESDAY 27.06.07 - Time to organise our final trip to Beijing so off to the railway station to buy a ticket, it wasn't until later we realised our tickets were for standing only, so we marched back to the station for a refund. We did not fancy four hours standing on a crowded train.

Within the old city wall of Shanhaiguan much renovation & building work is in progress, all the original dwellings have been removed, paving the way for a tourist haven in the future!

After our evening meal we were slowly making our way back to our room, when we noticed a couple of Europeans, sheltering from the rain. We stopped to say hello & ended up having a drink or two with them in a local restaurant, we seemed to have so much in common, they have travelled extensively & had been to many of the places we had. Home to bed at 11:30pm. dirty stop outs!

THURSDAY 28.06.07 - Where the Great Wall climbs its first real peak on its way west is known as Jiao Shan & this was today's excursion.

Had to use a taxi to journey the 8km. north. Y30 admission fee & we payed up. The renovated Great Wall climbs steeply towards the top of the mountain & we walked with it to the summit. Such a gargantuan feat constructing a 12m high wall over such difficult terrain. A cable car operated for the less able. A monastery sits near the top & further on a view point from which we had magnificent all round clear views.

In the valley on the other side was a reservoir from which another huge chair lift was operating. We thoroughly enjoyed our Great Wall experience here. We walked back to the city stopping off at a great beer house full of locals, mostly women playing Mahjong. We sat quietly in the midst of about a dozen people for about an hour.

FRIDAY 29.06.07 – The return journey to Beijing today, we hopped on a local bus No33 to Qinhuangdao where the Beijing bus operates. On arrival we jumped straight on an air-conditioned bus & waited our departure. At 8:10am. on time we were off, all going too smoothly! About two hours into the journey Caroline noticed the driver rubbing his eyes & yawning a lot, he had a wet towel which he kept rubbing his brow with. I was so pleased Caroline had shared this information with me, from now on we were both concerned & on tender hooks. We stopped for a toilet break & Caroline used this opportunity to air her concerns to the driver who instantly dismissed them. More tender hooks & more yawning but thankfully at midday we pulled into one of the many Beijing bus stations safely.

We hopped on the metro & rode it to our hotel in the Wangfujing area, which had been recommended by the young couple we had met in Shanhaiguan.

SATURDAY 30.06.07 – Heavy rain all day today. Our plan was to visit the famous Tiananmen Square & surrounding area. We stalled our visit in the hope the rain would stop but eventually had to bite the bullet. We arrived at the largest public square in the whole of China if not the world. Had to purchase an umbrella from one of the many hawkers who were taking advantage of the inclement weather. The square itself is on a north – south axis & entered from the south through the Front Gate. At its centre is Chairman Mau’s Mausoleum where the body of the famous Chinese leader lies in state. At the north end lies the Gate Of Heavenly Peace, behind which is the Forbidden City. Here congregate most of the tourists of which we estimate are half a million a day. A moat surrounds the wall of the old city & we strolled beside it. The Forbidden City had been off limits to ordinary folk for 500 years, now we had a chance to visit.

SUNDAY 01.07.07 – What a difference a day makes, we awoke to hot bright sunshine. We visited Tiananmen Square again today in order to take a look at the Mausoleam, but unfortunately it was closed for renovation work in preparation for the 2008 Olympics.

Off to Beijing Zoo & had a great day roaming around a well-kept site, generally the animals were in good shape. We joined the queue at the gate & were dreading how many people would actually be in the Zoo, but once inside we were pleasantly surprised at it not being too crowded. Tired we left at 4pm.

MONDAY 02.07.07 – A visit to Beijing’s Botanical Gardens, a peaceful day enjoying the many plants both exotic & ones we have at home. The national flower of China is the Peony & this plant was especially well represented, unfortunately we had just missed the flowering season. After our ramble around the grounds we enjoyed a quiet sit in a pagoda overlooking a lily pond.

After a couple of cold beers in a local eating house we caught the two busses back which took us an hour, it took us another hour to change back excess Chinese money into sterling.

TUESDAY 03.07.07 – The flight home generally went to plan; we were pampered by our German hosts with a couple of films, food & drink whilst on board. However we had to catch a connecting flight from Frankfurt to London Heathrow & the times were a little tight, we made it with the help of airport staff but our luggage didn’t. We spent the night in London with friends Rod & Mona to return in the morning for our haversacks. We were put through vigorous security checks to enter the left luggage department much to Caroline’s disgust.

Arrived home to dear old Horrabridge at 3pm.

Monday 1st.November 2005. - The flight to New Delhi took nine hours, stopping off in transit at Kuwait, arriving 5:30am. Getting from the airport to the city centre 25kms was as expected tedious, until the going rate was established. Arrived at the centre & found accommodation. Such commotion rickshaws, taxis & busses honking to clear the way. Much poverty was in evidence with beggars & mal-nourished children roaming the streets. The heat from the sun bearing down on us.

Sunday 2nd. - Next day we had a 3km walk through the bustling narrow streets to Old Delhi railway station & after much confusion bought two tickets to Varnarsi our next planed port of call, we thought. On the way we got a little lost & ended up tramping along open railway lines in the company of holy cattle.

Monday 3rd. - We visited one of the cities tourist attractions – the Red Fort. This fortification was once owned by the British & handed back to the Indian government in 1947. The entry fee for foreigners was five times that of the locals.

Tuesday 4th. - A visit to India’s national zoo, unfortunately we picked a holiday Sunday, however a pleasant but tiring day spent wandering the well kept grounds. All the animals seemed in good health. We were consuming two litres of liquid a day & not passing any. On our journey back we stopped off at India Gate a massive epitaph erected to commemorate souls lost in past wars fighting with us. Thousands of visitors were enjoying the sunshine & pleasant surroundings.

We thought it prudent to check our rail tickets for tomorrow to see if all OK, here the fun started. As we approached the rail station we were approached by a chap who informed us we needed to confirm our tickets at booth 39. On our way we were once again accosted by a second tout who led us away like lambs to the slaughter across the road to a travel agent (Decent Tours). We were plied with cups of tea & almost parted with six hundred pounds for a complete tour of India, but sense in the end prevailed, however we did fork out one hundred & thirty seven pounds for a new ticket to Darjeeling apparently we had bought a third class ticket instead of a two tier air conditioned sleeper. We left shell-shocked & it wasn’t until we thought things through in our hotel room that we were convinced we had been ripped off big time. No ticket & no money, just a dodgy receipt. No sleep that night going over every scenario over & over again. Morning dawned & we packed our sacks hoping the journey to Darjeeling was still on, even though we had no tickets.

We made our way to what we thought was the agents office but in a blue haze couldn’t find the correct office amidst the mass. We entered a couple of wrong ones & were convinced rooms had been shifted; we even knocked on the walls. Eventually we found the right office & with both barrels blazing & having written off the money we crashed into the managers office & set about delving through his receipts to find ours but no sign. Much huffing & puffing on our part the manager produced the tickets & a refund of seventy pounds. We were on our way to Darjeeling at 2pm.

Wednesday 5th. - Overnight sleeper to NJP & bus following most of the time the toy train track (which would have taken us nine hours) we arrived in Darjeeling dark & raining. The temperature dropped dramatically.

