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Beijing, People's Republic of China 🇨🇳

The first thing I noticed about Beijing were the walking distances...in the metro stations. Much like the rest of China, Beijing's transport network is second to none, with its metro being a shining example. Bizarrely however, the station design is the opposite. During our time in the city we must have spent more time walking underneath the city than we did walking at ground level, the stations are massive, so factor that in when planning your visit!

Beijing is very much a travel lover's destination. It's a city of noticing things, and there are many things to notice, even if they're as dull and minute as the one I've just detailed. On arrival I started to notice massive differences to everywhere else we'd visited in China and its safe to say that Beijing is a fascinating place, and by far my favourite Chinese city out of all those we visited.

Beijing was the furthest point north in China that we visited, and as a result it quickly reminded me of just how huge a land mass China actually is. Firstly, this was the first time in months that I had needed to wear a hoodie, flying out of Shenzhen (which consistently stands year round as one of the country's hottest and most humid cities) to come here was eye opening. It was like leaving the Caribbean in mid-August and getting off the plane in Scotland at the start of Autumn, a very strange sensation. The second thing that reminded me of how monstrously huge the country is was pretty much instant when we arrived, the people are so tall! Of course that's the kind of sweeping statement that I usually try to avoid, so while there are exceptions to what I'm writing, on the whole, native Beijingers are considerably taller than Chinese nationals from the south. I found this fascinating, largely because the Chinese love basketball, and while in most cities you could throw a rock at any time and hit someone in a Cavs or Golden State jersey, they particularly love the teams and players from within their own shores. Which always begged a massive question to me that until I reached Beijing I couldn't figure out an answer to: Basketball is a sport in which being tall is a prerequisite to being half decent at the game, so where in China are these beloved, dominant players coming from? (The answer: Northern China).

Within minutes of arrival, Beijing was fascinating to me. Arriving at night, we finally got out of Dongsi Metro Station at around 10 p.m. to begin hunting for our hostel. It turned out that as expected, our hostel lay down a 100 yard long alley through an unlit building site. Now I've been meaning to include this for a while and haven't really found the time/room, but China is hands down the safest country I have ever visited (and I include the UK in that), and while in other countries such a walk would cause most westerners to hold tightly onto their belongings, in China it's just a given that it'll be perfectly safe...which it was. Case in point; while stumbling our way down the alley unable to see a thing, a tiny old lady walking her poodle passed us without a care in the world. If I'd have walked down an alley in any major European city in the dark at that time of night, I highly doubt that old ladies would be the people I'd stumble into, but I digress.

I wanted to include the safety aspect because I've not really written about it yet and this happens to be the last of my China posts (until next time that is). China really isn't on the Asian backpacking trail, and don't get me wrong you do see foreign visitors, but not in the same way that you do in Vietnam or elsewhere on the continent, and I really think that's a shame. This country really is amazing and yet it's really misunderstood in many ways. I don't write that pompously in an 'I know China and you don't' sort of way, because while I'd done my homework, I still didn't fully know what to expect on arrival. A few weeks after arriving in China I was speaking to a mate of mine on Facebook, and the old backpacker's adage is true: 'My friends don't ask how I am, they ask where I am.' When he asked where I was at the moment and I replied that I was in China, his instant response was, "Really? Is it proper commie?"

He did ask a typically funny but very fair question. China is to the outside world, the biggest, boldest communist state on Earth, and one that isn't just surviving or getting by (as we're seeing with countries like Cuba or Venezuela) but is massively prospering. There's a reason for that, Chinese communism isn't like any other form anywhere else, from my perspective advertising and marketing is rampant and dominant here just like it is in the west. As if to really emphasise my point, at the time of writing they just held the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, NHL overseas games and a UFC fight night in Shanghai. This isn't the communism we've seen in Hollywood films or in old stock news footage of the USSR or the DDR. But to return to my initial point, so often China is presented in the west as this huge, curtained off juggernaut, and it really isn't, but evidently it would be easy to be a bit put off when considering it as a destination because of it.

Ultimately though I can't stress enough how safe, interesting, well connected (in terms of transport and infrastructure) China is, if you're looking at travelling in Asia and you have the time, you need to visit this country.

So to recap my initial ramblings, Beijing is safe, cold(er), the people are taller (and friendlier as it happens, I wonder if there's a correlation in that?) and it's metro stations are huge.

What else?

Oh, it's also the country's capital, the former seat of many dynasties and also a stone's throw from the Great Wall. It also instantly became my favourite place that we'd visited in China.

Without much further rambling, here's Beijing in a nutshell. I could genuinely go into Bryson mode and write a book on Beijing but I'll attempt to condense it into a regular blog post.

PLACES TO VISIT:

- Tiananmen Square: Arguably one of the most famous/infamous squares in modern history? I'd say so! This was our first stop when exploring the city, it's easy to find and really does set a magnificent tone for what you're in store for during the rest of your visit.

- Summer Palace: Summer Palace is a great place to visit if you only have a few days here as it's a little bit of everything rolled into one. Parks, temples and the palace itself, it's all here. It also features a great little waterside street food area which was unexpected!

- Olympic Village: I'm a sucker for stadiums. Strangely I'm not a fan of any sports played in stadiums but I love a massive rock show so I think somehow that's where my interest comes from. This whole complex is great, funnily and randomly enough while in Beijing I happened to be reading Ronda Rousey's 'My Fight, Your Fight', and she details her time spent in the Olympic Village during the Beijing Olympics, which as an MMA nerd gave the place an added appeal to me. That aside however, the true crowning achievement happens to be the magnificent Bird's Nest Stadium, which besides maybe the Allianz Arena in Munich, is just an unparalleled feat of architecture and engineering that I could stare at for hours. A tip: they light it up in different colours at night, it's amazing!

- Temple of Heaven: The temple complex here is huge! So leave a full afternoon for the visit as you'll need it, all I can say for the temples here is that they need to be experienced, they're considerably different to those seen throughout the rest of the city (and the country really too).

- Jingshan Park: A hidden gem of sorts. You'll see this park listed on many of the 'Beijing Attractions' lists, but it's quite a way down that list and easily overlooked in favour of squeezing in other places. This park doesn't take long to visit but it's worthwhile for a short stop-off, the temples here are nice but the real draw here is the view, after a five minute climb to the temples at the peak of the hill in this park, you get a truly unrivalled view of the whole city, and the best part: you're right opposite the Forbidden City! This is by far the best view of Beijing from anywhere in the city.

- The Forbidden City: The Forbidden City is arguably the biggest most heavily visited attraction inside the actual city of Beijing. Sadly, it was closed during our visit (due to a national holiday), but it wouldn't be fair for me to leave it off the list because of that!

