The walk fail

Lonely planet has made me look like a tit again.

After dinner with my tour group I persuaded Kevin, Laura, Phil, Simon, Gabby and Daniel to come with me to Tienaman square, as I had read that at night it is light beautifully and there are kite flyers there.

After an hours walk and train ride, via a detour to Fucxing men station, because I got everyone on the wrong tube line, fortunately the hilarity of the station name saved me from and blushes and apologies.

To arrive at the square at 9pm... With fuck all there! 

Cheers lonely planet.

we then walked an hour back, stopping for a consolidation beer enroute!

The great run!

Today we got up nice and early to visit the Great Wall of china!

We went to the most developed part of the wall and I ran the whole length of the restored section. One of the hardest runs I have ever done. Mainly due to the extraordinary number of steps! 

The views were incredible, and I received constant encouragement from the tourists and chinease alike, culminating in a final sprint to the highest battlement which included high fiving the seated Chinese. 

I also got a medal and haggled some other bits and pieces from the vendors on the wall.

Meeting the Tour

The following evening after visiting the Lama Temple, a temple the Deli Lama (among others) uses to worship Budda. Where I had a very interesting green tea ice cream. I would not wholly recommend it, china tends to chuck random things together food wise. Other food I have had include: Danish pastry with kidney beans and banana pizza!

I met up with the tour group, everyone I have spoken to so far seems really nice. A very different group than I was expecting though! As there is a wide variety of ages. It should make for a really good time though as there is plenty of variety.

On first impression i am by far the most intrepid of the travellers, most of the others seem keen to stay clear of small local noodle bars in favour of KFC and SUBWAY. But hey, there is plenty of free time I can go explore on my own. Aside from an 18 year old gap year student, a young couple from Ireland and a couple in there late twenties/early thirties everyone else is up words of 40 with four who are retired.

We went out to a fancy place to eat that evening which was a nice way to meet everyone.

Underground Beijing

Henry, an American I met yesterday who has just moved to Beijing, myself and Rodger a fifty year old Ozzy decided to go out and get some food and drink.

Henry who speaks fluent Mandarin took us down some back streets to a locals kebab place (on skewers rather than their grease post pub cousins). We enjoyed a couple of beers here and then met Anil, another friend of Henry's and Rodger left back to the hostel for us to go to the gig.

Boy was the place underground. 

From the outside it was just a door painted the same colour red as the walls around it. more of a hatch in the wall than a door really. But after we stepped inside it opened out into a big bar and dance floor, not dissimilar to the waterfront or a glamorous version of Concorde 2. 

We had a dance, or as I believe the kids call it 'raving' to the RnB DJ's, headlined by DJ's Fresh who pumped out some quality remixes. I was cutting shapes like nobodies business, proving that the language of dance is universal; and I don't speak it.

 I also met a couple of Brits who had moved over from Brighton and a Chinese guy who lived by the big Tesco in hove last year. Small world! 

Eventful airport

 Not even out of the UK and already stupid stuff is happening! 

After checking my Bag in some middle aged Indian lady comes up to Mum and I saying she has a spare bag she can't fit in her hand luggage. She asked us to roll it up and take it on with me.

Now I maybe wrong... But, I'm pretty sure taking weirdos shit in your bag is a fast track ticket to an anal cavity search. 

So obviously I took it...

Kidding, we said no, but then Mum got a real sense of duty (about 20 minuets after the event!) so we went hunting around trying to find security to tell. But no one seemed to care!

This was either incredibly worryingly slack security or I recon the lady worked for the airport and was trying to catch people out.

Eventually it was time to go. I walked to security, started saying good bye to Mum, no dramas. Then Dad phoned... As soon as I heard that buggers voice I welled up. I will miss them so much. 17months, who's stupid idea was that!

In other news I had a drink with a nice couple on their way to the canaries and was 13 minuets short of missing my flight from Dubai to Beijing as I was sleep on the floor in the corridor! Just scraped in on last call! Oops! Who'd have thought taking your sock and using it as a eye mask would be so effective when sleeping on a marble floor!

Starting off with a bang!

 The last words my mother said to me where "be safe"

The first thing I did was get hit by a moped.

It was a green man so I strode out into the road, this dickhead just drove into me at full pelt! 

To add insult, as I was dusting myself off and my new friend Stephanie was checking to see if I was ok he shouted at me like it was my fault!

Apart from that I had a great day, I visited the temple of heaven and the forbidden kingdom so by the end of the day I was all templed out! Very pretty though. 

While Stephanie inspected the sights I spent a lot of time playing a little game... Photograph the umbrella hats!

We rounded off by going to a Chinese restaurant, were I showed off my non-existent chop stick skills and dropped a noodle soaking everyone around with orange sauce.   

Amy's Visit

For my last four days in England my friend Amy, who I met in Florence and Nice came to visit.

We had a great time, on the Sunday Makoto, Amy and I cycled around hove and along the seafront. I put my new found skill into use and managed to regurgitate an outstanding amount of facts during our 'tour' of Brighton and Hove. Facts came from tree information, the Victorian history of Brighton and of course the Devil's Dyke!

We then continued along the coast to the pier, here we got caught out in the rain. So we took shelter eating chips in the sea life centre doorway!

After the worst of the rain we continued along the coast and up onto the cliffs of Telescome, Peacehaven and past Newhaven to Seaford. We somehow managed to out run the storm all day and had a good vantage point to see the lightning striking Brighton.

Makoto really made the day though, such a great lad and so smart! At one point He explained how birds conserve energy when flying by gliding. Although he struggled with the hills he kept on pushing and with only a bit of moaning he entertained us all day.

We had a picnic on a secret beach under the cliffs and a couple of beers on the cliff top. Before heading back on the train while discussing our all-star Zombie teams. I went for: Ray Mears, Jess Ennis, Frank Turner, Rocky Balboa and Jon Richardson. 

The next day Amy and I went around the city in the daytime and out in town with Mum and Dad for a few beers. Andy came and met us too which was awesome. I was really upset I couldn't get Abbie, Cookie and Lucy out too but I got to see them yesterday. The night was fantastic though, one of my best nights out. We smashed the itbox and got to watch a great singer in the fiddlers elbow before heading onto coalition to bust some moves. I think we added significantly to the average age but hey ho, I think I'm hip enough to fit in with the youngsters!

On Tuesday we went to a pub quiz at the Good Companions, Seven Dials. The company was fantastic and it was awesome to catch up with all the guys from school, even if Fish couldn't fly a paper airplane!

Wednesday Mum joined Amy and I for a stroll along the beach and treated us to fish and chips before a trip up the Dyke to round off a lovely last few days in England.