In the morning we set about the complicated procedure of obtaining our entry permits to the independent state of Sikkim. Much to-ing & frowing & a couple of hours later we had succeeded – all manual – no computers.

Thursday 6th. - Jeep ride to Gangtock which was to take 4hrs. but due to a landslide took six. Arrived at 2pm. & were soon settled into our hotel with panoramic views of the deep vegetative valleys neatly planted with tea.

Friday 7th. - Sight seeing in a safe atmosphere was now enjoyed, we now have time to chill out a little. Good news beer is 70p a litre & is 8% proof.

We visited Tibetan monasteries & temples, learning about Tibetan culture.

Saturday 8th. - We awoke to sunshine & the view WNW revealed the show capped mountain of Mt.Khangchendzonga, India’s highest peak & the worlds third highest.

We embarked on a tour to Tsomogo Lake some 25kms away, but as is the norm in Sikkim we had to obtain a day pass signed by everyone except Michael Jackson.

A hair raising drive snaking up to 12,700’ passing through many military units here to protect from a Chinese invasion.

At the lake we were a little disappointed at not being able to wander more. Rain cut the trip short plus it being very cold just like Dartmoor in the mist.

Tourists were able to take short rides on brightly decorated Yaks.

Back at the hotel we were cordially invited to spend an evening with a number of families from Assam a nearby state. A birthday party with cake & whiskey. We enjoyed a truly memorable evening.

Sunday 9^th. - A devastating earth-quake had hit Pakistan & North India so set off to email all that we were safe & well.

The rest of the day we spent roaming the city, which sits on the slopes of very steep hills. We visited a flower show with only stalks – the orchid season had finished. We also visited a monastery, a lot of young boy monks about all a bit suspect.

An evening stroll found us at a temporary temple decorated ornately, we were allowed into the crowded assembly & learned also that the chief minister of Sikkim was attending.

Monday 10^th. - Our original plan to return to Darjeeling was floored, no spare seats, so we set off to Rumtek across the valley some 30kms away. Found a clean & quiet hotel & set off to explore the famous monastery here. Still having time in the day we started S along the road & soon came across another monastery, this one not visited by the tourists. We wandered around & sat on the front temple steps & were treated to the sounds of the Tibetan monks chanting prayers & banging very large drums. A young monk offered an orange; we must have looked poor & malnourished.

Tuesday 11^th. - Another attempt to get to Darjeeling failed miserably so bought a bus ticket to Siliguri. On route a boy was caught on the roof top luggage rack of the bus & we wondered whether we would have haversacks at the end of the trip, but all OK.

Siliguri was busy in the middle of a very important nine-day festival known as Punja – lots of people & temporary ornately decorated temples.

Wednesday 12^th. - More problems with rail tickets but this one took only five hours to sort out. We were at the rail station at 3pm for a 5pm take off, silly us; we eventually left at 8pm. A sleeper train & we arrived Varanasi at 10am.

Thursday 13^th. - Vananasi is a very bustling city & the most holy situated on the banks of the massive Ganges. After some frustration & stress we made to the quieter end of the town known as Cantonment located a good clean hotel & bed early to catch up.

Friday 14^th. - Early to bed & early to rise & into battle with the intensive interest from the locals wanting to relieve us of our money. A motorised rickshaw to the centre & walked to the Ganges river bank some 2kms N of the main Ghat (worshipping area) We were faced with a gigantic spanse of water some three-quarter of a mile across. Bathing & cooling in the murky waters was a large heard of water buffalo. Locals were busy washing their clothes having to wade ankle deep in mud. Clothes were then laid out to dry on the hard mud. As Caroline posed for a photo one of the men took exception & tossed a couple of lumps of mud, hitting her on the shoulder. We set off along the river bank S walking along a flattened muddy path, the smell was putrid but still many pilgrims were immersing themselves in the so called holy but polluted waters. The river was about half full & funeral remains floated their way down stream towards the sea. In a couple of kms. our way was blocked & we had to climb a steep set of steps to enter the old city. The streets here are only 8’ wide, so no rickshaws only pedestrians & the odd motor bike. In time as we neared the centre the streets became crowded & on either side were many small stall units selling all manner of wares from bangles to rat traps.

In time we arrived at the main Ghat & sat a while on the temple steps drinking in the whole strange atmosphere. Holy men lay prostrate & others were dunking themselves in the waters. The day was scorching & the smells unforgettable.

Saturday 15^th. – The thing to do when in Varnasi is to rise early & be on the bank of the Ganges for day break – who’s idea was that. An unsettled night having not set the alarm, up at 4:30am & crept from the hotel, needless to say a motor rickshaw driver was there waiting. We were dropped off at the main Ghat at 5:15am a hazy morning so no signs of a sunrise. Throngs of people were gathered, pilgrims & tourists. The other thing to do is to catch a boat ride against the flow of the river & observe the whole spectacle. Trust us penny pinching as usual we hired a boat captained by a ninety year old, had to help somewhat to help him move, after a short while we agreed to ride the current back, Fireworks & offering effigies into the murky waters plus everyone immersing themselves in the holy waters.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around the Hindi University sited in vast green grounds & at its centre a Vishwnath Temple. Dutifully we took off our shoes to explore, on our return our shoes had vanished, a bit of huffing & puffing & the shoe walla had hidden them in the bushes because we had neglected to leave them with him – we will take our shoes with us next time.

Sunday 16^th. – A visit to the nearby town of Sarnath, had to walk a mile or so along a street with many poor families living in tents, their children bare foot & naked & constantly begged us for money. Around the town we visited a number of temples, Tibetan, Japanese & Hindu. We also visited a museum full of stone effigies of Budha.

Monday 17^th. – Had to draw some money, so in time walked a mile or so to a bank previously noted only to be told the only bank to change travellers cheques was right next door to our hotel. Had a cooked lunch & caught the sleeper train to Agra – the city of the Taj Mahal.

Tuesday 18^th. – We arrived in Agra at 10am. Tea in India is served in tiny clone pots, which are then disposed of only being used the once, quite a surprise in such a waste-less society. Agra is the mother of all hassle – Agra must be short for aggression, so we hit the streets prepared for all events. Managed to get a cheap ride to our hotel but at a price later the rickshaw driver arrived at our hotel room door requesting further rides throughout our visit. Spent the rest of the day looking over Agra Fort built in the 15^th. Century & becoming a prison in the 16^th.

Wednesday 19^th. – Had to dispatch a cricket in the night, which mimicked a squeaky fan. Today we had planned a visit to the Taj Mahal but were shuddering at the thought of forking out twenty quid. At the huge gate we paid our dues & were given a bottle of water. Foreigners’ ten-pound locals pay 50p. However the spectacle of such a beautiful marble structure was truly magnificent. Hundreds of visitors were clambering around it. Built in 1653 by Emperor Shah Jahon for his wife who died giving birth to her fourteenth child. After our visit we had lunch at a neighbouring restaurant in their roof top garden with clear views of the Taj Mahal.

Thursday 20^th. – Today we caught the local bus to Fatehpur Sikri to see a magnificent fortified ghost city which was the capitol of the Mughal Empire between 1571 & 1585 during the reign of emperor Akbar.

Arrived to find the entry fee to be five pound each so decided to wander around the free bits. Persistence in the end won through; we found a back door & enjoyed a wander around the emperor’s palace with all the paying tourists.