- The Great Wall: Saving the best 'til last? Absolutely. To visit Beijing and not visit the Great Wall would be a crime beyond words. Now, many hostels, hotels, websites, taxi drivers, min-bus owners (well, everyone really) runs some sort of trip to the Great Wall from Beijing. All of these options tend to be pretty expensive, and your visit need not be. Now on top of all that there have been countless articles, blog posts and information sites written online detailing how, when, why and where to do your visit to the Great Wall. While attempting to be helpful, all the information when absorbed together just becomes contradictory and leaves one confused about how and which section of the wall to visit, I'm about to attempt to make it easy for you.

Here's a mini-guide:

- Mutianyu: This section of the wall is declared to be the quietest and therefore best area to get photographs while at the wall. The snag? Organised trips there aren't cheap and the public transport approach as outlined in various ways online is about as simple as a kickabout in a minefield. We tried the public transport approach in order to keep costs down on our first attempt, only to find that due to the national holidays the transfer buses weren't even stopping due to the amount of locals on them. You could try during another time of year, but it's a hassle for what I'm told isn't a much better payoff than what I'm about to tell you about next.

- Badaling: When researching online, the Badaling stretch of the wall is made to sound so crammed with people that it's best avoided...or if you do, go with a tour group that will help you avoid the crowds. Frankly, that's a load of rubbish. Badaling is the most easily accessible of all the wall sections from downtown Beijing. While it's the most popular, it's for good reason, it's the best preserved and longest consistent stretch of the wall. Here's a simple guide to how to get to the wall at Badaling from central Beijing:

1.) Get the metro to Jishuitan Station (Line 2).

2.) Follow the signs to the bus terminal / 877 bus.

3.) Get on the 877 bus and it takes you straight to the wall with no stops, it takes around 40 minutes and costs just 12 RMB.

* Note: We got up early and got the first bus out of Deshengmen at 06:00, meaning on arrival the wall was pretty clear of people and we had plenty of time to explore, I'd say that's the best time of day to visit!

The Great Wall is still hard for me to put into words. Even though I'd always really known that at some point I'd visit and it was just a case of when, it's still entirely surreal to stand on it. I still look back at the photos we took that day and it's a crazy thing to comprehend that I've been there, the wall is fascinating. The sheer amount of history it encompasses, the incredible feat of engineering that it comprises and the fact that it can be seen from space are all things that just blow my mind. Anything that's a massive testament to human endeavour and I'm instantly deeply interested, the Great Wall of China is a Wonder of the World for a reason, it's one of the ultimate examples of what people can create if they throw enough foresight, manpower and creativity at something, it's legitimately awe-inspiring. That's not me saying that it was a breeze for those involved in the construction, just that everything considered, it's an incredible structure.

PLACES TO EAT:

- Wangfujing Street: Wangfujing Street is a massive pedestrianised shopping street in central Beijing, but tucked away in the bottom corner is it's street food section. Many pages online will tell you that it's a street food street...it's not, it's more of a long street food alley, but that adds to its charm and local legitimacy all the more. It's always absolutely crammed with people, from locals to foreigners and of all ages. The food sold here is just as diverse, you can pick up everything from huge chop suey rolls to fried scorpions, we spent a lot of time eating here and I often miss the place now I've left, it's hands down one of my favourite street food spots visited so far and it's crazy cheap.

- Qianmen Street: If the idea of a confined space and deep fried scorpion puts you off the idea of Wangfujing Street, then head over to Qianmen Street. While still situated off a shopping street, this is an entirely different vibe. It's sleepy, quaint and easygoing, it's also well maintained having aged as part of Old Beijing and hasn't really changed much since. Here you'll have the time and space to wander the streets without the masses of people. If Wangfujing Street is like a scene from World War Z, then this is much more 28 Days Later when he first wakes up...terrible analogy, sorry, I'm reading a Max Brooks book at the moment. There's a lot of food on offer here, but the big recommendation would be the Peking duck rolls here, where they're cooked and wrapped freshly right in front of you!

I could go on and on about Beijing, but for now I won't.

More soon and thanks for reading!

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Nanjing, People's Republic of China 🇨🇳

"If there's a Chinese city that can be described at all as relaxed, then it's Nanjing, love this place!"

I posted that on Instagram during my time in Nanjing recently and I entirely stand by it. As an extension, I'd consider Nanjing as one of my favourite places in China as a direct result of this.

China is an amazing place, as I've stated previously on this blog it's very much the ultimate land of contradictions. It's got this fascinating history that stretches back an enormously long way yet it's a country that is very much looking to the future and moving forward at an incredible speed. It's a country that has unbelievably beautiful countryside and postcard landscapes, yet it has a highly urbanised population (almost 60% of the population live in densely built up urban areas). It is a country that to many others on the Asian continent that can be seen industrially and financially as something to mimic, but at a great cost to it's ecology and environment.

China is amazing, I've never been to somewhere so different than home for so many different reasons. As I've just said, Chinese cities are densely packed. For anybody who may be reading this and unaware, China is the world's most highly populated nation, which when coupled with the fact that over half of that population lives and works in the major cities, it means that at almost all times of day Chinese cities are in a sort of perpetual rush hour, it's crazy!

Not that I'm complaining, far from it in fact. Again, it's because of things like this that make China so different to where I'm from, and to me, that's one of the key reasons why I love to travel. Experiencing Chinese cities for the first time makes you feel like a child again, in so many ways it's like landing on another planet, I have never seen places move at the speed that these cities do, it's fascinating.

Shenzhen was like this, and it was a place I loved.

Shanghai was like this, and it was a place I loved.

Nanjing wasn't like this, and was still definitely a place I loved, in fact, it became a fantastic change of pace in the middle of our trip through China when we were largely expecting it to have the same 'feel' as the other cities we'd visited.

Nanjing happens to somehow be a totally different breed to the other major Chinese cities that I've visited. It's a relaxed place, and while very much Chinese in its layout and infrastructure, and well, everything else really, it's got the vibe of a more sparsely populated, laid back South East Asian city (if you've visited, think Hue in Vietnam, albeit on a much larger scale). The traffic seems to breeze by, there aren't the usual masses of honking scooters at intersections, the pavements can be walked with ease and at your own pace and using the subway is an easygoing, relaxed affair.

I'll be honest, initially this all seemed a bit weird, but I'm not going to question it. Nanjing is an amazing place, with great food, culture, weather (depending on the season, of course), and an interesting yet sad history.

I wouldn't be me if I didn't mention the history of this amazing city. While Nanjing has a fascinating dynastic history stretching back hundreds of years, it's more recent and devastating history is what tends to stick in both domestic and international memory. I'm only going to touch briefly on this, as its unpleasant, for those who want to find out more, there's a tonne of information found readily online.

