The gods seemed to be conspiring to keep us in Xi'an. We arrived at the airport with lots of time to spare, had a delicious breakfast and checked in our luggage. Once we were through the security checks we were then told that our 10:15 was now delayed to 11:40. Thick fog rolled around outside, other flights were getting cancelled and we feared for the worst.

We did finally leave by midday and two hours later touched down in the sunshine and relative warmth (15 degrees C as opposed to Xi'an's 4 degrees) of Shanghai.

We have now moved into the lifestyle which we would like to become accustomed to. The five star hotel, Shangri-La, gives us a fantastic view across the river to old Shanghai and what is even more exciting a walk in marbled shower cubicle that fits two!! and his and his matching terry towel bathrobes.

Coming back to Shanghai feels a bit like coming home. We enjoyed Xi'an but weren't quite expecting to be doing the luge down its icy high streets.

It's New Year's Eve tomorrow and we have no plans as yet. Not long before we have to come home :-( and see you all :-)

Xi'an seems a bit of a blog-free zone. We have been having real problems getting on to the web-site.

We arrived yesterday and it looked like we would be staying forever. It is a 12 hour train journey here from Beijing and a 12 hour train journey over to Shanghai. Having arrived here in the early morning we went to book train tickets out to Shanghai and were told there was none. None that day, none the next, none the day after. Standing room only. We did not much like the sound of standing for 12 hours in a crowded train with back-packs.

So it looked like we would be staying in Xi'an for quite some time.

So instead we are flying out. What was a 12 hour night journey has now become a 2 hour day trip, and still in time to get to our luxury hotel in Shanghai, which came free with our UK flights.

It has to have been the coldest day so far. We drove up to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Snow began to fall and was carpetting the ground by the time we arrived there.

It is China's number one tourist attraction and when you arrive at the side of Pit 1 and see the massed ranks of these soldiers standing grimly behind each other, you understand why. There are supposed to be 6,000 of them in Pit 1 and they are still uncovering Pits 2 and 3, with more pits probably to follow.

Each warrior is different in face and expression. At various points there are the shattered remains of warriors lying in the dirt. They look like some defeated army, legs, arms and heads scattered across a battlefield. Some, if not most, of the warriors were probably based on real soldiers or friends of the artisans who created them. Their clay faces are all that is left of them.

We were also planning to see some hot, thermal springs on the way back but is was too cold to even get out of the car and walk around. Call us wimps but we headed back to the warmth of the hotel.

Shanghai tomorrow and it feels like the home-straight of our journey.

Hopefully the Internet will be better; we have missed blogging with you.

Al was up early this morning and, ever dedicated to the cause of Chinese History, off to see Chairman Mao. Jan had a lie in.

While it's free to see Mao's embalmed body, draped gracefully with a spotless red flag, it's no free for all. You cannot take in any bags or cameras and they only let in a certain amount at a time, although this being China 'a certain amount' is a huge crowd.

Once inside the building's forecourt people flock to buy flowers from the government stall. Inside there is a larger than life statue of Mao and people lay their flowers in front of it and even get down on their knees, hands clapsed together.

I have to say once you finally get to see Mao, he looks a bit waxy, . He lies straight as a ram-rod in a large glass booth which is itself inside another glass booth. We crowds file past him silently, our heads uncovered (as the sign has instructed us) and craning our necks as we disappear out the door for our last glimpse of his face.

Would we do the same for an embalmed body of Hitler?

Back to the warmth of the hotel. It is freezing here today.

Today was Jan and Al's Big Day of Shopping..... We can officially announce we have 'Don- sho-ping'! (this is an original Jan joke which only he found funny)

This morning, however, following last night's meal which had a fair amount of dried red chillies the size of small motor vehicles, Al had to make an emergency toilet stop to a convenitently positioned Chinese hospital. They thought he was complaining of a stomach tumour and cracked up when Al described he actually was going to poo himself! Quite a dab hand at charades is our Al!

After our little toilet break, we decended upon 3 markets, or was it they decended upon us? It was like being bombarded with a million requests to buy what can mostly be described as TAT. As you passed each stall, vendors shouted out "You like t-shirt/watch/North Face/ tie/girly bag for your wife?" We just told them our wives were already well spoilt and quite close by!!

