All aboard the Vodka train...

After stocking up on snacks and booze, with our bags pack the twelve us were ready and raring for our first train journey towards inner Mongolia (still within china).

We were all pleased to be apart of the tour when we were told that we had a bus transfer to our evening train journey, relaxing into the thought that for the first time in two weeks we were no longer responsible for haggling taxis (after struggling to wave them down) and trying to purchase train tickets in the right class for an ok price! It was all done for us, we are simply along for the ride!

Slightly over two hours early we plonked ourselves in a corner and became a watch pot for the locals. Craines and I, a little enthusiastic devoured the majority of our strange alcohol that tasted slightly like over ripe pineapples. Almost like drawing sticks we made our three cabins of four, a lucky dip which was a good chance to mix the groups up.

Boarding the 10:15 pm train already a little giggly, we dominated the carriage and became quite the attraction. Our four bed dorm consisting of myself, craines, Claire from melbourne and david from northern ireland. Decorated with flags, flower crowns and a collection of flasks the four of us bonded, varying with conversations from vibrators to the rights of the indigenous people before too long we called it a night well after 2am.

With a 6am wake up, tired and tattered we reached our destination; Hohhot. Greeted by our honcho Allen we boarded another bus bus to take us to our hotel the gindi hotel. The rooms looked like something from a dirty gentlemens club, with stained rusty green carpet complete with condoms and Viagra on offer to purchase for the frisky. Meeting in the foyer after a quick shower we all decided to head to the inner Mongolian museum, accompanied by a sweet coffee from the donut shop. The highlight of the museum was a group autodance clip that we made, and a giant dinosaur bone.

Heading then to the old city, we visited a lamasery (the biggest in northern china) and learned from an atheist perspective the controversial position of the 14th Dalai lama, where it is forbidden to have photos of him within china. Walking a little further into the old town we found dusty streets lined with gems and trinkets, where David and Fabio found themselves some traditional mongolian costumes... As if twelve white tourists didn't get enough looks already!

A few of us girls tucked into some delicious Mongolian yogurt (Hohhot being the dairy capital of china ... It was only appropriate) and our first non oily abundance of pork dumplings. We then headed back to the hotel via a mosque, a shopping mall that looked like a Scene from Aladdin, and a drug store to stock up.

All a little exhausted we found ourselves at a cheap diner like restaurant, where I spent a total of 16 yuen ( about $2) for a giant meal and a crisp long neck of local beer. Taking it pretty easy today before our lengthy two night train ride into outer Mongolia (real Mongolia) a few of us have broken off to revive what seems to be another flu coming on with some strawberry oolong and throat healing tea. Next stop; Ger camp, real Mongolia!! Very excited!