To cut a long story short, in 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army invaded the Chinese mainland. Throughout the country much fighting occurred and much blood was shed, sadly, worse was yet to come when the Japanese reached Nanjing, which at the time stood as the capital city of what was then the Republic of China. I won't go into much detail about what happened when Nanjing fell to the Japanese, but let's just say that what happened is today known to most of the outside world as the Nanjing Massacre, or in China, the Rape of Nanjing. Let's just say that both of those titles explain what occurred pretty well and leave it at that.

So with that in mind, it's fair to say that Nanjing has had a pretty rocky history, and a recent one at that. It's worth remembering when visiting that many of those living in the city could either remember the massacre or be a direct descendant of those affected by it. Yet somehow, with such a horrific atrocity still sitting in the collective consciousness of the inhabitants of the city, Nanjing is today a vibrant, prosperous and beautiful city.

If you're interested in modern history, then Nanjing is definitely a place to add to your travel plans while in China. If you're not, then definitely still add the city to your list as it's such a unique place!

PLACES TO VISIT:

- Dr Sun Yat Sen Mausouleum / Purple Mountain: This place is amazing! At the foot of Purple Mountain stands the tomb of Dr Sun Yat Sen, who is considered the father of modern China and a key architect in sculpting the country into what it is today. In keeping with this, the tomb itself is quite the structure to behold. It's situated at the top of a number of flights of steps (think 'Rocky' and then multiply it by about five!), which although tough-going (if you choose to go in peak summertime heat as we did), provides you with a serious sense of accomplishment and some of the best views in the whole area, as well as the chance to have a look around the tomb. If you struggle with cardio then maybe sit this one out, but if you're up for the challenge and have brought plenty of water then it's definitely worth doing!

- The Presidential Palace: An interesting look into how and where Chinese statesmen lived during the twentieth century, largely untouched since it was used officially and brilliantly well maintained. If you're not somebody who leans much towards history, then I'd still recommend a visit, the large complex features stunning gardens and lakes. It's easy to spend a relaxed afternoon wandering these gardens and exploring the grounds.

- Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall: The ultimate look into what sadly occurred during the Japanese occupation of China during the war years, not a fun place to visit but very much worth the visit if you're looking to find out more about the massacre.

FOOD AND DRINK:

- Confucius Temple Area: This whole area is a place of dreams if you really love food. We stayed near Sanshanjie Metro station, which I'd highly recommend as an area to stay in (cheap accommodation and centrally located!), and Confucius Temple is around a five-minute walk away. This really is the main food area in Nanjing, so much so that it's the only recommendation I'm adding to this section. This is street food galore, selling everything from corn dogs (for some reason) to soup dumplings, if you're looking for legitimate Nanjing street food, head for here! Besides the food it's a pretty picturesque spot, especially at night, the river is vibrantly lit up and there are beautiful traditional archways to enjoy while you tuck into the best that Nanjing has to offer.

Thanks for reading, more to come soon,

Leo.

🔜 Beijing, China.

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Shanghai, People's Republic of China 🇨🇳

"Fingers crossed."

Surprisingly, that's how a lot of adventures begin when you're travelling in the way we are. Fingers crossed we won't have a flight delay, fingers crossed there's some good food around here, fingers crossed there's air-con in the bar, the list goes on. I think we've said "fingers crossed," every single day that we've been on the road.

It's not a bad thing, the coming unknown is one of the many reasons that travelling is exciting. In this case, "fingers crossed" was referring to our sleeper train compartment from Guilin to Shanghai.

It's quite a common occurrence on Chinese sleeper trains for those booked onto the top bunks of the cabin to just use the bottom bunks as a sort of communal couch/bar, regardless of the bunk's occupant. So seeing as we had been booked into the bottom bunks, we were seriously hoping that the top bunks hadn't been booked out in our cabin.

As the train slowly rolled it's way out of Guilin we used the time before the following two pickup stations to make our bunks mega comfortable and hope for the best. That hope paid off, we ended up with the whole cabin to ourselves. Rather than spending the rest of the night trying to navigate our way around locals undoubtedly using our bunks as couches on which to drink, smoke and eat, instead we were able to relax and think of the city that we edged our way towards.

Shanghai is one of the true centre points of what China has come to be in the twenty-first century. With its truly monolithic skyline and status as one of the most important cities in a country that is without question one of the world's fastest forward-marching economic powerhouses, everything about Shanghai has a massive and magnetic feel to it, as if it's the true core of something exceedingly powerful and important. It feels this way from the outside: my pre-arrival research took considerably longer than usual due to navigating the city's sheer size (and that's on a mapping app!) It feels this way even more from the inside, the whole place just seems to go on forever.

Shanghai truly is the beacon of modern China that it's presented to be. Even it's history as a major settlement doesn't stretch back all that far in the same way that other major Asian cities do. Shanghai as a rapidly growing city dates back to the early 1800s when the city blossomed from its standing as a trading port on the Yangtze River, as the years (and consequent wars involving a number of differing foreign powers), Shanghai grew exponentially into the metropolis we know it to be today.

Shanghai is a phenomenal city, it's so modern and moving forward at such a rapid rate that at all times I felt as if I was standing in a place that will be far bigger in absolutely no time at all. Getting around the city is easy, as in most Chinese cities Shanghai has an excellent subway system that is both cheap and reliable. Now, for the past few paragraphs I've rambled about Shanghai being both a city that is growing in terms of size and population at a unyielding rate, and that the city is a beacon of what China is in the new millennium: an economic and industrial juggernaut. It would be wrong of me to write about those aspects and not address the elephant in the room: the environmental aspect. Shanghai has long been known for it's smog and overall air pollution. When we arrived we were extremely lucky, our first afternoon and evening when visiting the Bund to see the skyline was a clear blue day with just a touch of white cloud. As a result, I'd totally forgotten about the smog element that is as much a part of this city as anything else I'll include on this blog post. When we returned to the Bund a few nights later, the skyline was barely visible, and I couldn't help but feel sorry for people that were seeing the skyline that way for the first time. So to repeat myself a little, experiencing Shanghai smog is as much of an experience as anything else in this post, it's just that if you're alarmed by environmental issues like I am, it can make you feel a bit depressed by the damage being caused. Sorry to drag some misery into the mix, but this blog wouldn't be that informative if I didn't mention it. Without much further ado, I'm going to attempt to boil down my visit to Shanghai into its key elements!

PLACES TO VISIT:

- East Nanjing Road: This large pedestrian shopping street can in many ways be seen as the centre of Shanghai (that isn't the river), and it often seems like the entire city's population has arrived there at once. This is a great spot for anything you'd ever really need, so whether you want to go shopping, get drinks or go out to eat, you'll find both ends of the price spectrum along here.