Tomorrow is our last day in Beijing and we move on to Xi'an. Here's hoping we get a sleeper carriage to ourselves.

Thanks for all the comments you have posted. Keep them coming.

Merry Christmas to all our loyal readers!!!

There was the perfect photo opportunity today: Jan being supported by two tiny
Chinese women and their walking stick as he gingerly and very carefully trod down the 70 degree incline of the Great Wall. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it was Jan who had the camera and so instead there are pictures of Al flat on his bum being helped up by the same two minuscule women.

The Great Wall is truly spectacular and worth the hair-raising cable car ride across deep ravines in what has to be the oldest and most blue-tak held together contraption in the world! The views are jaw dropping. We walked across several Gate posts of the wall over frost ridden stones hence the help needed to stop us from breaking a bone or two.

From there we went to the Summer Palace, just outside Beijing. We saw some of the most beautiful palaces, pagodas and courtyards we have seen so far. Two thirds of the vast palace complex is a large lake, frozen over at present, allowing the most daring individuals (and we must add light in weight too!) to venture across the ice to a small island in the middle.

We are thinking of you all as you tuck into your Turkeys or nut roasts! We are going out to taste some local delicacies without stuffing and sprouts :-(

Merry Christmas

We took the overnight train to Beijing. The four-berth room had triangular doilies on the backrest and a small vase with flowers on the table. It was great way to spend the 12 hour journey from Shanghai: asleep.

Beijing is polar ice-zone apart from Shanghai. You have to walk at a brisk palce to keep the circulation going, although the native Beijingers seem to have all studied in Newcastle as they manage with far less clothing.

On today's agenda is the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. We are hoping to meet Mao as well, but don't expect him to be that chatty.

Shanghai has a population over approximately 200 million. 90% of them seem to be out on the streets at the same time as you are. There are queues to cross the road.

They have 'Traffic Assistants' at most of the crossroads, who stand with whistles and flags to keep the traffic moving . They whistle fiercely at you if you start to cross when the little green man has already started flashing.

We went to see a performance of Shaolin Kung Fu (and this being China you have to pronounce the 'Kung Fu' bit properly). Amazing what they can do with a sheet of glass, a pin and a balloon. And you were just beginning to think the slightly podgy one at the front wont be up to much and then he stands on one leg, bends the other behind his head and falls down straight into the splits. All the men in the audience collectively winced.

The Shanghai-ites must have a fair amount of money. The shops here are full of luxury goods: watches, furs, jewellery. But it is not Europeans and Westerners you see buying. In fact there are few non-Chinese around although you do pass the one or two down Nanjing Road, say.

The there are the occasions someone runds up to you, waving a canera. You think they want you to take a picture of them standing with their friends. In fact they want their friends to take a pictire of them standing with you. We are clearly one of the most unusual things they had seen that day.

I don't quite know how but we were one of the few planes to get out of Heathrow on Wednesday. 10 hours later we touched down in Shanghai.

I suppose we were expecting masses of security but we were almost waved through and out the building. It is then it hits you: you have no idea what any of the signs mean and no clue where you are supposed to go. This must be the most foreign place either of us have been in.

Main feelings so far: Shanghai seems to be going through major changes in front of your eyes - buildings going up, the tallest skyscrapers and thousands upon thousands of people. It not that it seems crowded, although the way the traffic appears to go in all directions at the same time while people cross the roads is staggering.

This morning we walked through one of the main parks. People stood around doing their exercises. Small groups flourished swords or fans in controlled tai-chi like movements. Beautiful.

We also had the most psychedelic trip under the river on the Bund Tourist Tunnel. The short tunnel has been filled with lasers, strobes, flash lighting and dry ice making for an Andrew Webber-like experience (without Sarah Brightman fortunately).

Tomorrow we take the train to Beijing.

Just hope this is published on the site as we are having to manage with all the instructions in Chinese!

Bags are packed but Al is still writing his Christmas cards. They might get to you all before Christmas this year.

The greatest conundrum so far has been: how many pairs of shirts do you take? Long-sleeve; short-sleeve?

We took a peek at the Virgin Airways web-site to look at what Premium Economy is. Umm Umm. Feel those extra inches of leg room. Everyone looks like they are off for some important business meeting with the Swiss.