Fanny x

I <3 BJ

Beijing has been the best. After arriving off the bullet train we waited in a taxi line for at least an hour, watching over one hundred taxis pass before it was our turn. (We know this because we counted them and turned it into a rhyming song.) Arriving at the 365 Inn we checked into a ten bed dorm room before sitting down to a feast and a bottle of red. It was a cool hostel, great vibe with very friendly and helpful staff. We were sharing a dorm with a diverse group of people from Ireland, Sweden, Pakistan and even a Melbournian! Beds again a plank of wood, we slept as best we could before a day of exploring. After breakfast at the hostel, we walked to Tiananmen Square. To look at it was a just a public meeting place, somewhere the Chinese go to celebrate patriotism and communism and it was full of Chinese tourists doing this. But at the same time the area was heavily patrolled by uniformed guards and a ridiculous amount of security cameras pointed in every angle, signaling the unmentioned but unforgettable atrocities committed in the past.
We then taxied to the Silk Markets, which were everything I imagined - stifling hot, packed with people and shop attendants yelling at you from every direction "Excuse me Lady, you want Louis Vutton?" We managed to haggle a few hot buys before heading back to our hostel area for the Dunch (dinner/lunch) of a Thousand Chillis. In a very authentic little restaurant playing what looked like an insane Chinese opera from the 1970s we ordered a cold mashed eggplant and garlic dish which was delicious and what we thought was shredded beef and vegetables. What arrived was a plate of whole red chillies, with a few pieces of meat thrown in. It looked so good though and without much hesitation we dug in. Within about 2.5 seconds our noses and eyes were running but we enjoyed every mouthful.
After checking the weather forecast, we booked a tour to hike up The Great Wall the following day. Our bus left at six am so we called it an early night.
Needless to say, the entire experience was incredible. Taking the advice of a fellow dormie, we rugged up; layers of singlets, shirts, jumpers, beanie hats and scarves then were bundled onto a bus with an unfulfilling McDonald's breakfast before a four hour journey to Jingsaling, one of the last parts of the original wall still intact. We didn't know what to expect but all of a sudden there it was, stretching as far as the eye could see across the horizon, just like you see in history books. Seeing it in person though is something totally different, it isn't just a wall. We caught a cable car up the mountain and began a treck along the ancient wall, a combination of rocky, disintergrated steps, rocks and gravel, some at a seventy to eighty degree angles. Towers with windows and spectacular views across the region were a welcomed reward between each set of stairs. While we didn't make it to the "Five Window Tower" we had an amazing day with incredible weather, we couldn't have hoped for better really. The layers of clothing were stripped off almost immediately and I even managed to catch a singlet tan. We caught the cable car back down the mountain for an average Chinese Banquet lunch with a group of guys we befriended on the walk, also on the our day tour. After a few well deserved beers and egg tomato we started the long trip back. We headed straight to a restaurant next door to our hostel for Peking duck . Not impressed, Eri went back for something from the hostel. Fan and I dug in though, attracting an audience from the tables of Chinese families either side of us. It was delicious and well worth the wait. We then left for the next hostel, the one booked for our Vodka Train tour. After an hour of confusion and a few tense moments we made it and went to bed.
A sleep in and a slow start to the day, we caught a few buses through the city and made our way to the Art District. Being the awesome travelers we are, we forgot it was a Monday and realized most of the galleries were closed. However an impressive collection of street art and sculptures through the area kept us entertained before we found a cafe with three for two beers and pizza. Time had got away and before we knew it we were late to the first meet and greet with our tour group. Tearing through the streets and subway stations we arrived hot sweaty messes and forty-five minutes late. Good first impression! Luckily it seems we have a great group of people. There are twelve of us, mostly australians but also some from Finland, Holland, Denmark and Northern Ireland. After the formalities we went out for dinner for another night of Peking duck, hey I wasn't complaining, this place was fancy and splitting the bill between our large table was much kinder on the wallet compared to two of us. Our honcho Alex then sent some of us off in taxis to a beautiful bar area. First we found an odd roof top bar with ger- style tents on the rook, we squeezed in and ordered a round before heading to another strip of bars on a lake call Hohide Park where we had more beers and sheesha. It didn't take long to get to know one another.
The next morning we woke to the worst rainy, windy weather we have seen yet. And it was washing day. After putting a load on we met our new friend Jane for breakfast at the hostel before heading out into the terrible weather complete with colorful ponchos enroute to the Pearl Markets. After so much difficulty trying to get a cab we jumped on the subway. While taxis are ridiculously cheap here in Beijing, no one wants to take us and I still haven't figured out why... I think the Markets were a success. Erica and I gave in and finally bought ugly windproof coats for the cold journey still ahead. Pretty tired from the activities the night before we didn't stay long and made our way back to the hostel.

That night we went to a Chinese Acrobat show. I honestly wasn't expecting much at all, but these kids blew my mind, from tight rope walkers to tap dancing jugglers and 12 girls in sequin leotards riding on one bike... It was pretty extraordinary. Best of all we enjoyed it with a few stubbies out of a vending machine. Afterwards we feasted on egg pancakes then made our way to Vicks, a nightclub across the road from Mix. If anyone hadn't come out of their shell before this night they certainly let any inhibitions go inside Vicks. For 600 yuan we could sit in a booth... Definitely not worth it when we spent most of the time setting the dance floor on fire until the early hours of the next morning.

