After almost three weeks immersing ourselves in ‘the Chinese way’, here’s the first (of my two-part) light-hearted look at our experiences. Part 2 is tomorrow. The People With a population of around 1.4 billion, in the big cities it certainly felt like it. In the more rural locations, however, you’d never know! Families used to …
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Category:Holiday
Holiday – China (Day 18): Scrutiny On The Buses
Our penultimate day in Hong Kong – and the holiday! Gosh, it feels like we’ve been out here forever! After my recent episode – On the Buses – we’ve now scrutinised our Big Bus sightseeing tour from yesterday, and whilst we didn’t cover everything we planned, we did pretty well! 😁 I therefore feel a …
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Holiday – China (Day 17): Hong Kong – On the Buses
Well, hello there my Reader, thanks for stopping-by. It’s Day 2 for us in Hong Kong – day 17 of our 19-day adventure in China. 😁 We’re sight-seeing today by Bus today taking in the sights of Hong Kong, courtesy of the Big Bus Tour. We’re attempting to cover as many of their routes as …
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Holiday – China (Day 16): Hello Hong Kong!
Evening all! We’re now on the final leg of our Chinese adventure – we’re in Hong Kong! 🙂 We landed around 4.30 local time (09.30 KMT) and headed for our home for the next four days – The Kerry Hotel. Ralph and Karen are here in HK for the first time, whilst it’s the fourth …
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Holiday – China (Day 15): Shanghai Lights
Greetings reader! 👍. It’s a rare no-official-tour day today! No pagodas, no squirrels posing as fish (or vice-versa) and most of all, no mad Chinese motorists to worry about! 😉 Today’s Post, therefore, is about just one thing – the spectacular light show here in ‘The Bund‘ area of Shanghai city that wows the crowds …
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Holiday – China (Day 14): Suzhou on a Choo-Choo!
Morning! 😊(Sorry it’s late again!) Today, we’re on the train heading for Suzhou! But before all that, what could be better than meeting a new Tour Guide? …it’s meeting TWO new Tour Guides. First up, there’s Mark who’s looking after us in Shanghai, and later we were to meet Stephen, for our Tour around Suzhou. …
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Holiday – China (Day 13): Shanghai Surprise!
Afternoon all! 😎After yesterday’s temporary suspension of my blogging activity (I blame me ‘OD-ing’ on pagaodas!) I’m back; and since you last looked, we’ve moved to the right, and up a bit – travelling north-east to Shanghai, city of finance. Getting there though, meant a scarily-early alarm call! I think we’re competing with our friends …
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Holiday – China (Day 12): Lazy Day on the Li
This is the Post I should have written on Friday (the 18th), but it was such a full-on day, I ran out of time! 🙄 A super-early breakfast at 7am today and we’re thankfully, checking-out of this very disappointing Sheraton. A tired hotel, desparately in need of a makeover with a complete lack of organisation …
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Holiday – China (Day 11): Sightseeing in Guilin
Morning all! It was breakfast at 8am this morning, in preparation for Jeremy, our Guide, and his half-day walking-tour of Guilin at 9! Techy note: Connectivity here in our room in Guilin is a nightmare, with even the VPNs refusing to connect. Worst of all, it’s random. 😮😮 Although the weather doesn’t look too promising, …
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Holiday – China (Day 10): Guilin for Guinness!
We checked-out of the Hilton Hotel in Xi’an this morning. Next stop is Guilin – a two-hour flight courtesy of China Southern Airlines. We said goodbye to Nina (our Guide) and Mr Su (our Driver) and headed for check-in. After a delayed take-off, we arrived in Guilin at around 1.45pm. We were now 874 miles …
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Holiday – China (Day 9): Sightseeing in Xian
Morning all! Another day, another Temple! Pagoda Mad Chinese motorist sight-seeing opportunity! 😁. Here we are in Xian (or more correctly, Xi’an) cultural capital of China. Xi’an has a population of 9 million (and most of those seem to be on the road (or IN the road, trying to cross) at any one moment in …
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Holiday – China (Day 8): Tour of Ancient Pingyao City
Evening all! We have just a single day here in Pingyao, so we’re making the most of it with a walking tour of the ancient city tour hosted by our Guide, Mona. Later this afternoon, we’re on the ‘bullet-train’ taking the 302 mile journey to Xi’an. Today, we welcome guest-blogger, Mrs P as I’m all …
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Holiday – China (Day 7): In Search of Temples
Morning all! It’s Sunday and I feel the need for some Temples! We have a plan!! 😁 After breakfast (at the far more reasonable hour of 7.30) we checked-out and met Mona and Mr G in Reception. It’s cold today (although I didn’t really notice – but that’s normal!). The locals are all dressed-up in …
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Holiday – China (Day 6): A Date with Datong (Eventually!)
It’s Saturday! No chance of a lie-in though as we were all up at the ridiculous hour of 3am! 😮Why? We needed to get the first flight to Datong – the CA1119 courtesy of Air China at 6.20am – what could be simpler! We met Michael and Dung in the hotel lobby and took the …
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Holiday – China (Day 5): Summer and a Nest!