Made a big mistake on the bus ride home, had my arm out of the window & didn’t see a fellow passenger in front spit out of his window, yes you guessed it the sputum landed on my elbow – give the man his due he did wipe my arm clean with his hand.

Friday 21^st. – Time to move on, so caught the bus to Bharatpur, found a good clean lodge & set off to explore the city. We were pleasantly surprised at such a friendly society, everyone found us an attraction & all greeted us with enthusiasm & no requests for money – a pleasant contrast from the tourist trap of Agra.

Saturday 22^nd. – We hired a couple of bikes & set off to visit Keolaeo National Park – bird paradise. Caroline was a little apprehensive for the last bike she rode crashed into a tree in Thailand. In the past the park was extensively hunted for wild fowl & boar but in 1965 it became a wildlife reserve & is now enjoyed by many.

A metalled road dissects the park in two with vast lakes on either side. A large colony of Painted Storks was noisily nesting in an offshore mangrove clump. Each nest had three large grey ugly chicks standing like old men. A Painted Stork is a massive bird with a wingspan in excess of 8’ – all good day all in all with masses of bird sightings.

Sunday 23^rd. – A three-hour dusty bus ride to Jaipur arriving at 10am. Jaipur is a large city & very busy hence the air quality was poor. Being a Sunday we had difficulty in finding an Internet facility open but won through in the end.

A cold beer in our room always goes down well after a hot & dusty day.

Monday 24^th – At the centre of Jaipur is the old walled city its fortified walls pink – hence its name the Pink City. We visited the palace at its centre & a unique observatory. There were many large sundials standing & precisely scaled. This park holds the largest Sundial in the world & its shadow moves one segment every 20min. its possible to determine accurate time even today.

As is the case we always seem to attract attention & this time we sat & chatted to a large group young lads who were on a trip from the west coast near Pakistan.

During the walk back through the city we spotted a very young bare foot lad about 4years old sitting quietly with a selection of old nails neatly arranged in front of him. It had to be done I approached him & bought a bent nail for 10Rs. Bewildered & stunned he eventually agreed & the transaction was complete – a budding Richard Branson!

Tuesday 25^th – Off on a local bus for the 13kms ride to the Amber Palace. We stepped off the bus & were greeted with the sight of eight elephants being scrubbed & pampered in the lake. Both owners & elephants were enjoying the experience – it was good to be so close to such magnificent & gentle creatures. With elephant poo on our shoes we climbed to the palace, which sits on the hill NW of the lake. Enjoyed an amble around here, which was once a place of splendour.

In he afternoon we continued the climb to the top of the hill where sits Amber Fort, within its wall is housed the largest cannon on wheels in the world. It weighs 50 tons & takes 100kgs of powder for one shot & has a range of 22 miles.

India seems to have a last surprise of the day - during the last city bus ride a group of six young gypsy women boarded carrying young babies all had broad smiles. So they began beating their drums & gesturing Indian dancing with their arms – we just had to join in. A good-natured bunch, all the children happy & the youngest being occasionally fed from the breast.

Wednesday 26^th. – A visit to the science park – a well-designed & engineered outside display with many working models showing the basics of science. Again at one point we had about fifty rural Indians around us – not speaking just staring.

Nearing the end of our visit we were invited in to take a look at projects compiled by some very bright youngsters who enthusiastically demonstrated their work. We were treated like royalty & were asked to comment in their workbooks.

THURSDAY 27^th – A bus ride to Ajmer & then on to Pushkar arriving at lunchtime. This is a very holy town built around a holy lake. Signs are erected around the town to advise visitors not to eat non-vegetarian meals, drink alcohol, no caressing in public, no drugs or eating of eggs. Sounds like a bundle of laughs here!

Nearly got caught up with the filming of a Bollywood movie on the shores of the lake.

Friday 28^th – Pushkar seems relatively hassle free & we enjoyed roaming its narrow streets, camels & cows a familiar sight.

We sat beside the lake & watched a couple of black & white kingfishers fishing.

Stopped off to look at a brand new Sikh temple expense no object. A service was taking place & we sat quietly in the tranquil atmosphere of the massive marble hall with eight finely dressed priests chanting. As we left the complex we chatted to a couple of wood-carvers busy expertly carving teak doors. The temple is expected to be complete in 2007 & was started in 1999.

Saturday 29^th. - No particular plans for today, so after breakfast we set off for a walk N along a sandy road, a few camels grazing on depleted grass. From a vantagepoint yesterday we had seen vast tent cities & we intended to check one out. In time we found one run by a father & son team, we were invited in & given tea & a guided tour. The most luxurious was $120:00 a night, all tents had three rooms & installed plumbing. The object of these huge tented areas was to accommodate rich westerners who wish to visit the world famous week long Pushkar camel festival.

During our walk back a four-wheeled drive jeep stopped & offered us a lift to the nearby city of Ajmer – it was from our new found friend Bharat who had his own driver. We accepted & spent a very pleasant couple of hours exploring the city & museums.

Sunday 30^th. - With early morning news of three bomb attacks in Delhi we set off to buy a newspaper but failed. We past a camel & cart with a gaggle of women gathered around. We investigated & watched flour milling in progress on the cart. Caroline chipped in, I’m sure this was the hardest they had seen a western lady work around here.

Preparation for the coming festival of Diwalli India’s biggest annual celebration – many large explosive fireworks are set off mostly by young children.

Monday 31^st. - Caught the bus to Udaipur another city by a lake, a couple of shocking road traffic accidents on the way. Arrived at 3pm & found a lodging house – not too good. Whilst out for our evening meal we found more acceptable accommodation & tomorrow would move in.

Tuesday 1^st. – Festival Day. - Settled into our new room early & were pleased.

We took a trip to the lakeside, which is manmade, as is the case in India many locals were using the waters for clothes washing & cleaning themselves. As we walked we were wished happy Diwali. Not feeling 100% we decided to call in at a German Bakery to indulge ourselves on date & walnut slice & a fresh cup of coffee.

Tonight was to be the noisiest we were to experience – loud & I mean loud explosions all night, when they eventually eased at 4am a gigantic sound system was switched on in a street nearby. We decided to move on once again.

Wednesday 2^nd. - A day confined to barracks both listless & with flu symptoms, our new room was spacious & a little quieter. We caught up with lost sleep from last night.

Thursday 3^rd. - Still not in tip top shape we spent another half day resting but today we needed to change money so set off for the city centre to find a bank.

Friday 4^th. - With a good nights sleep & the flu symptoms easing we set of from the lakeside palace complex & took a boat on Lake Pichola. At the centre of this lake are two islands one of which has an exclusive hotel. A very pleasant calm cruise & were able to land on one of the islands – Jagmandir.

Our energies returning we had a long walk in the afternoon S along the lakeside & enjoyed a rare lone walk. The culmination of which was a climb to Eklinggarh (fort), had to stop a few times but arrived safely. From the summit we were treated to magnificent views of the lake to the W & the city to the E.

Whilst resting in a park busy with visitors many of which just cannot help themselves staring at us, one lady walked into a tree, we both laughed out loud.

