Tomorrow morning I leave my hostel to head to Shanghai Airport, to get there I will need to use the MagLev which is the worlds fast train. I am quite looking forward to this. Before I board this bullet to the airport to catch my plane to Busan in South Korea I think it only right to stop and reflect on my month in China.
I arrived in China from Mongolia on the Trans-Mongolian Express with some amazing views as the train cut through the mountains to arrive in Beijing and with no cash.
The highlights of Beijing had to be Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall both experiences I will truly remember for ever. The great wall took my breath away.
Taking the Bullet Train from Beijing to Guilin was pretty cool too reaching speeds of over 300km/p
The highlight for me still has to be YangShuo which is near Guilin. The scenes were mountainous and green. I also tried rocking climbing which is something I have wanted to do for quite a while and really enjoyed it.
From here it was to Shanghai on an overnight train in 3rd class which was an ‘experience’ because I ended up with the top bunk which you can only lie down on and not sit up though this is still much better than not having a bed at all.
The highlight of Shanghai was two fold, the first was the views of the amazing megatropolis especially from the Hyatt Hotel over the city. The second was visiting and volunteering at the Shanghai Healing Home. I really feel I saw another dimension to China and the kindness that these children are shown from their carers is great and how most are adopted in to a brighter future is truly lovely thing to see.
My overarching memory of China will be my early morning strolls and the wonderful sights I saw whilst most travellers were asleep. In particular the funeral and firecrackers in Yangshou. On these walk I would always see the elderly doing a wide range of exercises, some of which I will explore further because I am sure they are good for both the body and mind.
Thank you and good bye China, Hello South Korea, I look forward to visiting you and making a new friend.
