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Well, it seems as though people like peanut butter and budgie stories so that's all good :)
I am currently in Xian, and this is the first step of my trip all on my lonesome as Laura and I have parted ways. It feels a bit like I'm setting off all over again as Laura and I had got used to going everywhere together, even if we normally wandered off by ourselves when we got to places. Though my bid for freedom hasn't worked just yet - I went to the train station last night with a girl I met at the hostel in Beijing and when I got off the train I bumped into Pat who we met on the way to Mongolia. And the one thing I did do on my own - getting on the train - almost met with disaster when I went in the wrong compartment, just as I was feeling all cocky and that sleeper trains were old hat. Being on the Trans-Siberian trains has however made me appreciate things more though, I got increasingly excited at discoveries such as tvs, toilet roll, a separate washroom and even slippers - luxury!
Xian seems like quite a cool place, although I'm getting quite bored of going to cities because they're essentially all the same. I'm also trying to minimise sightseeing because I don't think that's what travelling is about really, I want to experience the cultures I visit as they are now and not what some emperor did 500 years ago. Of course I am interested in that a little bit, but I'm trying to get a balance between doing nothing and spending all my time visiting temples and museums. I don't do that at home so why am I doing it here? I'm also trying to "make the most of it" as much as possible, which I translate to having to see as much of a place as I can so I spend so long wandering round I get tired. I'm a bit like the other bunny in the duracell advert - I charge off merrily for a couple of hours and then I konk out. I need to get the hang of resting and relaxing I think and feeling that it's ok. I think that's why I like the trains as it gives me an excuse to do nothing.
While I was in Beijing, as well as a lot of walking around without really getting anywhere, Laura and I went to the Great Wall. Which really was a great wall. It was so steep and crazily up and down and winding. You had to haul yourself up the uphill parts and really try not to fall down the downhill parts. It was very hard going and even though we're both quite fit we had to stop and rest a lot. One point we were sat down trying to get our breath back and this group of Chinese men came up to us in great excitement - didn't speak any English - and proceeded to take it in turns to sit down inbetween us and have their photo taken. Laura has warned me I have a habit of encouraging animals and men by being too nice to them, and then they don't leave me alone. A lesson I will try and remember for the rest of my travels! Anyway, the wall really was spectacular and the scenery was fantastic. I can't believe people used it as a road at one point, it took us 2 hours to walk about a kilometer I think. I have lots of photos. Unfortunately I have to press a button before I plug my camera in and I cannot remember for the life of me what I need to do, so photo upload may take a while!
Oh and I went to a Kung Fu show in Beijing. It wasn't Wing Chun unfortunately, it was more Shaolin Monk style if anything, though it was more of a play/acrobatic stunt show aimed at tourists. However there were lots of attractive men running around with no tops on for an hour or so so I'm definately not complaining!
My extent at celebrating Christmas was a night at a local bar. There was a singer with a guitar who was pretty good but refused to play any Christmas songs. So the English people (spearheaded by Laura) decided to perform the 12 Days of Christmas to the whole bar. It went very well until we got to 8 Maids a Milking and then it all went a bit Pete Tong as there was a lengthy argument over how many drummers were drumming. Still, I'm sure we entertained everybody.
I'm looking forward to my next stop (Kunming - which is in Yunnan where "the place to go" is Jess, though I only just realised it was the same place - doh!) because it will be warm! I have had enough of the cold I think. It is getting warmer though, and we felt quite smug in Beijing every time somebody commented on the cold as we could say "Well I was in Mongolia last week, and it was minus twenty, nur nur". But Kunming will be in the (plus) twenties I think - hurrah! Which also means I can get rid of my ski jacket and assorted cold weather gear and wear more normal clothes.
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