Saturday 5^th. - Today we planned a trip to nearby village called Shilpgram, this village had been specifically set up to give an insight to tourists regarding how the ethnic tribes of India live now & times gone by.

Before we left for the walk we secured two bus tickets to our next port of call Mt.Abu tomorrow.

A very hot day but we enjoyed the 5km. walk to Shilpgram walking beside tranquil lakes, we caught sight of green bee-eaters & terns busy pairing up on an island.

Shilpgram village was interesting & we enjoyed the colourful demonstrations of the rural Indian peoples. There was an English film crew working on a project filming a musical band & dancers.

Sunday 6^th. - The ride to Mt.Abu was to take us six hours, we had been allocated the last two seats in the bus, hence a very bumpy ride at the back.

Mt.Abu is a gigantic 27km. by 6km. sandstone plateau, rising from the flat plains of Rajasthan, we zig zagged up the steep hill to our destination, arriving at 2pm. A bit of a shock, everywhere we tried for a room seemed fully booked & the few room available were double the price that we had been paying throughout India. Primarily the Indians use Mt.Abu for their holidays & prices reflected this. Some stress & much bartering we secured an average room.

The resort was teaming with holidaymakers, at the hub of the town is rather a pretty lake, on which half the population of India seemed to be enjoying themselves boating. We enjoyed a comparatively quiet walk around the lake. A huge toad shaped sandstone boulder sat on the mountainside as if about to plunge into the water.

Monday 7^th. - In-order to visit the highest peak in Rajasthan on the plateau Guru Shikhar we had to take a shared jeep with three other Indian families – all spoke good English. We had to endure countless visits to Hindi Temples which are frequently perched high on hillsides. These Temples are strange to western ideas, with a big build up then when inside the altar & idols seem tatty & cheap, but locals all seem eager to pay homage. The whole trip was for us a religious marathon until at last we arrived at the highest peak, yes you guessed it at the summit – a Temple but here also was a rather splendid large brass bell which was being frequently being struck by the many visitors. Great views of the plateau & the Plains below were enjoyed.

Tuesday 8^th. - A walk across country was planned for today, so with a packed lunch we set off for the start, north of the lake, here was a Temple & signs warning visitors not to wander into lonely places – too late we were on our way. Armed with a sturdy stick we started the climb along a jungle track to the ridged way above, here was a cave & standing quietly outside was holy man. We were duly invited into his dwelling which was cool & very simple, laying on some old news papers was a small selection of vegetables, we added a banana from our packed lunch. Meditation was his prime reason for living such an existence, we tried to join in but the lack of email facilities was a real problem for me. We left him in peace & continued on our way. Following compass & jungle tracks we enjoyed a great day out – the threat of being attacked by gypsies soon faded.

Wednesday 9^th. - Having enjoyed our stay here at Mt.Abu today it was time to move on to Jodhpur & bus ride of some seven hours. Arrived on the outskirts of the city at 3pm. This is always the most stressful time of any journey being dropped off not knowing where one is. The rickshaw drivers seem to sense a travellers panic & before long there becomes a tourist feeding frenzy.

We managed to get a ride to the old city and secure an average room.

Thursday 10^th. - Another city & much more to see so set off for the day north through the old city ambling through the narrow streets. A young man tempted us with offers of cheap internet connection so we followed his instructions to his café & restaurant, we had a good couple of hours touching base then enjoyed a very relaxing time with a couple of beers on the roof top terrace. We were made so welcome we stayed for lunch.

At 2pm. We set off for a walk to the ridge north of the city where stands a magnificent fort & mausoleum. We needed more time to explore the fort so decided to check out the Taj Mahal type mausoleum. A very very hot afternoon but enjoyable, investigating this magnificent white marble structure Jaswant Thada.

The walk back was interrupted by seeing a large crowd of bystanders huddled over a deep & dark disused well, where we were told a couple of days ago a young boy had fallen in & lost his life.

Friday 11^th. - Today we were to visit a village 10kms. North of the city called Mandore Garden. We jumped on a local bus & in a half an hour were at the garden gate & were greeted by some friendly monkeys. Mandore was the capital of Marwar prior to the formation of Jodphur, a pleasant day wandering around ancient artefacts & temples. We found ourselves as we would in a lonely location some 3kms. North of the most visited sites & were amazed to find a collection of Stuppas enclosed by a high wall – we wandered around & saw no-one else only a local family & a few goats – such a rare sight & no visitors.

Saturday 12^th. – Today we had planned to visit Jodhpur’s main attraction Nehrangarth Fort 1459AD. After we started the long hot climb to the fort gate, after paying the entrance fee we were given audio equipment which at strategic points around the tour described features in the immediate vacinity.

The fort had never been breached by the enemy, one of its strengths was a pair of gigantic reinforced wood & steel gates armed with sturdy 6" steel spikes to deter elephant attack. The corridor leading to the entrance was designed with a hairpin bend to stop attacking elephants building speed & pressure against the doors. A very interesting & educational tour. We finished the exploration with a stroll along the ramparts, which were festooned with cannons. Views of the city below were predominately coloured blue hence its name the Blue City.

Sunday 13^th. – Today we moved on to Jaisalmer, a 6hr. bus ride through the Thar Desert. We passed many villages surviving in a very inhospitable region. The houses were in clusters & straw roofed enclosed by a scrub fence. The main livestock were goats & camels, which graze on what appears to be nothing but sand.

Arrived at Jaisalmer & booked into a rather nice hotel, unusual for India. After a meal we took a short stroll to the old city & a simple fair ground the main attraction being a massive swing boat & seemed to give all the punters huge thrills.

Monday 14^th. – Today we arrived by chance at Salim Singh Ki Haveli, a five storey, extraordinary mansion commanding the skyline of the old city. It was built some 200 years ago by Salim Singh a powerful Prime Minister of Maharaja Gaj Singh. The Haveli (house) begins with narrow dimensions at the base then suddenly spreads outwards with a projecting balcony on its top storey. It is distinguished by the blue cupolas on its arched roof. We had a guided tour of this old dwelling & were shown secret wall safes, beautiful carved sandstone screens. The building construction is made with Lego style interlocking stone work & no cement. T discourage would be invaders all the internal door-ways were tiny & the stone stairs varied in height so interlopers could be heard heavy footing their way up. All in all a very interesting visit for 15Rs. (20p).

Tuesday 15^th. – After breakfast we set off for a walk to Jaisalmer’s Gordsisar Lake – a beautiful unspoiled lake bordered with the inevitable temples. At the moment it is full & in times gone by could have kept the city in water for 3yrs. After a pleasant walk around the shore we struck off into the desert – we came across a small dwelling with no roof & sitting out of the sun was a dog so we crept nervously away. We returned to the lakeside & enjoyed a couple of hours watching many brightly coloured birds feeding.

Wednesday 16^th. – At 3pm we had signed up for a camel safari, we set off with our guide Lucky in a rather nice four wheeled drive vehicle & were driven some 45kms west into the Thar Desert.

On the way we stopped off at a village & were shown some rather simple dwellings. A walled courtyard & a couple of small thatched buildings built by the owners & daubed with a mixture of camel dung & sand. The courtyard was meticulously clean & tidy. We were asked to take along sweets for the village children – not a good idea in our opinion – but nevertheless we conformed – but mass excitement by the children over-flowed into greed, leaving a legacy of more begging in the future. We stopped off at one more village on our way to the Safari Centre. At the Centre we were greeted by the owner with a cup of tea flavoured with Cardinam – rather tasty if a little sweet.

