Yangshuo - Karst peaks and Cormorant Fishing!

Nestled amongst the stunning karst peaks, Yangshuo was a farming village until the early nineties. Tourism took hold and now it is a bustling must-see destination for backpackers and native Chinese alike.

The karaoke bars and neon lights look out of place in the tranquil environment but doesn't spoil it's natural beauty. There was something special about sharing a beer with fellow backpackers on the roof top bar of our hostel, the mountains tall and imposing and the rivers winding and glistening. 

The benefit of having a large tourist industry was that we were able to experience some beautiful and breathtaking things. On our first afternoon we got to ride through the country side to the Li river - the life vein for this community. We then sailed down the river on the bamboo rafts we were stunned into silence by the spectacular and peaceful scenery.

In the evening we got to see how the locals use this river to their advantage and in everyday life. We went out on a bamboo raft and followed a local fisherman who was using his cormorants to catch fish (exactly like on the HSBC advert). This is one of the things that has enticed us to china in the first place! "Real China". Getting to hold the majestic bird afterwards was a bonus!  

On our third day we booked ourselves in for a Chinese cookery lesson with the rest of our group. This included a trip to the local market. For the next part of our post we both wanted to give our own opinion rather than together, as they differ quite a lot! 

Steffie's View - 

First we went to see the meat market and vegetable market - everyone was excited! Little did we know what was to come next! 

The vegetable market was interesting and had lots of fruit and veg that was the same as ours but also a few different items. It also had a few bowls full of live crayfish, snails, eels and even frogs which I thought was cruel enough. Then into the meat market - I thought I would be fine with it and didn't expect to see much other than a few hanging chickens and maybe some sausages or ribs etc... The sight that I saw brought tears to my eyes. Live geese, chickens, even bunnies - 10 to a small metal cage. Instantly my heart went out to them. I wanted to pick all the bunnies up and save them. 

The worst bit was as we turned around the corner. Lying on the floor was a dead de-furred dog. Half of it insides were hanging out as the Chinese man was slinging it across to the back of the room (someone had obviously picked this poor dog for dinner!) His troubles were far from over though. The fluffy, cute dog in the cage next to him look as though he was terrified and clearly knew what was about to happen. He was next!

The worst sight of all was 12 beautiful kittens all crammed into a very small cage. Each one in turn looked up at me, pleading to be saved. This is what tipped me over the edge and I had to leave. 

I found it so hard to see these kittens, that we would treat as companions and snuggle up at home with, being chosen for dinner. 

Now, I understand that people have to eat and that it has become de-sensitised in the UK (we just pop into our local supermarket and grab a packet of clean chicken breast) but seeing all of the animals in cages and the way that they were being treated really affected me. This really made me realise how different our two cultures are, and how I had thought so differently about China. 

I had thought that a country that was such a super power and that was developing so quickly, that it could only be a myth that they actually ate cat and dog on a regular basis- after all this is the 21st century! I was extremely disturbed when I found out the truth  It put a massive cloud over my whole day and I found it hard to lift my mood. It even had me contemplating becoming a veggie! 

All in all I won't let it ruin my trip to china, but it has given me a lot to think about in a lot of different areas and especially morals! 

Ollie's View

Seeing the meat market in China was the first time since I left England that I realised I very far from home. 

Everyone jokes about Chinese people eating cats and dogs and even as we passed a stall selling uncooked dog meat, everyone was still happy snapping away on their cameras and joking about who was going try it first! That feeling soon disappeared! 

I had come to terms a long time ago that not all that I will see on my travels will be pleasant and that I needed to have respect and understanding for cultures that are very dis-similar to ours.

Even though I was shocked and saddened to see the animals like this, I fully understood that in terms of food there is no difference between cows, pigs, cats and dogs. Just because we see cats and dogs as pets, should we pass judgement on other people that see them as food?!

Slaughter houses and meat markets on a whole aren't very nice places and in general the western populations having been de-sensitised to where food comes from. Chicken breast is a prime example of how people assume that their meat comes from packets and not from living, breathing animals.

We purposely deleted all of the photos that we took at the meat market of the animals because we both deemed it distasteful and upsetting. 