Out and about in Beijing again! It’s our final day here as tomorrow, we take the short internal flight at ‘silly-o’clock’ to Datong – the next leg of our Chinese adventure! On today’s travel plans… We’re getting into a bit of a routine now! Just like yesterday, we met Michael and Dong Dung (Ooops! I …
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Holiday – China (Day 4): Wonder Wall
Morning Reader! 👍 It’s Thursday and whilst we’re here in China, we just had to visit The Great Wall! (or at least, part of it!) We met our guide, Michael, and our driver, Dong, in the Lobby for 8.30am and headed north from the Hotel. It would have been a two-hour drive to this iconic …
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Holiday – China (Day 3): Imperial China
We’re in full tourist mode today! So it was up at 6.15, breakfast at 7 and meet our tour-guide Michael, at 8, in the hotel-lobby! 👍 On today’s itinerary… Tiananmen Square Monument to the People’s Heroes Tiananmen Gate Mao’s Mausoleum Great Hall of the People The Forbidden City Tea tasting session! Beer tasting session …although …
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Holiday – China (Day 2): Arrival in Beijing
We’ve landed! It’s Tuesday morning here in Beijing! ..and the weather is just perfect for a gentle stroll… And when I say ‘gentle stroll’, I mean an accompanied two-hour walking tour of Beijing’s local neighbourhood – the ‘old town’. It was delightful! We checked in to the Hotel around 2pm and were soon unpacking! As …
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Holiday – China (Day 2): Extra
An extra Post showing-off some of the architecture in our first hotel – The Grand Millennium Hotel, Beijing. Boy, they certainly know how to impress! Click on any of the miniatures for a larger view! Wow! Steve PalmerI got into blogging quite late in life, not publishing my first post until 2004 – well into …
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Holiday – China (Day 1): Travel Day
We’re off! From home, we took the train (1 hour) into St Pancras International and then the tube to Heathrow T5 (65 minutes and 25 stops!). It was all a bit of a challenge with four suitcases, two carry-on bags, two handbags, a back-pack and a laptop case – but at least they saw us …
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The Great (Fire)Wall of China!
It’s our big holiday-of-the year soon – to China – with our long-time travel companions, Ralph and Karen. But this trip is going to be a little different from our previous adventures together in terms of how we keep you up to date. Why? In China, most western-based social media activity is completely blocked or …
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Holiday: Return from Oz – Day 18 (of 18): By the Numbers
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 17 (of 18): Jakarta – In Search of the Man in Yellow!
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 16 (of 18): Moist from Mornington!
WEDNESDAY the 6th March. Morning loyal Readers! Something strange in the air overnight! 🌧️🌧️ Rain! And severe bucket-loads of it too! When it falls here, it does it big-style, and it’s the first we’ve seen (and felt) since we arrived! Mind you, the area needs it… Droughtier than Danny Drier from Droughtsville! ☔ 8.15am: Our …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 15 (of 18): More of Mornington!
TUESDAY the 5th. Greetings Galahs! 😀 “What’s that Skip? The last full day of sight-seeing in Oz?” Yes, our last full day here today before we fly home Thursday afternoon. Melbourne ✈ Jakarta ✈ Schipol ✈ London then finally, Kettering. So, after our delightful, but brief, visit to Dromana last night, we’re making the most …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 14 (of 18): Meandering in Mornington
MONDAY the 4th March Morning Bushwhackers! 7.30am: Another good night’s sleep – that’s two in a row! 👍 A fair part of today is taken up with travel. We’re flying to Melbourne and then hiring a car, driving south-east to a settlement called Red Hill (population c924 + 2!). It’s in an area called The …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 13 (of 18): Sightseeing in Canberra
SUNDAY the 3rd March. Evening Emus! (sorry, I’m running out of animal-names – it is Day 13!). A day of sight-seeing is planned! 😉 7.00am: At last, a proper night’s sleep. I think by the time we leave Australia, I will have got my sleep pattern sorted! 9.35am: Breakfast isn’t included with our Hotel package, …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 12 (of 18): Coaching for Beginners
SATURDAY the 2nd March. 6.15am: Welcome Wombats! A better night’s sleep (thankfully) so I’m almost ready to take on the world. So far this holiday, we’ve used planes, trains and automobiles PLUS boats, taxis, hire-cars, the Metro – and our own two (four?) feet. It’s now time for something completely different, and only two options …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 11 (of 18): A Busy Day in Sydney!
FRIDAY the 1st March Morning Skippy! “What’s that Skip, another day in Paradise!?” 06.30am: Uh-oh, another bad night’s sleep! But who needs sleep anyway! Onwards and upwards (hopefully!) But Sydney waits for no-one – especially an ‘inPOMniac’ – and as it’s our final full-day here, we have people and places to see! …and stuff to …
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Holiday: Return to Oz – Day 10 (of 18): Life’s a Beach!
THURSDAY the 28th. 6.45am: Morning Beach-Bunnies! 😀😀 Ahh! a proper night’s sleep, that’s a good start to the day! Life’s a beach and then you fry… (With apologies to NAZ for butchering his lyrics) Today, we’re walking! We’re starting at Coogee Beach and walking via the purpose-built coastal walkway to Bondi Beach – more details …
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