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Despite being the flashiest resort I stayed in since my travels it was clearly geared up for the summer. It was absolutely Baltic at night so I had a fairly shitty nights sleep. Mang, my guide was waiting for me and told me to get a move on as the others were waiting. Thankfully the three lads, Dan, Alex & Nick were sound and didn't seemed fazed by the wait. All of them had worked in the city so we got on really well from the start. They loved the banter I had with Mang and quickly got involved. They were just 2 weeks in to their travels and fairly green to the whole thing but very keen for any advice or help I could offer.

We trekked for about 3 hours and Mang took us to meet her mother. The house was void of all luxuries but Mang's mother was both kind and friendly. Mang was definitely the best guide I have had in my 8.5 months travelling. At only 16 her innocence and enthusiasm was astounding. She didn't try to get us to by local handicraft or take us to tacky tourist traps. She took us through her farm and to a place where she used to watch over the water Buffalo for her father. The view for the top was amazing but a little frightening for the lads who wern't used to being at that height. We stopped for lunch at one of the countless little cafes in the area. I tested the water with the lads by suggesting that we have a beer. To my delight they were as keen as I was to take part in a little light refreshment. After lunch we headed to the family home stay. The house was basic but the family did have a tv and of course the ubiquitous Karaoke machine. Mang got cooking and we got stuck in to the beers. The food was amazing which was a real surprise. The man of the house produced some rice wine so we got stuck in to that also. By the end of the night we were all rather pissed but the experience was really worth it. I stayed up last with the man of the house puffing on his tobacco bong and slurping more rice wine. Not a word passed our lips for about an hour but we both sat there satisfied with each others company. The lads and I slept in the second floor in the house on mattresses. It was one of the best nights sleep I had in ages.

The train porter knocked on the door about 15 mins before we arrived at the train station.6.30 to be precise. The combination of drink, Nightols and smoke ensured I was out like a light for the duration of the journey so i felt fairly refreshed. When I got out of the station I was quickly ushered to a bus. I was dropped off at my hotel (American Technology Inc resort!)in SAPA and I quickly realised that I was the only person staying there. I had a few feeble attempts to extract some information from the receptionist but this proved futile. eventually a person came and told me that I would be picked up at 11.30 for lunch before heading two hours down the track to a village.It was just going to be me and the guide for today. The chap said that tomorrow I would be joined by two other people. I hoped they would be some craic and up for a few beers in the evening!

My guide was waiting for me when I returned to the hostel. For the life of me I can't remember her name. She was fairly bubbly character and I warmed to her straight way. On the way to the Cat Cat village she told me that she was only 16 and that she left school early as her teacher used to beat her! She thought herself English simply be speaking to tourists in just two years. She explained that most of the indigenous people in the area got married between 16 and 18 which was a little shocking . She had no interest in getting married or indeed boys it would seem. I think she was a little shy but she seemed comfortable in my company.

The scenery, although misty, was amazing and unlike my attempts at visiting indigenous people in South America this definitely felt different. There were no satellite dish's or solar panels . The pigs and chickens roamed freely and the dwellings were modest and rustic. What I found really surprising was the number of children roaming freely around the villages. I guess family planning is not high on the agenda in these parts. Some of the kids, as young as 3 or 4, were practically naked despite the cold. All the women wore traditional dress made from hemp and dyed with indigo. The toughness of the enviroment firmly etched on their faces. This was by no means an easy life. We trekked to another village and then set back for Sapa. My guide flagged a car down as I think she was tired at this stage. I decided to walk back and agreed to meet her the following day. The walk was fairly hard but I was happy to see my fitness levels were recovering . Reluctant to head back to my empty hotel I hit town for a beer!

When I got back to the hostel the receptionist told me that she wanted to have dinner with me. Given that I was the only one in the entire place I accepted her invitation and we hit the restaurant. She was fairly cute and told me I was handsome which i found flattering. That was until I realised that the average 20 year old in these parts looked about 40 and had probably had about 2 kids at that stage. The conditions up here were harsh! Suddenly i didn't feel so special. After dinner she invited me back to the staff quarters where most of the staff were gather around the Karaoke machine. I was forced to sing countless trashy songs to keep the staff amused but i guess what else had I to do. I hit the hay at 10.

I got up at around 11.30 and farted around the room for the best part of an hour. Afterwards I went down stairs to book my trip to SAPA for 4 days. The plan was to get some fresh air and exercise before Xmas, and the massive piss up that follows. I met up with Sam and Rachel and we headed for coffee to discuss the plans. It would seem that Rachel and Sam were the same sort of travellers as me, i.e. planned nothing and had suffered acute option stress when presented with more than one option ! Rachel was heading south for some sunshine and Sam was heading to Halong bay. We decided to have a smoke and head out to have a look around the town. Crossing the road in this state required serious concentration and the constant noise and traffic was a little overpowering. I could see that Rachel and Sam were both in the same position so I was glad it wasn't just me. With great relief we finally got to the sanctuary of the lake. We took a leisurely stroll around before retiring for some beers near by. Afterwards we got some dim sum and headed back to the hostel to get ready for the train. The train was clean and comfortable so I necked a nightol and got on with the important business of sleeping.