However this didn't ruin our cooking experience and we enjoyed cooking authentic Chinese cuisine immensely - look out for some new dishes when I'm back! 

Our last day in Yangshuo was a lot happier as we set off early to do some kayaking down the Li river and see some more beautiful sights. We had lunch at a lovely local rice clay-pot restaurant and had a wander round the market stalls and shops.

That evening 6 of us decided to go an try traditional "hot cupping" to relieve aches, pains and toxins! It was such an intriguing experience - a bit painful but also quite relaxing! Afterwards you are left with massive purple circles all over your back - the toxins coming out! To finish the day off we had an hour long foot massage! Pure heaven! We are now all ready to see the panda's!! 

Hong Kong - the city that is a mental as everyone imagines!

Starting our "Dragon Tour" in Hong Kong seemed like the easiest thing in the world! And to tell you the truth it was! The airport was very efficient and the bus we took from the airport (the A11) dropped us straight opposite our hostel - "The YessInn at Causeway Bay". 

The bus journey from the airport is not only the cheapest and quickest journey but also the most breathtaking. We sat at the top, right at the front so as to see everything! And did we! The numerous, giant skyscrapers don't just dot the landscape, they entirely cover them. Teamed with the stunning mountains that look like they're from Jurassic Park it is a sight that you won't see anywhere else in the world and definitely won't forget in a hurry! 

When travelling over the bridges, you can see far out into the harbours, with all the cargo docks and freight ships - another sight that is strangely beautiful in the modern world. The bridges themselves are not only a work of art but amazing technicality - one of them being the longest "wire" bridge in Asia.

Downtown Hong Kong is an entirely different scene! All of your senses being assaulted at once - smells that are good and bad, sounds that are loud and above all thousands of people and traffic barging through (neither stop for anything).

Hiking up Victoria Peak on out first morning was a massive effort for both of us (as you all know neither of us a particularly fit!) but despite the physical torment we enjoyed it a lot. The view at the top was stunning - seeing the bay with all the skyscrapers was a sight not to be missed! 

To finish the day off and to get to our next destination "Yangshuo", we hopped aboard the night bus. Which was by far the strangest and funniest mode of transport we've been on yet! From the outside it looks like a normal coach, inside there is 30 "Chinese sized" beds - 15 on the bottom and 15 on top all equipped with questionable pillows, duvets and a seatbelt (which is 100% necessary due to the bad driving!) The whole time I was thinking that this was exactly how I imagined the Knight Bus to be in Harry Potter!! I slept like a log for 9 hours but Ollie found it a bit unnerving and was glad to arrive at 6am the next morning.....Hello Yangshuo!!

Mongolia - The land of warriors and nomads

Mongolia is the up and coming country in the Far East. Being heavily controlled for years by the super powers of Russia and China, it is now finding it's own identity. 

Steeped in culture and history, this country that once controlled most of the world, now focuses on celebrating it's nomadic culture. This age old travelling tradition is a life choice practised by families for centuries.

Travelling from the airport you can easily see the mass development in the city of Ulan Bator. Huge skyscrapers dot the skyline and all of the household consumer brand names are slowly emerging. An hour or so outside of the city it is a very different setting, the beautiful but desolate mountains fill the landscape. 

We stayed at a ger camp in a national park, where families have lived in peace for generations. We were greeted with a generous breakfast of traditional Mongolian food; bread, meats, cheeses and jams, exactly the right way to start an active day in the Mongolian mountains. 

The absolute highlight of our stay at the ger camp was riding wild horses through the valleys. All of the horses respond to their herder via whistles and songs. With one high pitched command he can get them to walk, trot, canter and stop. All a bit nerve wracking when you're sat on one! We rode to Turtle Rock and back to the camp, this was 3 amazing hours of being at one with nature and taking in spectacular surroundings! 

Mongolians are simple and friendly beings. We experienced this first hand when we visited a Mongolian lady in her ger. She was very happy, welcoming and a brilliant host. She had prepared an array of milk tea, different cheeses and Mongolian donuts, which we accepted gratefully. Before we left we gave her some small gifts in appreciation for her hospitality - another Mongolian tradition.