A large purpose built lodge to house tourists who were keen to ride camels & explore the Thar Desert. Whilst drinking our tea we noticed large dung beetles wandering around the enclosure, presumably looking for camel dung. After our tea we were escorted to our mounts – a couple of handsome camels. Caroline was a little apprehensive about the ride but all power to her she mounted her female beast & was hoisted high as the camel stood up. It was my turn, my camel was a male & rather handsome. With us both safely riding Lucky snapped a couple of photos. Leading the camels were a couple of young lads who looked after us admirably. We set off towards the sand dunes, stopping off on the way at a bush laden with red berries which we were invited to try. We continued the ride, following Caroline’s camel was a baby only 3 months old who was still suckling from its mother. A bell hung around its neck in the event of it wandering off, in another half-hour or so we were brought to a halt & the camels sat to allow us to alight.

We were allowed to climb some huge sand dunes to witness a spectacular sunset. We ploughed our way up the soft sand & made our way along the ridges. Many small tracks were in evidence in the soft sand; these were being made by the dung beetles foraging for food.

Whilst waiting for the sun to set to the west Caroline spotted a small flat lizard which ran scared & then buried itself in the sand for safety. Observant as ever Caroline also spotted a long eared desert fox scurrying through the distant scrub, we were able to watch it through binoculars.

Thursday 17^th. – Time to move on again – we caught the bus to Bikaner at 06:00am arrived at 12:00 noon an unusually chilly journey until that is the sun rose high in the sky.

Friday 18^th. – Bikaner is a large busy city – one of the nearby attractions is Karni Mata Temple in the village of Desnoke some 30km south of Bikaner. We caught a local bus & arrived at 1:00pm. The temple here is unique in that rats called Kabas are venerated here & the shrine is a sanctuary for them. It is believed that these rats carry souls of future Charans (Deepawatts) who inhabit the region. Held sacred they roam freely in the temple precincts it is highly auspicious to spot one of the six white rats of a total population of some 6000.

At the door of the temple we had to take off our shoes & walk bare footed into a courtyard with hundreds of rats running free. These animals have no fear of humans & were busy feeding on offerings left by the many pilgrims. We spent a couple of hours here roaming the dark corridors infested with rats. The animals are holy & can do no wrong – covering the courtyard is a net to protect the rodents from attack from above.

The pilgrims even sit in rooms off the courtyard & eat meals with them. A truly memorable experience & perhaps the eighth wonder of the world.

Saturday 19^th. – One of the jobs today was to have developed films of our trip, on the way we had to negotiate a railway level crossing, the barriers were down but this had no real effect on the locals who ducked under & risked life & limb to cross. Even motor bikes were laid down & taken across. When the train eventually arrived many were almost caught on the tracks.

By chance we passed a rather magnificent bronze statue of Narindia Ghandi; a much respected Prime Minister. Congregated around the statue were a group of gents who when they spotted us invited us over to join in celebrating her birth date. Photos were taken for the local paper & our names & address were taken – fame at last!

Sunday 20^th. – There are four main attractions in & around Bikaner – the Junagarth Fort, the royal Cenotaph, a camel breeding centre & yes another famous temple. We elected to hire a motorized rickshaw to take in the last three. First stop the Royal Cenotaph, an enclosed area with many marble mausoleums with inscriptions telling who each were & when they lived – all the previous Bikaner royal family are buried here.

Next it was off into the desert to the camel breeding centre – being a Sunday it was very quiet, we were greeted at the gate by a local guide who after much argy bargy settled on a price. We were shown many camels but most of the residents were in the desert grazing – only the sick & pregnant remained. First stop the infirmary about seven unwell camels were convalescing, one old girl was 27yrs. old (life expectancy is around 22yrs.) We saw a half a dozen pregnant females resting & a few magnificent males. The complex also houses a camel research centre. Luckily for us being a Sunday the Temple was closed.

Monday 21^st. – Today we hopped on a local bus 45kms. to the village of Kolayatji. We stepped off the bus in to a dusty village & followed our noses to the lake & Ghats which are situated at the village centre, sited around the shores were many temples where pilgrims enthusiastically worship. As we would we walked the entire perimeter & met a very poor family living in homemade shelters, all the members were involved in the manufacture of clay molded statues – however all were smiling. Back at the village we could hear loud chanting & followed the sound to a temple thronging with worshipers. We arrived & were mobbed all eager to make contact – now we know how Mr. & Mrs. Beckham must feel all of the time. Eventually we tore ourselves away & returned to the village for a bite to eat washed down with a couple of rather stale soft drinks. A visit to one last temple, guided by a local monk, who shouted information at us, he lead us the green stagnant waters of the lake where he took a drink, we politely refused to join him.

Tuesday 22^nd. – Today we were to move on to Jhunjhunu scarcely visited by tourists – but this city was half way by road to our final destination Delhi. Whilst waiting for the bus a brigade of border patrol soldiers rode by on camels, a spectacular sight, there were 37 animals in all.

At Jhunjhunu we located a good clean hotel & were able to reconfirm our flight home thanks to a very helpful hotel owner.

Wednesday 23^rd. – There are a few things to see in this city & after a visit to the tourist information office we set about exploring. First stop Kamruddin Shah Ki Dargah, a large ornate building with many painted frescos. The city has the inevitable fort but we were unable to visit due to being closed. We passed a small school & I popped in to say hello, there were two teachers a man & a woman, they were obviously Muslim, when the children spotted us there was understandable excitement, to gain control the teaches leapt into action, the lady had a stick & the man punched a young girl violently in the back, silence ensued & we said farewell. Jhunjhunu is famous for tie dying & watched a family busy producing beautiful tie-dyed saris.

Thursday 24^th. – On to our final destination the last port of call Delhi. The bus ride was OK if a little uncomfortable, we were dropped off at a bus stand outside the city & had to catch a local bus to our hotel. We arrived at Connaught Place & walked to our hotel, it was then that Caroline noticed that her money pouch had been slit with a razor but fortunately the thief left empty handed. The suspect was a short weedy guy who had a small child in arms as cover – India lands another blow.

Friday 25^th. – A day spent wandering the aggressive streets of Delhi. We were able to check all OK with our homeward flight & have Caroline’s purse repaired.

We visited the largest Muslim mosque in India – Jama Masjid - it can accommodate 25,000 worshipers in the courtyard. At the entrance I had to don a cover for my bare legs & was able to dodge all requests for rupees.

Week Ending 12.09.03

We left Santiago and started N for a short journey to Vina Del Mar, a seaside resort - now out of season. The Pacific Ocean looked cold and rough, only the pelicans were swimming. Our second day here saw the first rain for 3 months - and the streets were awash.

Ovalle next - some six hours N by bus. A visit to a valley, known for rock drawings, had to hitch a lift 20km., then we were on our own for another 10km. walk into the countryside. An enjoyable day with many species of birds, unknown to us. Cowboy type cactus were prevalent, some in flower.