The border crossing was relatively trouble free and I set about the painful task of haggling for a taxi. Arriving in a new country normally excites people, I loath it as I never know how much anything costs. I was approached by a rather brash individual who spoke good English. He wanted to charge me 100,000 to get to the next village, I was told it was 50,000. He told me I could walk or fly for that price. We exchanged a few heated words and he explained that he didn't like foreigners. I told him if he didn't like them then he shouldn't bother speaking to them. I managed to pursuade one of his colleuges, much to his anoyanace, to take me for 80,000. I couldnt help but give him the finger as I left as he was shouting abuse at me as I jumped in the taxi. The interchage with the bus was seamless and after some haggling I got the driver down to 60,000. I was amazed when we actually set off after I boarded the bus as normally you have to wait for ages while the bus fills up. My amazment was short lived as we spent the best part of an hour driving around the town picking up everything from vegitables to motor parts. After that we hit the motorway for the 3 hour journey to Hanoi. I knodded off to sleep, and I'd wished I stayed asleep for when I woke we were hurling down the motorway at about 130kmph with the horn in constant use. I was in the front seat with no seatbelt!. The seatbelts had been used to tie some bundles of stuff to the back of the chairs. I was truly at the mercy of the gods! The driver switched and the next chap up was a little more cautious. He offered me some of his tea and a ciggie which I felt was rude to reject. I showed him where I wanted to go in Hanoi and he actually dropped me in the vicinity, albeit to a guest house where he was known. The room was a little dirty but I was tired and did't really care at that stage.

After some food I headed back to the hostel with the intention of getting some rest. As i was heading up the stairs I bumped in to the sh girl called Rachel that I met in Chengdu. Rachel and a guy called Sam for the states were heading out to diner so I tagged along for some beers. We hot some local bar and then the funky monkey for some beers . Everywhere shuts up early in Hanoi so we retired back to there room for some smoke and music. I cursed myself for taking the room five flights of stairs up. I fell in to bed and was out like a light.

My bus tonight leaves at 8pm for the border with Vietnam. I'm sad to be leaving China as it has captured my heart but my punishing schedule beckons. The plan is to hit Hanoi tommorow and hopefully get some trekking in before xmas day. I desperatly want to avoid the pre xmas piss ups and with only three weeks to see Vietnam I need to dispiplined.

I hit the bus stop at 7.30, 30Min's before my express bus was due to depart. The Guy behind the counter was shouting at me that I was late. I couldn't understand why but he shoved me in a taxi with two other people and we sped off down the street. It would appear that the bus left early. I boarded the bus and to my surprise it was nothing like what the seller had shown me. I bunkered down for the night and just accepted my lot. The bed was a little short and I didn't have space for all my luggage but what the hell. We broke down at one point but after some furious drilling by a local mechanic we were on our way again. I woke from a deep slumber at about 3.15 to find that we had pulled in to a bus station. I want straight back to sleep and awoke again at 6.15. We were still in the same bus station? I asked around and quickly realised that this was nanning and that I should have changed at 3am. The git in Guilin had me over. The driver seemed to sense my predicament and bought me a ticket for next bus to the border heading at 7.50am. Ok, i had to wait an hour and a half in the cold but all was not lost. I grabbed some noodles and tried to make myself as comfortable as possible given the cold. The bus finally left at 8.30 and after about 10 stops around the city we were on our way.

Some observations from China.

The Chinese, in general, do not eat dairy products. Surprisingly, China has a much lower rate rate of osteoporosis than the United States or the UK.

Depsite having invented the flushing toilet the average Chinese public convenience consists of three waist high walls, a chanel with no flushing aperatus, and no front door. Privacy is a luxury not afforded to the masses! So far I've managed to avoid the singlesex Communal toilets -

China has the second largest fast foot market after the US. KFC, Maccas and Pizza hut are now ubiquious in China. On the flip side these establishments provide a refreshing alternitive to the traditional Chinese toilet.

The great wall is not actually visible from the space.

Two thirds of all men in China smoke. Only 3% of women smoke.

China consumes 30% of the world's cigarettes.

The average chinese person consumes 20kg of seafood a year. This equates to 2.8m tons of seafood a year.

It is predicted that Chinese will be the worlds largest online language by 2007. China is the world's second-largest online
population after the US.

Chinese people are some of the toughest business people in the world with bargaining essental from your humble stall to top resturants and attractions, yet tips are not commonly accepted! Tipping was outlawed as part of the cultural revelution.

China boasts the worlds fastest train. The magnetic levitation train connects Pudong international airport with downtown Shanghai in a very, very nimble seven minutes 20 seconds. Shanghai's new express can reach a top speed of 430kph (267mph) in just under two minutes.

Spitting, something of a national pastime in China, has become socially reprehensible. In Beijing and Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province, public spitters, when caught, have to clean up the phlegm marks and pay a fine of 50 yuan. The fine goes up to 200 yuan in Shanghai. Guangzhou has also set up cameras in the streets to catch public spitting!

The Chinese place great emphasis on freshness of food hence the live skinning of food animals.The word for "animal" in one Chinese dialect translates as "moving thing". Animals are considered no more sentient than vegetables. The exception to this, surprisingly, is the cat which is perceived as a house hold pet. Mans best friend, on the other hand, is considered fair game!

Despite its association with Italy, pasta actually originated in China approximately 40 centuries ago.

China has an ambiguous attitude towards growing Western economic and cultural influences and its own identity. Young Chinese crave Western brands but officials frequently rant at what they call decadent western culture. Nowhere is this more evident than The Forbidden City in Bejing, home to 24 Emperors from the Ming and Qing Dynasties rule. Over it's 500 years in operation it was considered “off limits” to the world, which included the Chinese population. It was opened to the public in 1950 and now boasts, contraversially, a Starbucks!

China is the world's biggest market for BMW's top of the range 760 series.

Volkswagen, the biggest carmaker in China, said it will strive to produce annually more than 1.6 million cars in China by 2008, up from the 800,000 units anticipated this year.