China - The Quaint Town of Pingyao

After our second back to back night train in a row we pulled into the ancient town of Pingyao at 06:06am. 

Yawning and bleary-eyed we were met by the driver from our great little courtyard guesthouse, which offered a free pick up from the station (located just outside the north gate of the old city). We checked in and took the opportunity to have a few more hours kip so we'd be ready for touring the sights of Pingyao on foot.

Pingyao

China - Datong and the Yungang Grottos

On our way to Pingyao from Beijing, we decided to make a stop at Datong to go and see the Yungang Grottoes and hopefully the hanging monastery.  Sadly, we discovered the monastery is being repainted, sorry I mean restored, so we could only really go to the grottos. But in any case it we would have been pushing it for time and the monastery is a good couple of hours out of town.

The Yungang Grottos

China - The Great Wall

The great wall - probably at the top of the list for most people when visiting China - and deservedly so. It was up there on Julia's hit list too, and so we actually ended up walking the wall twice! Well...when in China!

A never ending view

China - Exploring the city of Beijing

Beijing is a must see place in China and on anyone's list of must sees around the world. The city is packed with amazing sights, and we felt gave us the chance to see the real China (whatever real China is nowadays). We both really enjoyed Beijing, and given it was Chris' third visit in 10 years, that's saying something.

Beijing

China - Shanghai - The modern China

Shanghai is the modern China... or more to the point, how China wants to be known. With over 24 million people and an endless sprawl of concrete and glass, this is the city that most typifies how China has developed in the last few decades and is the most westernised. So does Shanghai really represent the real China?

Shanghai... welcome to China... or is it?

Japan - Mt Yoshino - a mountain of blossom

Mt Yoshino is known for Sakura - and so as we were in the area (about 2 hours away) and it was peak blooms, we thought it would be a super idea to see it for ourselves.

Surrounded my sakura on Mt Yoshino