CHINA TRAVELS in 1870: John Thomson was a Scottish photographer who travelled through China. He was one of the first photographers to travel to the Far East, documenting the people, landscapes and artefacts of eastern cultures. I visit Heriot-Watt University near Edinburgh to see prints from his glass plates. This is the nearest I will ever get to time travel.
SHANGHAI MAGLEV: I was so looking forward to this ride from Shanghai to PuDong airport, but it wasn't up to expectations. Come and explore a beautiful temple, government memorial cemetery and witness the absolutely crazy crowds at the Bund. I have never seen crowds like this before. Despite not hitting full speed, the Maglev had been on my rail bucket list for years.
SHANGHAI: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - This was my first full day in Shanghai, and as soon as I arrive at the Bund, I am requested by strangers for photographs. At first I thought they may have been happy subscribers (not), but I think it's a quirky Chinese thing as they don't usually have the opportunity to approach a single Westerner. Tourists tend to be in pairs or groups, and so are less approachable. The YuYuan Gardens and Bazaar is a totally bizarre bazaar.
HIGH SPEED TRAIN: Beijing to Shanghai: Enjoy an amazing ride at 350 kmh. I try a shake test on board with a water bottle and a 2 Euro coin. I also travel along the world's longest bridge, the Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge. The bridge, which opened in June 2011, spans an incredible 102.4 miles /165km.
GREAT WALL OF CHINA: i could have joined a full day or half day tour to the wall, but where's the challenge in that? By using the Metro and a suburban train, I managed to access the closest point in which the Great Wall of China passes Beijing. I did it like the locals do, and experienced the crowds like the locals do. Online guides say don't go to Badaling because it's too busy, so I was curious to see exactly how busy Badaling was. I found out.
NANNING TO HANOI: This overnight rail journey was the crossing I was most worried about, having read some scary reports online. One report even mentioned single, male travellers being taken aside for a rather intimate check. After one last look around Nanning, I boarded the Chinese train across the China-Vietnam border to Hanoi. I end up at a very quiet station 5km from the city centre.
HIGH SPEED TRAIN: Shanghai to Nanning. This high-speed train ride, gliding across southern China at 300kmh, travels for an incredible 11 hours, and offered with amazing sunset scenery near Guilin. Being a lover of Chinese food, I was looking forward to the onboard catering, and I wasn't disappointed.
BEIJING: Looking for Scammers. It's a very busy day at Beijing's Forbidden City. This is a prime location for female scammers to approach single, male, foreign visitors. Last year they tried their charm (and scam) on me unsuccessfully, so I thought I would try again this year, but record the fun.
BEIJING: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Beijing Metro, modern architecture and food! A full day in Beijing saw me tackle long lines to access the Beijing metro and to pass through security at Tiananmen Square. After a visit to the Forbidden City perimeter, I witness some of the city's amazing modern architecture, finished by a superb meal.
BEIJING: First Impressions, collecting Chinese bullet rail tickets and delicious Chinese food. I arrived into Beijing late afternoon, but my top priority was to collect some Chinese rail tickets from the chaotic, but manageble, Beijing main station. I also couldn't wait to try some absolutely delicious Chinese food - and wasn't disappointed.
END-TO-END PART 11: Ulaan Baatar to Beijing This was one of the most amazing train journeys I have ever done. Firstly, the landscape became drier and drier as we passed through the eastern portion of the Gobi desert. We then had the excitement of a night time border crossing and the following morning, once in China, our train followed the narrow Yongding River gorge for miles. This was by far the most scenic leg of the journey so far.
END-TO-END PART 12: Beijing-Shanghai This was the fastest part of the journey, cruising at 350kmh with very little vibration. This line is an amazing Chinese engineering achievement and a sheer joy to experience. Shanghai was a vibrant, energetic city, and I would love to return one day. Some of this footage appeared on my daily vlog at the time.
END-TO-END PART 13: Shanghai-Nanning This journey was also a high speed train, but not as 'high speed' as the one between Beijing and Shanghai. This service had many intermediate stops, so could be described as a slow high-speed train. The scenery around Guilin was superb. The limestone hills with the sun setting behind them is a memory that will last for ever. Truely remarkable. Some of this footage appeared on my daily vlog at the time.
END-TO-END PART 14: Nanning-Hanoi It is said that people make a train journey more fun, and that was very true of this leg. After meeting the wonderful Shen at Nanning Station, I shared a compartment with two slightly crazy girls who travelled everywhere together. "We have been all over China" said one. The cross-border train into Vietnam would be their first every international journey, so they were a little apprehensive. Some of this footage appeared on my daily vlog at the time.
NANNING SNACK STREET! After trying unsuccessfully to visit some mseums, I walk to Nanning Zhongshan Snack Street. This is a food lover's idea of heaven. I bought spicy pork skewered strips, various fruits including the notoriously smelly durian, crickets and also a scorpion. An absolutely superb night.
NANNING: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - I was told in Shanghai by a Chinese woman there was nothing to see in Nanning. Was this true? I found it a fascinating city, and many people found me fascinating. I was the subject of staring and the occasional 'stealth' photograph. I made a Chinese friend and neither of us could speak the other person's language.