- The Bund: The Bund is a section of the waterfront road that runs along the Huangpu River. From the aforementioned East Nanjing Road (the very top), it takes around 15-20 minutes to walk down to The Bund and it's very much worth the stroll. The Bund is a huge nod to Shanghai's colonial past: it's lined with grand European-style buildings that wouldn't look out of place on Whitehall. Not only is it a particularly attractive stretch to have a walk along, it also boasts some of the finest views of the Shanghai skyline in the city. Heading down to The Bund to see the skyline that first afternoon is hard to put into words, I could hardly do more than stare. I'd recommend taking a walk down there both in the day and at night; as stunning as it is to see the skyline in the light of day, when lit up at night it truly is a sight to behold!

- Pudong: Seeing the skyline from The Bund side of the river is magnificent, but if you'd like a closer look at the formidable skyline then head over to Pudong. This area is essentially China's equivalent of Wall Street, Bay Street or the City of London, it's the pumping heart of Chinese finance. Accordingly so, it also happens to be one of the most modern and well-maintained areas of the city, and has been built and organised in a way that makes walking between these architectural marvels very straightforward; they have a series of connected overpasses designed specifically for pedestrians. From these you can see the Shanghai Tower, Shanghai World Financial Tower, Oriental Pearl Tower and the Jin Mao Tower, up close and personal. While over in Pudong we decided to go up the Shanghai Tower, which was just Earth-shatteringly cool. Not only does it happen to be the World's second tallest skyscraper (losing out on first to Dubai's Burj Khalifa), but it features an elevator speed of 46mph, covering over 1200 metres per minute! That's not all, the tower features arguably the best view of Shanghai in the city. We timed our trip to the top perfectly, as we got to the observation deck the afternoon was just turning to evening, meaning we got to experience both the daylight and night-time views (when the whole city lights up!) Just a little help for future visitors to Shanghai that may be reading. The Jin Mao Tower and Oriental Pearl also offer observation decks at similar prices to the Shanghai Tower. However, the tower is placed in a premium position, meaning that from it, you can see everything from one spot, in the others that wouldn't be possible.

- Nanshi (a.k.a. Shanghai Old Town): Nanshi is a well preserved section of what can be considered as Old Shanghai. This intricate, beautiful part of the city immediately makes you feel as if you've stepped back in time (if you can overlook the Dairy Queen and KFC that have been built inside it!) By following the narrow, winding alleys leading throughout the area which is about the size of a city block, you'll come across local artisans creating local foods, drinks, textiles and artwork, as well as some great little temples. It's free to get in and the temples charge around $1 (USD) for entry so it's an inexpensive and authentic section of the city to visit, however, be warned that the local food is majorly marked up...duck rolls in particular can cost up-to three times as much as they would in other areas of Shanghai.

- People's Square Park: The streets around People's Square Park are a fantastic spot to stay in if you visit Shanghai. They're close enough to East Nanjing Road in the sense that going out for food and drink is easy but also just far enough away that it's quiet and easygoing compared to the hectic pace of ENR. The other plus of this location is that it has a subway stop that doubles as a huge shopping mall that's accessible from a bunch of entrances, making it an excellent spot to explore the entire city from. People's Square Park itself is worth a brief visit, it's a really peaceful park that is particularly popular with locals doing Tai-Chi and taking early morning strolls, it's a great green spot that serves as a relaxed break from the hectic pace of Shanghai. Like many parks in large Chinese cities, People's Square Park utilises trees in a genius way, they are used to dampen sound from traffic and the rest of the city, and within around twenty feet of entering the park, it's so quiet that you forget about the bustling city you've just stepped away from.

- Shanghai Expo Park: I've left this until the end of this section because it's possible that not everyone would be all that interested in the Expo Park. If you're a little bit like me and like bold, futuristic architecture and areas of cities seem look like something from a William Gibson novel then you will...if that's not your thing, then you could skip this area. Built in order to accommodate China's hosting of the 2010 World Expo, the Shanghai Expo Park features the visually mind-bending China Art Museum and also boasts great views of the Mercedes-Benz Arena...it's easy to get to by subway and is a good way to get a glimpse of how Shanghai might potentially look in the coming years.

FOOD AND DRINK:

- Again, East Nanjing Road: As mentioned earlier, East Nanjing Road has everything you'll need on a visit to Shanghai in terms of food and drink. From traditional local fare to Western staples such as Subway and McDonalds, you'll find whatever you need. We even found an open air street bar that sold pints of Strongbow for $1, naturally we spent a fair amount of time there during our stay.

- Raffles City Food Court: Without doubt, one of the finest food courts I've ever visited! They have everything piled into a shopping mall basement and I could spend hours down there. If you're craving western food, you can indulge properly as a good one off: they have Carl's Jr! But if you want to stay authentic and eat Asian food then again, it's easily done. We ate amazing noodle dishes, unbelievable dumplings and best of all, some of the most creatively put together fusion-style steamed baos. I can't recommend the place enough.

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Yangshuo, People’s Republic of China 🇨🇳

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter once claimed that Yangshuo was "the most beautiful place on Earth." I find it really hard to imagine how anybody could disagree with him, I mean, he was definitely the most roundly agreeable 'Leader of the Free World' that there's ever been, so he's got that on his side.

Carter and his wife Rosalynn visited China in the early 80s and spent part of their time, much like Jade and I did, cycling around Yangshuo county's serene countryside. On a perfect morning as the sun hung low in sky, we woke up early and set off to rent bikes and ride out into the Yangshuo countryside. The main cluster of hostels, restaurants and bars that make up this tiny town's central core, takes a little while to break out of. Although early in the morning, it took us about twenty minutes to get away from the crowded pavements crammed with street vendors and roads packed with tour buses and taxis. Once at the edge of Yangshuo town, a line could be practically drawn across the road; go back towards town or go on towards countryside views that will melt your mind.

Obviously we chose to go on.

As the road wound further out into the pristine, seemingly endless and untouched countryside, the traffic died down and we were by ourselves. We wound our way along the empty roads in the early morning silence, eventually our path started to run parallel to the Li River and we stopped for a water break. We realised after a few minutes that we were in the exact spot that is printed on China's 20 RMB notes (the national currency). Surrounded by the flowing water of the Li and the towering limestone karst peaks that jut out of the surrounding landscape is actually very difficult to take in. As I've experienced when travelling before, this sometimes when something looks so filmic or surreal, it's not easy to accept that your standing in it or that it's right in front of you. It's happened to me in Berlin, when I first touched a section of the wall, it happened in Vietnam when I crawled through the Cu Chi Tunnels complex and in Cuba when I drank Mojitos in Ernest Hemingway's favourite old haunt. Yangshuo joined that list at this very moment, it looks like a purpose built film set, but it's real. The Chinese have good reason to be so proud of Yangshuo, because it's so unique, so beautiful, so quaint and so easygoing.