Copiapo was our next destination some six hours distant - still travelling N. Only a night rest stop here, managing to climb a hill W of the town - called Dela Cruz Hill. The climb to the top into the hot desert sun was sweaty. From the top we had all round vistas of the town with its 150,000 souls and its now abandoned silver mine to N. We returned to a bar to enjoy a jug of ale (3litres) at 50p per pint.

Next an eleven hour bus ride overnight to Calama (where it has never rained). We awoke 7am. on the bus to a scene of real desert, no vegetation at all. Passed through Chile's second city Antofagasta.

Calama is a town sitting in the heart of the Atacama desert and thrives on the nearby open-cast copper mine (the largest in the world). We enjoyed a tour of the mine, the scene of the main pit was truly unbelievable - some 2miles long 1.5miles wide and 2,500feet deep. The trucks moving the ore from the bottom to the top were gigantic, some 30ft high, and their engines resembled that of aircraft.

Today Saturday, is time to reflect & plan the border crossing into Bolivia.

Week ending 19.09.03.

From Calama we travelled to San Pedro de Atacama, a very dusty place. We were able to explore the outskirts of the town by ourselves, visiting an Inca settlement set on top of a hill beside a dried up river-bed. We booked to embark on a visit to the valley of the moon to watch the sunset. Our trip started at 3pm. & our driver took us to other sights, first we enjoyed a walk down the valley of death - where we watched people sand-boarding, they had cycled from San Pedro.

Before being able to watch the sunset we had a good half hour climb in soft sand to the top of a huge sand dune. We arrived about 15mins. before the set. The colours were amazing, the descent was a lot easier.

We had decided to journey into Bolivia with a small group, overland in a 4x4.

From San Pedro we were bussed to the frontier, which was set in a very remote, cold, desolate spot beneath dormant volcano's, only a Bolivian outpost to check us through.

Waiting here for us was our transport & crew - Gonzalez (Speedy) & his wife chief cook & bottle washer Mastenis, also in our group were three young student Germans, two girls & a lad. With haversacks neatly stowed away on top we were off into the unknown, over the lava fields, no road or track!

Our first stop was high overlooking two lagoons one appeared white & the other green & so named, something to do with light & algae. Lunch was had beside a huge salt lake, which was being fed from a thermal spring, flamingos fed vivaciously in the salt slush. Our lunch was prepared in the back of the Toyota by our crew, very good too.

Our journey continued through the wonderland of wilderness, no sign of human life for hundreds of miles in either direction.

We came next upon a strange sight, a sea of sand with isolated pillars of rock, apparently the subject of one of Salvador Dali's paintings, even though he had never seen this view.

Geysers were next - with huge volumes of steam escaping noisily from gaping holes, mud boiled in smaller pits - a stench of sulphur was strong - I blamed the breakfast!

Our night stop was to be a refuge some 13,000feet above sea level, beside another lagoon known as Red Lake for its very red colour, caused by light and algae - food for thousands of flamingos. The night here was very cold and we had to use sleeping bags as well as blankets. Altitude effects were felt by many of the transient travellers and so were the toilets.

Next morning we set off early for another day of 'Travel & Adventure´. Our vehicle was taking a terrific pounding along with our backsides.

More lagoons and more exotic sights, difficult to take it all in.

Along one of the particular sections - hundreds of miles from anywhere - a lone cyclist sat resting - he looked fit if not a little daft, our driver offered him water, he excepted readily.

Our second night was spent at San Pedro in Bolivia, the home village of our driver & wife, a very pleasant stop. The village is very poor but manages to survive on the little they grow, Llamas were feeding in the street.

Day three was mostly spent driving over the largest salt flats in the world, some 1,000sq km., & in some parts 6m thick. Standing in the centre of this vast open space is an island called Fish Island. We stopped here for an hour & from its summit we had views of the sea of white. Growing on the oasis were thousands of huge cacti some 1200 years old. Lunch here then another long drive over the compact salt to a hotel constructed purely of salt.

Our trip ended in Uyuni a dusty Bolivian desert town, we said farewell to our fellow travellers having just experienced a trip of a lifetime & one which can be thoroughly recommended.

Our travels next took us to Potosi the highest city in the world at 4,070m above sea level. Beer here even cheaper than in Chile. A main meal at a restaurant costs about 3 pounds Stirling (for two). Blue skies every day freezing temperatures at night.

Week ending 26.09.03.

Potosi´s claim to fame is a huge silver mountain, which in colonial times afforded the Spanish with hoards of fine grade silver, now however the mine is only producing composite ore of nickel, tin, lead & silver - thus the mine is slowly ceasing to function. A trip around the mine was organised for me only, Caroline decided crawling around underground was not for her. A fellow tourist from Belgium accompanied me. First stop was at one of the many miners' shops - we were shown an array of necessities used by the underground workers eg. dynamite, 20p a stick along with cordite fuse & detonators all perfectly legal for anyone to purchase. Pure alcohol in small plastic bottles & mineral water, coca leaves & a soft stone for nibbling to extract the most from the coca leaves. We were advised to buy some of these articles for presents for the miners - so we each bought a bag of coca leaves & alcohol.

Next it was time to kit up in overalls & headlamps. In a taxi we drove to the mine head. At the entrance a few miners' gathered & small children offered us minerals to buy. Our guide explained the workings of the mine, & from our vantage point we could see where the miners & their families lived, in shacks across the valley. We gave a bag of coca leaves to the miners here, & were nearly killed in the rush.

It was time to go underground, the entrance to Sant Elena mine was smaller than I had expected & on the rocks at the door were stains of llama blood, daubed there as a sacrifice to Tio (Uncle God of mines). We entered the mine & followed two large pipes, one for oxygen & one for water. Safety was at a minimum here & large open 90m shafts were avoided thanks to instructions from our guide. Soon we were at an alcove, at its head was an idol depicting Tio, we were to offer coca leaves, cigarettes & alcohol, to ensure a safe passage. The statue was red & had horns, green eyes, a beard & a prominent large penis - for fertilising mother earth (Pachamama). Whilst we were here a miner arrived to make his own offering.

We descended the dusty levels to No9 finding mineral veins of nickel, silver, zinc, lead & tin - now composite for all the pure silver has now been harvested. Asbestos is another hazard & we were shown deposits.

The miners' life is short & most can only cope with ten years service before they fall ill & die.

Santa Elena mine butts onto Pailaviri mine & in time we were wandering the passage-ways of this mine. Eventually we emerged into the fresh air and once again a rush of children came to us offering minerals. The tour was over & I very much enjoyed the experience.

Due to a slight misunderstanding we had to leave Potosi in rather a hurried fashion & at one point we were barred from leaving the hotel. Much heated discussion & a threat to call the police & we eventually left - bad feeling as usual! It wasn't until we arrived at our next stop we realised I still had the room key - oh dear!

More trouble at Sucre, we had booked into a hotel & a little later decided to move to a cleaner residence, much to the disgust of yet another hotelier, another threat to call the police. Sucre had an air of unease for us, we had been warned about pickpockets & bag slashers, so we were glad to be moving on to Cochbamba an overnight bus ride arriving 5:45am. Found a hotel close to the bus station, as my rear end was calling for help.

Whilst here we came across a large trailer in the main street with four fully grown lions, the trailer had developed a puncture. The animals looked in fine health & to see such large cats close up was a treat.

