Our big trip
A few thoughts and photos from our travels
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Day 67 – The Giants of Sichuan
1st November: Chengdu, China For the first time in what seems like weeks, I had an even temperature night! No fever, sweating, shivering. I was just comfortable. We headed off early again to the train station as we’re keen to get our major sightseeing done here in Chengdu before the weekend. It was very hazy…
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Day 66 – Pandas!
31st October: Chengdu, China We got up super early today for another one of those ‘must do’ sights. It was still dark when we hopped in a taxi to head to the northern outskirts and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. We’d pre-booked on the WeChat mini app, just used our passports as…
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Day 65 – The north/south divide
30th October: Xi’An, China to Chengdu, China For the final time on this trip, we leave behind the silk road. I’m still (!) not too well, although slept a bit better aside from being woken up by a mosquito in my ear. Predictably, my ear and cheek have now swollen up! The Antonio Conte ‘just…
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Day 64 – The alleys at the end of the Silk Road
29th October: Xi’An, China I’m still not well, so still not a huge amount to report. Happily, Kaja is fine, although she’s enjoying not having to do much either. We did get out in the afternoon for a walk. I’m still very disoriented here, so followed Kaja’s lead. We were going to go to the…
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Day 63 – Terracotta Warriors
28th October: Xi’An, China Another rough night of fever and excruciating stomach cramps. I woke repeatedly shivering but sweated through my pyjamas and right through the duvet. We’d booked tickets in advance to go to the Terracotta Warriors today and I dragged myself out of bed for the journey there. The two metros and bus…
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Day 62 – Across the loess plateau
27th October: Pingyao, China to Xi’An, China I was ill overnight again, so this will likely be shorter than usual. I’ve still got a fever and was awake having wind hallucinations and dealing with a bad stomach, yet again. I’m also very numb and neurologically fatigued to the point I keep tripping up and dropping…
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Day 61 – Black Myth: Wukong
26th October: Pingyao, China It was another fine autumn day in southern Shanxi. On our walk out of the old city, there was a bit more construction traffic on the roads. Remarkably, the lorries and even cement trucks have just one wheel at the front, which looks more than a little unsteady. Also, when they…
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Day 60 – Ancient Pingyao
25th October: Pingyao, China Fireworks woke us, which seems to be a regular occurrence recently! The air was a little hazy and it was cold in our room. I’d looked up the weather for two wrong Pingyaos and still couldn’t figure out the correct one, so we prepared for it to be chilly. It wasn’t!…
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Day 59 – The landscapes of Shanxi
24th October: Datong, China to Pingyao, China Kaja had figured out the bus we needed which left from just outside the accommodation, and we finally had some (small note) cash to pay. The one-hour journey to the end of the line at the train station and its transport hub cost us 20p each. Despite its…
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Day 58 – Parks and the post office
23rd October: Datong, China We’re both not well, so chilled admin is in order today. We were going to go to the Hanging Temple but this would’ve meant a very early start again and most of the day either on buses or in a cold valley. We’re looking after ourselves instead and getting on top…