WOW! Now this was an experience! We took a cruise ship down the Yangtze with all the chinese tourists...It is difficult enough because barely anyone speaks English in China...but this boat had no one, no one speak it at all. We found a common language of course - the one that involves pointing, signing and saying "XieXie" an awful lot. To be honest with you, we are terrible tourists, we should have learnt more of the language...but slowly bit by bit we are begining to understand shorter sentences. It is quite funny when you say to a Chinese person that you don't understand what they've just said, they normally simply repeat it again After the twentieth time of hearing the same phrase you begin to comprehend what they're on about. So far we have met two kinds of Chinese - awesome, nice, superhelpful and cute...and the total opposite. Constant sound of some old guy coughing up his flem and then spitting it on the ground is also very common. Oh and oh the smell and appearance of public toilets are rediculous...they're scwats, which means if you want to go for number two - good luck. To a normal europen gentleman that pose is impossible to achieve and believe you me I've tried. Perhaps the need didn't overtake my senses completely. So, even the poshest hotel, as we found out, you will find a scwatty. Those who are about to embark on travels to South East Asia any time soon - beware...and stock up on your own toilet paper or otherwise use the hand.

We are currently in Yichang, on our way towards Guilin.

Oh, well...time's up....read the Travelblog for more details