Back in Yangshuo town, life moves a little quicker...only slightly more so though. The aforementioned cluster of nightlife, eateries and hostels that dominate the narrow pedestrian strip known as West Street is a one stop spot for anything you really need to enjoy your stay on this town. Depending on the time of day or night of your arrival in Yangshuo, West Street can be somewhat overwhelming, and if you arrive in the evening (particularly at the weekend), it can be hard to know which way to turn to get decent food and drink. In the spirit of what I've just said, I hope the following can help a few of you out there!

PLACES TO VISIT: - As Yangshuo isn't a huge place, it's not really split up into smaller areas or districts. One tip on this though: don't stay on West Street if noise is a factor for you. We stayed at a fantastic hostel that while labelled as being on West Street, it wasn't, instead it was located on a nearby street and cut down on a tonne of the noise and craziness. I don't want that to make me/us sound old and boring, the truth is that noise isn't a massive factor that bothers me (anyone who's stayed in hostels will be pretty tuned out to it!), but I realise that Chinese trance until the wee hours might grind on some people's nerves. So if you're looking for some semblance of quiet and seclusion, go for accommodation just off the street. I can't speak highly enough of Yangshuo Travelling With Hostel, check it out if you're in town!

FOOD AND DRINK: - Gan's Noodle House: This place is excellent! It's nothing special to look at, and would be very easily overlooked. This was recommended to us (I can't for the life of me remember who by), as a good spot for some simple, straight up, traditional Chinese food. The place seems to be operated by, you guessed it! A guy named Gan, who crafted some great, unfussy local fare. Gan's of course is well known for it's noodles, and I must say the noodle based dishes were brilliant. The real treat here though were the dumplings, we tried (over a couple of visits), a bunch of the different varieties, cooking styles varied from frying to steaming, as did the fillings, with pork being the standout. On top of all this, it was cheap...backpacker cheap.

- Kali Mirch Indian Cuisine: Okay, let me start by saying that while Indian food happens to be my all-time favourite, we weren't actually seeking it out when we came across this place. That being said, we were both so glad that we came across it, because it can definitely hang with some of the great Indian restaurants I've visited in my time. Run by a family who came to China a few years ago from Northern India, everything they serve is just sheer happiness on a plate. Every flavour in the dopiaza was applied brilliantly and the saag paneer was just a flavourful, perfectly textured marvel...I really could have eaten there every day.

- Street food vendors on West Street: The beauty of street food is that it's hard to rave about anyone in particular! There's a lot of really cool street food here, everything from giant spring rolls to Korean-style fried chicken, and the best part is that it's not only tasty, it's mega cheap!

- German Beer Bars: There are a bunch of German owned and operated bars and restaurants on West Street. While I can't speak for the meals they serve (as we never ate a sit down meal in any of them), they do reasonably priced German beers (in stein glasses no less!) and they serve these great little portions of currywurst that really do taste the real deal. On top of that, most of them have rooftop beer terraces, which are perfect for an easygoing afternoon in the sun.

OTHER TIPS: - Just one major tip before I sign off, and it concerns getting to Yangshuo, and with this I'm hoping I can save a few people some hassle. Online, getting to Yangshuo is made to sound easy peasy lemon squeezy. But to quote 'In the Loop', it's actually "difficult, difficult, lemon difficult." Yangshuo is most easily accessible from the city of Guilin, which can be reached by rail from all over the country, which is very much the easy part as the Chinese rail network is really dependable and efficiently run. Now, most sites online explain that to get to Yangshuo, just get the 'Yangshuo' bus from outside of Guilin North railway station or Guilin South railway station (whichever one you get off at). The sites (including very popular travel sites that I won't name), state that the buses leave from right outside the stations and leave approximately every twenty minutes. That's the first part of it that's simply not true. We arrived at Guilin North to be told by the station information kiosk that the buses now only run from Guilin South, and that we had to get the local public bus there and then change. Now to me, that's a slight spanner in the works, but it's fine, it's only a twenty minute ride between the two stations and the bus ran on time. Now comes lie number 2 from the reputable travel pages. Many of the sites say 'Watch out for the fake scamming women who are selling tickets for the Yangshuo buses...they aren't real ticket vendors!' Well, when we arrived at Guilin South there was no designated bus stop for the Yangshuo bus and no ticket office as the Internet had led us to believe. Instead we were faced with lots of these ladies trying to sell tickets, exactly the kind the sites tell you not to trust. Luckily for us, a policeman was passing us and I asked him where to get the Yangshuo bus. He pointed us to one of the ticket ladies who in the end, did a really great job. She flagged down the bus (which doesn't say Yangshuo on it at all, it's just a small, unmarked local bus), gave us the standard rate on the tickets that we'd read about online and we made it to Yangshuo within half an hour). I hope this helps a few people, as a lot of websites make getting from Guilin to Yangshuo sound really straightforward and as if the buses are well signposted and official, it's really not, but as long as you know that, you'll be fine! Don't let this put you off, it's a very minor annoyance that's ultimately very much worth it to see such a phenomenal place.

Happy travels, more posts coming soon!

[packratblog-blog1]

Shenzhen, People’s Republic of China 🇨🇳

Shenzhen is often overlooked.

When explaining our travel plans to people, I would have to explain where and what Shenzhen is; "It's a city in China, just over the border from Hong Kong...it's about forty minutes by train." It's by this logic that Shenzhen is consistently overlooked, and for good reason. Not that Shenzhen is a bad place, it's just that it happens to be so close to Hong Kong. I like to think of the two cities as being like very competitive siblings, it's just that it's exceedingly difficult for one of them to even come close to the other.

Shenzhen is the first immediate city over the mainland border from Hong Kong's New Territories, the city itself can be seen as the gateway to mainland China (which was a big deal to me!) The city's history is interesting, and was extra interesting to me because it's the newest city I've ever visited. By 'new' I don't mean modern, I mean new, actually new. Shenzhen was only granted city-status in 1979, which means that this towering, sprawling metropolis is only a decade older than myself...that seems insane.

Before arriving in China, I'd always expected a blend of ancient and modern, but places like Shenzhen make you realise just how quickly China is moving in terms of it's growth and development. Prior to being declared a city in 1979, Shenzhen was mostly a small town that served as a lively stop on the Kowloon-Canton Railway line. Alongside being granted city-status by the Chinese government, the greater Shenzhen metropolitan area was also declared as a Special Economic Zone around the same time. To cut another boring economics explanation short (it meant looser rules in terms of finance and trade), this and the fact that Hong Kong was only a stone's throw away, meant that Shenzhen became a hub for everyone from salarymen that did business over the border to migrant workers looking to cash in on the construction boom.