Friday and we were leaving for Oruro another city sitting high on the Altiplano 3709m above sea level. The bus ride was over spectacular arid mountains. The country people of Bolivia are truly poor. As we passed through one village we saw two pigs on a dusty green then noticed blood pouring from one of their necks, nearby two men manhandled the other pig & its throat was also cut, its enough to turn one vegetarian.

Today we are planning our route to Arica in Chile - we were being constantly advise not to travel near the capitol La Paz due to disturbances.

Week ending 03.10.03.

Saturday we visited a thermal spring, had to take a local bus some 20km. Standing in the middle of nowhere was a hotel & a swimming pool, being fed from a natural hot spring. We enjoyed a swim in the warm pool & after a soak in a very hot plunge pool. When it was time to catch the bus back to Oruro we had yet more trouble with the natives. There was one bus waiting & would not leave until full, however a rogue bus out with the family was ready to leave, we ran with a couple more passengers to catch a ride. The driver of the official bus started his vehicle & cut our bus off, & a stale-mate ensued. Eventually the other two passengers gave up the fight & returned to the official bus, we on the other hand were not being held to ransom & started to walk back to Oruro. The angry bus driver shadowed us in his empty vehicle for about a mile, until he gave up, leaving us to walk. As luck would have it in time a taxi passed & gave us a lift for the same price as the bus.

Unrest in Bolivia & we were advised to leave or face perhaps many days trying to escape. The population are unhappy with their governments wishes to sell natural gas to the USA, & also welfare for the poor & elderly are a concern.

Our exit was to take a bus from Oruro to Putre in Chile. The bus was scheduled to leave at 1:30pm Sunday so we had a chance to walk around the city. We were approached by a couple from France who warned us of a popular scam involving false police wanting to check passports & once they manipulated the tourists into a taxi it was easy to take their money! This had happened twice to this French couple this very morning. We were lucky & had no problems.

The bus out of Bolivia was luxurious but full with travellers escaping at the last moment. In pitch darkness we were dropped 5km from Putre, the walk at night wasn't attractive so we ended up travelling all the way to Arica for no extra cost.

Arica is a city on the Pacific coast & we were to spend four days here, it was good to relax. Saw plenty of strange sea birds including hundreds of pelicans, an ugly bird but graceful in flight. We managed to enjoy a couple of swims. Huge sea lions hauled themselves onto the rocks at the fish quay & we had a close encounter.

About 20km north of the city is a museum with examples of recently uncovered mummified bodies from 4000BC, we took a trip & enjoyed a morning looking at the well laid out displays.

Time to leave Arica to cross into Peru. We were taken by taxi to the Peruvian town of Tacna, the taxi driver saw to all the technicalities of the border crossing. Spent the night here & in the morning caught the bus to Peru`s second city Arequipa. The journey took us high again over arid desert with no vegetation at all. The plateau on which Arequipa stands is made fertile by a huge river & it was good to see green once again.

Week ending 11.10.03.

Arequipa is a bustling Peruvian city and has many ancient buildings and ornate churches. The cathedral was spectacular and has a huge hand carved wooden pulpit. The building has been rebuilt since being destroyed 30 years ago by a huge earthquake.

The central plaza was busy with a beautiful water fountain as its prime feature, visitors were feeding the many hundreds of pigeons. Whilst we sat in the hot sun a troop of dancers and drummers entertained the crowds, the dancers were all male dressed in suits and wore plastic masks with moustaches, they also wore bells on there toes.

We had to embark on a two day trek into the Colca Canyon which is a 6 hour bus ride north of Arequipa.

Tuesday morning we caught a local bus to the canyon and on our arrival at the end of the line, Cobanaconde, a remote village. we were met by the lady of the family who we were to stay with, she showed us to her home. A simple dwelling but clean, she cooked us a meal of alpaca - small llama - delicious.

Early the next morning the head of the house Remigio arrived back at the house with a couple of tourists who he had taken on the same trip prior to ourselves.

After breakfast we set off with him for the canyon, on the way we passed a small hospital and watched as a dead body being manhandled from the luggage department of a bus into the building - a resident returning, RIP.

In an hour we were standing high on the south lip of the canyon some 50km. long and half mile deep - truly impressive. The descent was very steep along a mule track, we passed the odd villager herding their animals.

Three hours of leg straining descent took its toll and at the flimsy suspension bridge over the river our legs turned to jelly.

The sun was very hot and we had to drink plenty. A moderately short climb up the north side of the canyon and we were walking through fertile field systems full of fruit trees and vegetables all being watered from the Colca river by a series of leats.

On to the remote village of San Juan this village and many more in the region survive on what they can eke out from nature and have no need for money or electricity. All the residents were obviously content and in touch with their environment, always smiling and very friendly.

Our guide prepared lunch in one of the huts and we rested until it was time to move on. Another stiffer climb this time and we were at village No2 Cosnirhua - from here panoramic vistas were fantastic.

One more village on the same contour - Malata - then it was all down-hill to where we were to stay the night - an oasis. We arrived at 3pm after a 7 hour testing hike, had time for a swim in the pool. That evening, we had yet another excellent meal prepared by Remigio who then informed us we would to rise at 3am the next morning for the final ascent back to Cobanaconde. Caroline nearly had heart failure on the spot but managed to keep cool.

Early to bed and early to rise and we were dressing in the dark in our bamboo hut - dancing from leg to leg in order to dress. Caroline was dreading the 3000' ascent in the dark, but we gritted our teeth and set off. Luckily there was a full moon so a torch was only used in the shadows. The reason the ascent was attempted so early is to avoid the intense heat of the sun, which appeared at 4.30am.

At the top we were tired but exhilarated our guide Remigio was a true professional and showed us old fogies plenty of patience.

After breakfast we left for the bus ride back to Arequipa which we interrupted to stop off at a point high above the deepest and narrowest point of the canyon at 8am in order that we might catch sight of Condors. At 9.15am we were treated to a fly past by a magnificent fully grown male, there were a number of tourists here and everyone sighed in awe. This sighting topped off a truly amazing couple of days.

Puno next beside Lake Titicaca, still hot and sunny at 3,820m above sea level.

The floating islands of Lake Titicaca - We boarded a local boat at Puno quay and chugged our way out into the Lake, the sun was hot and the half-hour trip to the islands was pleasant. Soon we were weaving our way between the reed islands, which are home to the Uros people. These folk lives are totally interwoven with the Totora reed, which grows abundantly in the shallows of the lake. They harvest these reeds and use them to make everything from the islands themselves to little model boats to sell to the tourists. The islands are constructed from many layers of reeds, which rot away from the underside and are replaced from the top. The ground is soft to the foot and we sank some four inches whilst walking. The Uros folk build canoe shaped boats from the tightly bundled reeds. A well constructed boat carries a whole family and lasts some six months. We visited three islands all in good shape, possibly too good for permanent living. The sun was hot and the skies clear, we very much enjoyed seeing this very unusual life style. We saw Uros homes and a school. Every island has a lookout tower. Needless to say there were plenty of souvenirs on sale.

Back to shore and a fish dinner from a market stall, very tasty. We had finished the first course when our host produced a dish which contained what resembled dirty dish water, Caroline very nearly washed her fingers in it when a spoon was produced and we were expected to eat it, we declined politely - the whole meal cost 30p for two.