We spent the rest of the afternoon trying on traditional Mongolian clothing and hiking up the massive mountain behind our camp. The view of all the mountains, valleys and other ger camps was so amazing - very green and breath taking. It was a different story the next morning, as the snow had started to come and the mountains were snow-capped and even more stunning! 

The hospitality we received at our ger camp was homely and comforting and we enjoyed every minute. And seeing the night sky with zero light pollution will be something we will never forget.

Another highlight of our stay in Mongolia was the traditional culture show. There were dancers, singers and even a contortionist, which gave us another insight into more of the rich Mongolian arts culture. 

The nomad way of life is simple yet gives you everything that you need. Due to the lack of tourism in Mongolia we have been treated to the true and honest way of their life. 

We strongly advise adding Mongolia onto your travel list, making sure you stay in a traditional ger, but also to see Ulan Bator too. For us it has been our favourite country so far and will be hard to beat thanks to the friendly people, stunning scenery and rich culture. "Welcome to happy country!" Just as our honcho said! 

Aboard the "Trans Mongolian Train" Moscow- Irkustk

What can we say?!? It is a once in a lifetime experience! Sleeping, eating, drinking (mainly vodka), talking, braiding hair, nail painting, playing cards or silly word games, talking to the local Chinese (not the Russians - they are very grumpy!) and attempting to learn other languages are all common occurrences on the train - these make up for the disgusting toilets and not being able to wash! 

This journey is definitely not for the feint hearted! It is hard being in a 5x7 cabin with 2 other people for 86 hours straight. Our biggest advice is to make friends - and lots of them! To us, this was our saving grace! All 18 of our group are lovely and come from such diverse backgrounds that you couldn't possibly get bored! From South Africa, to Sweden, to Australia, to Iceland and obviously to the good old Brits - we have a majorly diverse group. Everyone talks all the time and shares food, you can go in and out of each other's cabins which all makes the journey more enjoyable. 

Generally life on the train isn't as bad as we thought (apart from being a bit stinky and eating a lot of cup a soups) - the time tends to slip by in hours rather than minutes. 

One last bit of advice - stock up on food - things like packet mash, soups, noodles and even tinned food, as food on the train is quite expensive and very limited! Also don't forget to bring the loo roll!!! 

Being off the train after 86 hours is probably the best feeling - also having a shower for the first time since Tuesday! We are currently at Lake Baikal, staying in a lovely little log cabin on a hillside with a good view of the lake. As we arrived it started snowing - the first snow of the year and it is freeeeeezing!! Again not for the feint hearted! Now for a good sleep and a cuddle :) 

Next stop Mongolia..... Yaks and Gers all to come next!! 

The view from our "log cabin" at Lake Baikal.

Moscow

Our hostel is welcoming and very green, everyone is friendly and smiles instantly when you see them! One new friend we made (Meg) saved us from going hungry on our first night. She saw that we were starving and that it was too late to buy anything, so just gave us some bread and crisps! It's acts of kindness like this that you don't often see in every day life at home, but are very common in hostels and when travelling, we have come to find this even over the last week. 

We had the view that we would fly over the city and only see rows of factories, with there massive chimney's bellowing out huge plumes of smoke and when we landed we would be greeted by a burly woman pulling a plough for mother Russia. This is not what we saw. Moscow is colourful and vibrant city and could easily match any of the other main European countries in culture, fashion and history. The city itself has to be one of the safest cities we have been to, the police presence is a welcome sight to the tourist, but not to the locals. 

The one bad thing about going to a non-touristy country is that the tourist trap industry - yes the thing that everyone hates the most but is actually very helpful - isn't present here. Firstly, everything is written in Russian! So trying to work out the difference between a pharmacy, supermarket or a strip club is very hard. Secondly, if you haven't done your homework (which we hadn't) on what and where things are, then it's nearly impossible to find them - you can't follow the canopy covered rip off restaurants that plague our historic monuments all over the tourist world.  Here in Russia there isn't any, which makes taking photos amazing, but finding out what they are, very difficult! 

Next stop, all aboard the Trans Mongolian Train!!

Us at "St Basil's Cathedral" :)