The result?

Over the next thirty years or so, Shenzhen grew from being a small city in Hong Kong's shadow to being a sprawling financial hub with a population only just shy of London. It's a big place to say the least, and an impressive feat in such a relatively short space of time.

I was beyond excited to finally get into mainland China, it had been on my travel bucket list as far back as I can remember, and the day had finally come! As the MTR train efficiently glided overground towards Futian Checkpoint (the final stop on the Hong Kong MTR and the entry point to the mainland), I was in full anticipation mode. After clearing the border and getting my visa stamped we were in! We used the Shenzhen metro to reach our accommodation in Dongmen, which is essentially the city's most central and busy area. I suspect that the metro is operated and maintained by Hong Kong's MTR as it's equally efficient and well operated, so much so that it's unnecessary to use any other form of transport to get around the city.

Dongmen is a little crazy. If you happen to Google Shenzhen you'll be bombarded with photographs of the city's tremendously impressive modern architecture, and Dongmen happens to be the area that is dominated by the skyscrapers and high-rises seen in those pictures. I love skyscrapers, so I was in my element walking around that first night just staring upwards as I went. Our first stop was a huge indoor street food market that serves as a sort of cut-through from the main financial strip (Shennan East Road) to Dongmen's central shopping district. The food is insane! Stepping into that food hall is an absolute assault on the senses, a clash of scents so varied that you start to taste them before you've even ordered anything. There's so much on offer, with almost everything cooked over an open flame; octopus, lamb, spiralled vegetables, squid, Peking duck rolls and pancakes...there's just an unbelievable amount on offer and if you visit, it's affordable and 100% worth tracking down (it's not difficult, it's behind the DDM Mall for those looking!)

Compared to Hong Kong, there's not a vast amount of things to do and see in Shenzhen. However, that's no reason not to visit, often I find that's a great reason to visit in order to just soak up the culture, so don't skip Shenzhen! There are places worth visiting, and the size, scape and sheer hustle of this city is worth experiencing.

Below is a short list of Shenzhen's finer points!

PLACES TO VISIT: - Dongmen: As previously mentioned, this is really the heart of Shenzhen, and it's got a little bit of everything. Lots of food spots, both affordable and more high end shopping (if that's your thing) and unbelievably impressive buildings like the KK100 and Ping An Finance Center if you're a bit of a building nerd like I am.

- Lianhuashan Park: This is without a doubt one of the smartest pieces of urban planning and city design I've ever come across. The closest station is Children's Palace, and when we got off the metro we couldn't really locate the park as the station is in itself a massive shopping centre. We left the station from every exit, all of which had some reference to the park, but could we find it? Nope! After a while, we found a tucked away little staircase and followed it up to the top, what we found surprised us. Lianhuashan Park begins on top of the station, and runs in a long, thin strip from the base of the Shenzhen skyline (down by the Industrial Museum) and runs (albeit with magnificent gardens to enjoy along the full length of the walk) for about half a mile. At the far end of the walk, the park opens up into a great traditional park, which is excellent to enjoy in the hot South China summertime.

- Dafen Art Village: Whenever I would see the oil paintings that they hang in hotel rooms, whether as an adult or when I was a kid, I'd always wonder to myself about who painted it or where it came from. Now I know: Dafen! Dafen is an area like many others in Shenzhen, with many people and many high-rise apartment blocks. But in the midst of all this is the art village. The art village is the world's one stop hypermart for hotel oil paintings, and it's seriously cool to see. The place is essentially the world's largest painting factory, and in the true spirit of Chinese productivity, they are produced quickly, cheaply and efficiently by hand, with many of the artists painting multiple (yet different) paintings at once. If you like art, it's definitely worth a visit for a few hours.

FOOD AND DRINK: - Little Sheep Hotpot: This was my first experience of real Chinese Hotpot and it was incredible.  Go inside, heat up your pot, and order masses of meats, vegetables and some of the freshest noodles possible and combine them inside the pot, what you'll end up with is phenomenal.

- Tan Vu: Tan Vu is a grilled fish restaurant in the 1 2 3 4 Mall in Dongmen and it's pretty exceptional. Like a Hotpot restaurant you tick your choices from a list when you get seated, making your picks of herbs, spices, oils, vegetables and finally fish. The fish arrives on a large table top grill, which from there you add the rest as you please and at whatever point you want to, it makes for one of the finest fish dishes I've ever eaten.

- Saizeriya: This is staple backpackers food, it's not Chinese and it's not an authentic food experience while in China, but it's Italian food that is seriously cheap and is pretty decent. Another plus besides the low price? These are dotted throughout the country.

- Coco Tea: Like Saizeriya (and Little Sheep), Coco Tea can be found throughout China, they operate like a budget Starbucks and serve up every variation on ice tea that can be imagined. When I say ice tea, I don't really mean in the way we're familiar with in the west. Don't get me wrong, they have basic blends such as a lemon green or black tea, but the best are what the locals drink. These are basically milk tea (like us Brits like to drink in buckets), only ice cold and with everything from coconut jelly to tapioca pearls. It sounds a bit odd, but it's amazing.

So to wrap this post up, if you visit China and you're entering the mainland via Hong Kong, then don't skip Shenzhen, there's way more to it than people give it credit for!

[packratblog-blog1]