We started our last day in Beijing feeling a little dusty, but after breakfast at the hostel, our lovely honcho Alex walked us to the post office and then directed us to the Forbidden City, where past emperors and their concubines lived a pretty lux life! The buildings and gardens were elaborate with detail. There were also household items on display like your regular gold tea cup encrusted with tiny pearls or a solid gold bejeweled ear pick...? The visit was really topped off though when we discovered a new flower crown to add to the growing collection of head wearw. We made it back in time to check out the night food markets with the rest of the group. It was a vibrant display of anything you can imagine skewered on a stick. Starfish, dog, snake, sheep penis or testicles. But also some delicious options from the deep fryer like ice cream and banana. We then stocked up on food and Chinese "fire water" from a local supermarket for our first official night on the Vodka Train. I'm so excited, everyone in the group is heaps of fun and all very different and interesting in their own way.
I'm going to hand it over to Fanny now, it's taken me three days to write and upload this much already!
Craines xoxo

One night in shanghai

After rising from a much needed slumber, we packed out our bags... Feeling heavier everyday.
We searched Xi an for a sustaining breakfast only to find a bakery, bread it is! A quick shop in Zara left us feeling relatively human again.
Catching the 603 bus into the train station was like we were touring on a sideshow. Sneaky unsubtle photos were being taken of us left right and centre, you name it. Our personal favorite is the old' " I'll stand here and you pretend I'm taking a picture of me but swing the camera to the left and get those three blondes in".
The train station was like a swarm of people, not exactly broadmeadow station. We were almost afraid to touch anything, the common disregard to the " no spitting" sign prominently placed on the centre of the plaza confirmed this.
we made our way into the crowds and found a place to sit, still a spectacle we were slightly comforted when a group of middle aged German tourists sat beside us.
The train compartments were made up of two bunk beds with a table separating the two. Narrow enough that it was difficult to fit our packs through the door. Because we had booked so late we found ourselves split up with Chloe sharing the cabin next door with two young geeky Chinese men, and one that would later prove to have "severe respiratory problems". The night proved to be not so bad, with an oily meal in the restaurant cart 1 game of cards and a restless night. Tiff and I did find ourselves stuck with a couple of farters. Obvious not trying to hide it kind of farting. One In particular caught my attention as I heard it through the ear plugs and then came the smell.... Enough of this.

After a relatively sleepless night we found ourselves in Shanghai! As we were too early to check in we went on a scenic tour to get Chloe a photo with the "cock and balls" building ( we're still unsure of the technical term). After obliging to a few photos with some Chinese tourists we found ourselves in a sleepless, un-showered daze! We wondered down east nanjing rd to find ourselves in an expensive shopping district. Still desperate for a nap we squeezed into the nearest took took and sent ourselves back to the hostel.

The hostel was set in a soho style loft, painted throughout with bizarre colourful scenes. We did find that the staff were rather unfriendly, it looked cool but was not the place to meet fellow travelers.
After a two hour nap on our cardboard mattresses we indulged in washing our hair, putting on some make up and getting ready for a night on the town. The girl at the front desk recommended a place to go out, we followed her instructions to find ourselves in the French quarter, beautiful but horribly expensive nd full of westerners we were a bit disappointed, we asked two young students who sent us off in a cab to an odd street with a great mix of Chinese bars.

We were first drawn to a bar offering food and free Cosmo's for ladies all night. It had a funky band getting set up which played for the night. Food, Drink & Music, Sorted. After about five of these we made friends with the jazz/ funk band playing. The drum playing was from Australia. He was a bit odd and had dreadlocks longer than his torso..... ?
After we'd had our share of Cosmo's we were ready to explore further, we left searching for ice cream only to find ourselves entering a small live band karaoke bar. We ordered ourselves long island ice teas and sat back to relax when we found ourselves making friends with Peter, a Kantonese man in shanghai on business. He bought us wine- which we liked. He also became our translator and assisted and insisted that myself Chloe and tiff sing a song. Much to my embarrassment I was soon on my own "I love you baby"- a song that will forever remind me of our one night in Shanghai.

Our performance captured on Chloe's camera by Peter was phenomenal, starting with myself awkward and alone. The guitarist told me we would do the song disco style... I still don't know what that means, I also did not know when to start the song... It was until chloe and tiff became backup dancers that we really shone!
Embarrassed and drunk at the time we fled the bar as soon as we'd finished... Poor Peter!