We caught a local bus south the next day, along the banks of the lake for fifteen miles or so to Chaciuto and alighted to explore. It was yet another very hot day and we were lucky to visit during a festival to celebrate the Virgin of the Rosery. Noisy bands paraded around the plaza and we took our rightful seats in a beer tent along the way. Traditional dancing and celebrations all seemed to hinge around the local brew Cusquena - this suited us just fine. The male members of the bands were all dressed in suits and trilby hats all resembling the Blues Brothers. A good day was had by all and we staggered back the bus stop at 5pm.

Next port of call was Cusco the historical capitol of Peru, from here most of the tours to Machu Picchu set off. We spent one day touring the local churches and museums, there's only a certain amount of old age tat one can take.

Our trip to Machu Picchu started with a couple of local bus rides first to Urubamba and then on to the end of the road at Ollantaytambo. We had to wait for the local train, which left at 7:45pm so took the time out to visit a local Inca town. At 8:15pm we boarded the train along with hundreds of locals and were at the terminus Aguas Callentes at 9:45pm. Another rush to secure a room for the night alongside the railway track, this community survives on what the railroad supplies.

We had decided to walk from our hostel to Machu Picchu, so up at 5am and off we set. A 2 hour very steep climb of 2,000' brought us to the gates at 7am. The entrance charge is ten pounds stirling each and the site has about 700 visitors a day. At this early hour there were only a few visitors, in a short while we were treated to a view of the Inca city perched high on a mountain plateau. We sat for an hour or so just drinking in the atmosphere and tried to imagine life here when it was a thriving community. We spent the whole day here and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. After lunch the tourists arrived in their hoards being bussed in from the railway station. We managed to complete our trip for the third of the cost of the cheapest organised tour, but with a few more heartaches. Another night stop, at Aguas Callentes before returning along our outward route to Cusco. One remarkable feature of the Inca buildings is the perfect stone masonry - every block cut to fit the next exactly and ever one keyed. Many Inca buildings resist earthquake shocks unlike modern buildings of today.

Week ending 24.10.03.

Pisac turned out to be a fascinating mountain village, the Sunday market manic with all number of stalls selling trinkets to the tourists. High above this village on top of yet another mountain were more Inca ruins, why these indigenous people built their towns on mountain tops is an enigma.

Monday - Took a local bus 12km north of Cusco and walked back visiting four Inca settlements along the way. The largest and most spectacular of these was Sacsayhuaman (satisfied falcon). The ruins are extensive but only twenty percent of the original structures remain. The Spaniards used the blocks to build their own homes in Cusco - but they left the most impressive of the original blocks one of which must weigh 300 tons. The magnificent zig-zag walls are very impressive though most of them have been destroyed. It is thought the city had important religious and military significance. This was the site of one of the most bitter battles of the conquest between the Spanish and the rebellious Muno Inca Manco who were defeated but only narrowly but most of his forces were killed. The dead attracted flocks of Andean Condors which is why there are eight Condors on Cuzco's coat of arms.

Tuesday - A long and tiring bus ride to Nazca stopping off at Abancay for a few hours. Abancay is truly a working mans town deep in the Andean mountains, no trinkets for sale here only useful implements for everyday life.

Between dozes we eventually arrived at Ica having passed our planned stop Nazca. A little disappointed Caroline aired her views first to the hostess with the mostest’ then the driver and finally to an innocent taxi driver standing nearby. As it turned out Ica was good for us.

Thursday - Today we planned to visit the world famous Nazca Lines, these lines are etched into the pampa and consist of enormous geoglyphs and geometrical lines and shapes, they were only discovered during the early part of the 20th. Century. These designs can only be recognised from the air. It is possible to climb a viewing tower and glimpse a few shapes, which is eventually what we did. Before this however we wandered off on the pampa to examine constructions of the lines, we could only make out were the stony desert had been parted in channels , but were unable to distinguish shapes - a bit disappointing, that is until two officials on a motor cycle screamed up to chastise us for wandering onto this world heritage site of SSI. Suitably chastised we conformed and used their tower. Over head was the constant hum of light aircraft ferrying the more affluent or stupid tourists to see this unique sight.

Nazca - the town - is driven by the notoriety of the Lines, we caught the bus to the town and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and checking out the aqueducts - a spiral means of gaining access to artisan well water - still in use.

Friday - We set off for 6km. walk west from Ica to the oasis of Huacachina, we arrived to find a large green lake nestling between huge sand dunes. Many tourists are bussed here to enjoy the tranquillity, which has the opposite effect. We sat with a few beers and watched a few energetic young people trudge their way to the top of the nearest 300 foot sand dune, in order to sand board back down. A lot made it to the top but few were prepared to slide down.

The museum at Ica is very impressive and known throughout Peru for having some fine examples to reflect the lives of the indigenous Peruvian people. There was a large assortment of mummies, their hair still in place - unlike me! There were examples also of skull miss-shapes achieved by straps etc when young in order to elongate the head - which made them resemble aliens.

Week ending 31.10.03.

We arrived at Pisco on the west Pacific coast famous for a white brandy drunk throughout Peru. The brandy is mixed with egg white & lemon to become Pisco Sour.

Some 5km south of Pisco is the port of Paracas, from here boat trips leave daily to visit the National Park of Paracas & the Ballestas Islands - a haven for wildlife.

Sunday - We spent walking along the beach south, many interesting finds along the way - dead seals & many types of mollusc shells. The beach was many km in length & there was no man made pollution. At the extent of our walk a sign denoting the start of the National Park, we stayed here awhile and watched flamingos feeding in the shallows. These birds migrate from the Altiplano further south from the salt flats of Bolivia.

Sunday evening, a fiesta was being held in the central plaza of Pisco and crowds of people gatherd to enjoy the proceedings. The highlight of the evening was a bamboo tower some 30´ high rigged cleverly with fireworks. On the stroke of midnight the lower levels of the tower were ignited, in time large bamboo Catherine wheels spun into action throwing sparks and hot debris into the crowd. All in all a very impressive display lasting some twenty minutes.

Monday was to be our chance to visit the Ballestas Islands some 20km off the coast. We were bussed to Paracas and then transfered to a large speed-boat along with ten or more tourists. A fast boat and we zoomed off for a trip around Paracas bay. We passed San Martin an international cargo port, then off out to sea to the islands. These islands are uninhabited but for three wardens and guano collectors. The sea bird excrement is gathered and sold for ten dollars a kg. which is then used commercially as a fertiliser.

We experienced a banquet of wildlife sightings including Inca Tern, Peruvian Booby, Guanay Cormorant and three rather lonely Humbolt Penguins. Around the rocky shores were scores of South American sea lions singing out of tune. Near the islands the sea had a heavy swell and we were thankful for an experienced captain.

Tuesday we spent at the port of Pisco and enjoyed the sights and smells of the local fish market. This part of the Peruvian coast is immensely rich in plankton, which has the knock on effect of supporting the whole chain of sea creatures - fish being one of them. The ladies of the fish market were responsible for the selling and bartering whilst the men folk looked on - a bit like home really! All this activity made us hungry, so we visited a local fish eating house and downed a rather tasty dish of fish and potatoes, needless to say the odd bottle of Cusquena.

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