Hong Kong 🇭🇰

Hong Kong is a unique beast. It’s two sets of sharp teeth stretching high into a vast and often humid sky, skyscrapers and high-rises compete with each other for height, space and architectural magnificence, glaring at and taunting each other across Victoria Harbour. Beast is a term that gestates two major connotations; majestic and wild. It’s not a term that I choose to use lightly, but the images and ideas it fosters in the mind are completely relevant. This is a place that is a living, breathing contradiction…in the best possible sense. Hong Kong is Western yet firmly taking its place in the East, has one of the highest per person per capita densities on the planet, and yet has an insane amount of park and green space (surprisingly only 25% of its land has been built on!), these being just two basic examples. The beast is fascinating. Situated on (and off) the southern coast of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong is made up of islands, in fact there are at least 200 of them, with Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island being the largest and most territorially significant. As well as this Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories also make up the areas connected to the Chinese mainland, all in all constituting what we today call Hong Kong. You may be left asking a common question by this; “Is Hong Kong Chinese then?" …My answer is a frustrating one; it’s a yes and a no, and it’s giving an answer on this that the history nerd in me is really my best ally. Hong Kong’s full and long-winded name is the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China. So by that definition, yes, it’s Chinese. However, the Special Administrative Region aspect is really important. This means that Hong Kong is given autonomy from Beijing and up to a point, governs itself. More questions. The next logical one is why then is it separate from the rest of China and why does it have this special status? As is the answer to many historical, geopolitical lines of questioning, the short answer is, “the British.” Britain colonised Hong Kong at a considerably late point in the grand scheme of its colonial history and governed the territory consistently between the end of the Second World War and 1997. It is this aspect of Hong Kong’s past that makes it the unique beast that we know and love today. From the 1970s onwards Hong Kong’s unique status and decreasing need for British rule gradually paved the way for what is widely known as ‘The Handover’, and on July 1st 1997, sovereignty of the city was given back to the Chinese. Hong Kong’s considerable cultural, financial and political differences to China are all aspects of Beijing’s decision to give autonomous leeway when negotiating the Handover with Britain and establishing the city-state afresh for the future. In the wake of The Handover, today Hong Kong stands as an economic powerhouse, a bridge between East and West, and in terms of further human standards, as a beacon of the future; it boasts the planet’s longest life expectancy for its residents. So yes, Hong Kong is a beast. However, it's entirely possible to love a beast, beasts are fascinating. Mike Tyson had his tiger, Slash keeps a few hundred snakes apparently and numerous Bond villains have had sharks and stuff. Beasts, while not docile, comfortable pets like rabbits or kittens are unique and wild, they’re lovable because they’re as interesting and as unpredictable as hell. It’s for that reason that this post is a love letter. I love Hong Kong. Hong Kong just works, it’s an unbelievable place that’s a testament to human efficiency and co-existence. When Hong Kong’s population (approximately just under7.5 million people as of last year) is compared with its land mass (of around just under 3000 square kilometres), the number crunching tells you one specific, standout fact; that’s an insane amount of people for an insanely small place in comparison). It’s despite this population density, the planet’s fourth largest (more on that in future posts), that Hong Kong really does just somehow work. Traffic is an issue but not in the same way as it is in other major global conurbations, the people follow rules such as walking on the right side of the pavement/sidewalk to alleviate congestion and they follow jaywalking laws to a tee. The city’s fantastic metro system (the Hong Kong MTR) is clean, efficient and consistently modernised, it can get you to any corner of Hong Kong and it even runs on time! (I’m from England…google ‘Train reliability in Britain’ if you want to find out more about why I’m amazed at trains running on time). And while I’m singing the praises of Hong Kong running like highly modernised, mechanised clockwork there is still that amazing unpredictability that sets my teeth on edge. You can walk along one street with gleaming, modern skyscrapers, your nostrils filled with the scent of Char Sui buns from local street vendors, then turn a corner and be surrounded by quaint Chinese streets filled with Buddhist temples and the smell of incense hanging in the air. It’s unique: It’s modern, it’s steeped in history, and it truly is like nowhere else I’ve ever been. We’ve both been endlessly excited to get back here and it still holds a tonne of new experiences and insights for both of us that we just can’t wait to get our teeth into. Can you tell I’m hungry? Yep, the food’s unbelievable too. With all of that in mind, let's get started on some of my favourite things about Hong Kong... AREAS/PLACES TO VISIT: - Victoria Harbour: The harbour can be seen from either side and whichever way you choose it's always impressive. Arguably though, if you had to choose one or don't have time for both, visit the harbour on the Kowloon side around evening time. If you're lucky (and depending on the time of year) you'll get to see the skyline in the daylight and after a slight wait of an hour or so you'll get to see it lit up for the evening (at 8PM there's a light and sound show each evening which is mega impressive!) I love Victoria Harbour, I believe that if I saw it every day it still wouldn't become something that doesn't blow my mind. - Garden of Stars: Get the MTR to Tsim Sha Tsui and two minutes away is Garden of Stars. This place is very cool, it's Hong Kong's equivalent of LA's walk of fame. Rather than the stars in the pavement/sidewalk, Garden of Stars features handprints and monuments from some of HK cinema's biggest names. The coolest part though? They have this amazingly detailed Bruce Lee statue that really, if you're a martial arts fan, you've kind of GOT to make the voyage to see! - Victoria Peak: Yeah, it's a tourist thing to do but even if you're the kind of person that hates that you should still 100% make the trip up. I'm a skyline and building nerd, and to be honest, besides from the Kowloon side of the harbour, nowhere else in the city gives you a better view (with so many different angles) of HK's unreal skyline. Again, you never get accustomed to that view, it melts my mind. Ocean Park: You won't often find me visiting many theme parks (not out of dislike, I just don't tend to!) However, Ocean Park is very cool. It's equal parts theme park (with rollercoasters and other rides), stunning island-to-sea views, an extensive aquarium and a pretty big outdoor zoo. The best part...they have pandas, and it's unbelievable to see them up close, it's worth a trip just for that. Since I last visited HK last October, Ocean Park now has it's own line on the MTR, which is much easier than the previous bus that was required to make the journey. - Big Buddha Monument: Definitely the largest Buddhist monument I've ever seen, it's situated at the top of a mountain and it's amazing. There's a great cable car trip up there which provides some great photo and video opportunities up over the bay. - Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery: The name sums this one up, it's a hike to get up to the main area of the monastery but the whole way is lined with SO many different Buddhist statues. There are even more at the top where you're also rewarded with great views and some really cool temple buildings. - Kowloon Walled City Park: I get these weird things that I become fascinated by and I end up doing endless research on them...Kowloon Walled City is one of them. The Walled City was a former shanty town which occupied a full city block on Kowloon Island up until as recently as 1994 when it was demolished. It may sound boring, but I saw a documentary on it years ago and became amazed at it's ramshackle, improvised stacked-up architecture. Google it to learn more (as I could go on for ages about this)...it truly is fascinating to consider how the place became a city entirely of it's own. Since demolition in the mid-90s, the city block it once occupied has been transformed into a lush, tranquil park which acts as a great relief from the hectic pace of HK for the locals. To visit was very cool, and it was unbelievable to stand in the centre and imagine the place going back 30+ years. FOOD: Before I start this, I want to state that Hong Kong's food is magnificent. I'd argue that the city is worth visiting just for the food alone (it's that good!) While this isn't an exhaustive list because I could go on forever, this is a list that I've tried to include some different options and price ranges... - Cafe de Coral: It sounds French, it isn't. Cafe de Coral is a large chain in HK. They provide phenomenal Cantonese food with the efficiency of McDonalds. While it's great at any time of the day, what I love about Cafe de Coral is that it's always busy, it's always full of locals which speaks volumes for the food. It's also a good cheap option which makes it great for backpackers and other budget travellers. - Maxim's MX: MX is much like Cafe de Coral and have sprung up all over the city over the last year. It's extremely similar to Cafe de Coral in both the food served and the mode of service as well as price. It's worth visiting both at some point though, as they both have delicious signature dishes of their own! - Tim Ho Wan: There are a few of these phenomenal restaurants dotted around the city. We recently visited the North Point location (a few times, I have to admit), and it's hands down the finest Dim Sum at a reasonable price in Hong Kong, I can't recommend it highly enough. Hong Kong gets more and more interesting and exciting each and every time I visit, we'll be back to visit in a few weeks time. Before that though we cross the border into a place I've always been fascinated by: mainland China. Hong Kong, we'll see you again soon...Shenzhen, we'll see you even sooner!