We caught a cab home in hysterics and passed out.

Hung over we wondered for breakfast and coffee. We're now on the bullet train to Beijing!!

Eric x

WOCAS ... Worst case scenario

Let's start from the beginning...
After sore swollen biker bums, ginger tea and a heavy sleep we find ourselves agreeing to a mountain walk with Anastasia.
The walk up to moon hill, involved over 800 marble stairs to one of the most spectacular views of the karst landscape across greater Guilin.
Sweaty Betty, peeling off layers of clothes, hair pulled back, sweat mustache, so worth it. The view at the top was beyond rewarding and warranted a sneaky roadside strawberry feast from the stall on route back to pack. The four of us then took the last bus at 6:50pm to Xing Ping, a small quaint village just up the Li River. After checking into "this old place youth hostel" (lovely old heritage looking style) we found ourselves stalking empty streets looking for dinner! Warm cafe gave a warming welcome and we were served several tasty treats. The egg plant specialty is our best meal in china to date... Wrapped in garlic and peppers, the tempura crisp had us going back for a lunch feast! The morning started with an early wake but a two hour wait for banana pancakes and coffeeless coffee. We followed the hostels advice in rafting up the river on bamboo boats and attempted to walk the four hour journey back! Unaccomplished due to the hostile people of the township which was to be our turning point, we all climbed back into a raft to return ripped off but still smiling in our flower crowns. The ride on the river is breathtaking, being surrounded by huge green gauges and banks of bamboo spilling over. Bussing back to Yangshou for our last night, we spent it at the roof top bar with the wild monkey Jane playing beer pong! The next morning We said our sincere goodbyes to our dearest Anastasia who had become family in just a few short days, we climbed into our airport transfer to guilin airport... Not long into the journey our eyes surface to the front of the vehicle where we were sounding our horn as a man on a scooter veered in front...there was a thump. The man disappeared and we all gasped. Screaming as we swerved, the brakes were slammed on. No one moved. We yelled "do something?" running out of the mini bus to find a china man sitting behind it with a bone surfacing through his skin, cars just continued and beeped for him to move, his scooter was no where to be seen. Two of us helped the man to the side of the road and grabbed him a stool, whilst the Chinese simply watched. It was awful. But he was ok, he was alive, and we can only thank our lucky stars it wasn't worse. Road rules simply don't apply in china. In a rush to catch our flight we were picked up by another mini van to complete the journey... Wide eyed and nervous it was a long hour. Flying into xian late and lost we were just happy to finally find our hostel after getting off the airport shuffle in the city. Chloe and I ended up at the bar drinking 20 yuen pints of carlesburg ($3) whilst Eric tried to sleep off her fever. Waking this morning still all feeling fluey we caught the bus to the train station to book our evening ticket to shanghai. Out of luck with no seats availabile we booked tomorrow eves sleeper at a steep 490 yuen each. Overwhelmed and exhausted already we were on our way to see the Terra Cotta soldiers, it was so impressive unlike anything we have ever seen before, the 8th wonder of the world really is mind blowing and really makes us appreciate how lucky we are to experience it. Topped with some dumplings and deep fried pita we were well over the haggling of replica sellers and took the one hour journey back to the hostel to book another night. Eric rested up stairs whilst Chloe and I decided to check our the city in the evening dusk, heading straight to the Muslim quarter for some busy markets and street food by the bell tower. Although rich in history and quite pretty at night xian just feels like a dusty city in a daze. In china it seems that staring is not rude, nor is it done subtlety...let's just say in an 3 hour excursion we are featured in about 60 photographs, 3 of which we were asked to be in, it's kind of flattering I suppose, as they don't stare because they judge us, it's more like they are intrigued. I must say we probably don't help the situation; two blondes walking through the Muslim market wearing sequin hats and making friends with who ever is nice enough to us. The markets have everything, like Aladdin's cave, trinkets and jewels, food and cigars... We exhausted it all and found ourselves dipping far to frequently into our money pockets. Again; back at the hostel bar with a beer, we can only sit and recount what a beautiful unique and captivating world we live in... Where all four corners are so very different.
Eric, craines and fanny xx