[packratblog-blog1]

Tokyo, Japan 🇯🇵

I’m going to start by stating the obvious…Tokyo is massive. I mean MASSIVE. I don’t just mean that in terms of its size, scope and population, but I also mean it by how high up it’s always been on our travel bucket list. It’s easily in the top five. But to go back to my initial statement, it really is massive. So massive that what we know as Japan’s largest city isn’t a city at all. It’s a disservice to its sheer magnitude to call this place a city. Tokyo’s official title is Tokyo Metropolis. A title like that conjures certain images in a person’s mind, it paints a picture of sprawling, futuristic megacities, lit in contrasting neon – think Ghost in the Shell or Blade Runner. I can’t speak for everybody, of course, but that’s certainly where my mind shoots to when I think ‘Tokyo’ and ‘Metropolis.’ Japan’s bustling, ever-expanding capital is interesting in its overall make-up for a plethora of reasons. First of all, Tokyo features the most highly populated urban area on Earth. That’s a lot of people. In figures, we’re talking just shy of 39 million people, which to me is an unfathomable amount of people concentrated solely in one place…somehow though, it works! Besides that staggering fact, Tokyo’s actual size can also be explained in a similarly vast fashion. As previously stated, it’s not quite correct to call it a city, Tokyo is in fact, a prefecture, which is more akin to an American state or Canadian province, just to give a rough idea of area. I’ve always wanted to come here, and for as far back as I can remember. As a child I was a prime-time devotee of badly dubbed episodes of Speed Racer, a Japanese juggernaut of a cartoon. As I grew up I became increasingly fascinated by Japan. Why were the Yakuza the toughest of gangs in Grand Theft Auto 3? Why did Homer almost die after eating Sushi? Childish questions, but they did start to develop a serious interest in a different culture situated thousands of miles away. Different happens to be the key word in all of this. Something makes Japan different, and even now I can’t quite put my finger on what that is. Maybe I’ll never know, and maybe that’s the whole point, the whole reason for the fascination. It’s the word different that creates even more questions, even more flashes of interest in various nerve endings in my brain, alighting my interests and their relationship to Japanese culture. What about Japanese culture made the Empire of Japan one of the most unique and fearless military machines in history? What about Japanese culture’s focus on respect and honour created a whole spectrum of martial arts disciplines? What X-factor pushes Japan to consistently lead the world in technological and infrastructural development? …I could go on. For a considerable while. Visiting Japan was amazing and it truly lived up to everything we expected it to be. My brother spent a considerable amount of time working in Japan last year and can't speak highly enough of the place and the people, and to be honest, after having now visited myself, I'm the same. At every single turn, from stepping off the plane to stepping onto the flight to Hong Kong, both Jade and I were completely taken aback by how great the Japanese are. People often talk about Japanese efficiency and productivity, but it really does have to be seen to be believed. Then there's the respect that the Japanese display for everybody they come across (our bus driver wouldn't leave the stop until he'd returned his bow to the attendant standing outside!) Alongside this, Tokyo is hands-down the cleanest city I've ever visited. We stayed in Shinjuku, which if what I'm currently writing is basically just a massive recommendation (which is what it's become) then I'd certainly recommend it as a great part of the city in terms of location, transport, food...everything. Being that I'm a man that likes to write lists, I'm going to turn this post into a list of what I consider to be Tokyo's finest: AREAS TO VISIT: - Shinjuku: I'm tempted to say Shinjuku is the beating heart of Tokyo...it's definitely one of them. Shinjuku train station is the world's busiest (it's used by in excess of 2 million people every day!) so by that logic, Shinjuku is definitely an important area of Tokyo and it's definitely worth a visit! It has great shrines and if you're lucky, you might just catch the random festivals that pop up during the week. - Shibuya: In particular, Shibuya crossing, which is the world's busiest crosswalk. If you're lucky enough to snag a seat in the Starbuck's that overlooks the intersection then you've got the best view in the whole place (keep an eye out and wait your turn and you'll definitely get a seat if you persevere). Watching a crossing sounds boring, but it's way more of an experience than it sounds! - Kabukicho: Kabukicho is an interesting place to say the least. Remember when I wrote earlier about that Blade Runner/Ghost in the Shell-vibe? Kabukicho is that down to the very last neon-soaked pixel. It's also home to the bizarre Robot Restaurant (if you fancy that - we didn't) and a huge Godzilla that juts out above the rooftops...head down there at night and he's all lit up with glowing eyes! The best thing about this neck of the woods? The Samurai Museum, where you get to see some seriously impressive swordsmanship from a descendant of ancient Samurai and get to to learn a crazy amount about the art of Bushido and how the Samurai played an important role in Japanese history. - Harajuku: Jade loved it here! (I must admit that I did too), it's basically the capital of all of Japan's quirky fashion culture. Takeshita Street is a long, thin street lined with shops that sell everything - vintage band tees, crepes, allsorts. There's even a leather jacket shop that legendary Guns N Roses bassist Duff McKagan apparently frequents whenever he's in town (the rock nerd in me almost died at how cool that is). It's also home to the Meiji Shrine, which is unbelievably impressive and is a great retreat from the craziness of Takeshita Dori (it's about a ten-minute walk away.) FOOD: - Uobei Sushi: This place is an absolute gem! It's a five minute walk from Shibuya Station (Google Map it and you'll find it in no time at all). It's a classic belt-order sushi restaurant that's really reasonably priced and I'd highly recommend basically the entire nigiri menu they have! - Kamakura: This is just superb, no-nonsense, delicious Japanese cuisine and again, it's really cheap. This is right near the Godzilla statue in Kabukicho (again, Google Maps and it's easy to track down). Just order and pay for your meal at the machine outside, head inside and your food will be with you in less than 5 minutes, it's great. - CoCo Ichibanya Curry: These can be found throughout Japan, they're a great little chain restaurant that specialise in Japanese curry. They have pretty much every variation on Katsu curry that I can think of, so if you're a fan, it's worth a visit. Japan, you've been brilliant. Next stop: Hong Kong.