Tokyo

Vedanta -top of MORI TOWER- 56th floor-great views of Tokyo-on clear day one can see Mount Fuji 100km away!!

Modern architecture is big in Japan.

Tea cup balconies!

Dipak tired out after heavy lunch not liquid though!

After walking for hours this was the only view available of Imperial Palace!TORIL-Shinto Shrine entrance gate- at SENSO-JI Shrine-enshrines the BUDDIST GODDESS OF MERCY.

Area surrounding SENSO JI Shrine
Grounds of SENSO-JI Shrine
Area surroinding SENSO-JI ShrineActual SHRINE...People praying-offering gifts.

Leaving TOKYO for FUJJJIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our ryokan is the one with blue covering...was being re-done but we had a great deal! and ASAKUSA was great part of TOKYO!

Dipak..............Konichiwa from TOKYO
We left China on 5th June and arrived in Hong Kong then left for JAPAN....THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN!!!!!! arrived TOKYO on 6th June and are here till 27th June before we head back to Hong Kong for 7 days...
Tokyo...great modern city...people are real friendly...infact at Narita airport we were taking a local train in to Tokyo as its lot cheaper than express train and asking a Japanese man for some help and he said he will pay for our train fare if we like to to take super express train which would cut our journey time by half ....such kindness..but we said no we will take the local cheaper train and thanked him for his kindness...by the way 2007 is official INDIA/JAPAN friendship year and they even have stamps available to mark this year....there are 12 stamps with each having INDIA symbols like Taj Mahal and Tiger and so on.
Tokyo ....seen Imperial Palace,Sony Building ,Shinto shrines,Japanese gardens(Ps fav!)..travelled around by Tokyo Metro and it is very good....by the way we stayed 4 nights in Tokyo in a RYOKAN ie Japanese style hotel where you sleep on the floor have tea sitting on a floor...and so on.. its great but not so good for my back..P loves it so we are staying in RYOKAN through out Japan!!! We found a great Indian restaurant just across the street from our RYOKAN and we ate there every evening....fab...Siddiques...apologies to those nationalist amongst you as it was part Pakistani and part Indian... but food was good.
Japan is very expensive and the most expensive are the TAXIS...one and half hour ride from Airport to Central Tokyo will cost you 170 quid!!!!!
There is not much to see in Tokyo apart from new modern buildings and so on as the city was raised to the ground by US air raids in WWII....P loved Tokyo as it is so clean and everything works on time as it should...a train or a bus would leave or arrive exactly on time even to a second....all in all we had a relaxing time in Tokyo and fuelled by Siddiques food we were ready to move on to my favourite FUJI MOUNTAIN and all her majesty....cant wait.
We are travelling around JAPAN via SHINKANSEN(SS) ie Bullet train and we have bought 14 days train pass..this we bought in UK as you cannot buy it in JAPAN...SS are the fastest trains in the world travelling at over 300km per hour and its the best way to see JAPAN....
Sayonara!!!

Yangshuo

The things I have to resort to, to earn a few extra pennies!

Some people were carried on this sudan chairs 800m up to view the rice terraces known as Eight Moon Stars and Dragons Back Rice Terraces.The view from top of this 1000 years old rice terraces was jaw droppingly beautiful.This area with wooden houses and minority communities are Unesco World Heritage Site.

These women are not allowed to cut their hair, except on two special occasions; when they turn 16 and when they get married.

These minority people were heavily persecuted under Maos regime and barely survived-they live in 4 small villages high in mountain farming rice on terraces using unique techeniques to irrigate land -one village called Ping An is known as longest hair village in the world(guinness book of records)

Woman from a minority group

Traditional chinese wooden homes in the countryside

Some of these houses are over 1000 years old made of wood.

Beer Bottles (Dipak claims no knowledge!)

Although Dipak found his mate Ranjit behind this green mountain, he was barely able to speak let alone stand up!. He murmered something like KIDDHAAAAA!!!! asked ME what am I doing here and which way to ounslow!!!

Rice Paddies in Longshen -Dipak felt at home being a farmers son!!!

Longshen is 3 hours bus ride from Yangshuo.

These rice terraces offer different looks depending on weather season and irrigation eg when they are watered they look like glass terraces! Some travellers say the beauty of the terraces covered in snow or in October when the fields are stunnigley golden are the best views.

Rice Paddies in Longsheng

You can see bit of glass effect as they are watered.

Countryside with limestone peaks in the distance

Yangshuo countryside .

This is a legendary backpacker hang-out just 65km from Guilin,its laid back base from which one can explore other samll villages nearby and visually it surpasses Guilin.One can soak up strong local flavour on the cheap.Peddaling on bikes through rice fields amid the splendid green-topped limestone peaks for a day or two is for many travellers is their top China experience-and I think it was our best bit of real China experience.

Cycling through the countryside

Spent whole day travelling through Yangshuo countryside on bike-had picture postcard views at every turn-passing through villages of gone by days-a real China at last!!!!

We stayed 4 days in Yangshuo as house guests with Chinese family(known as home stay)-our hosts Mr Wei and his family were just amazing and his sister in law was our guide in Yangshuo.We learnt about Chinese family and their way of life,also PnV learnt some Chinese cooking and painting-the house was right below mountain.

Enjoying the countryside

Taking a break from cycling and enjoying the rest.

Yangshuo countryside

Awsome countryside dotted with supernaturally lovely topography gracing as many as 16 lazy clear rivers that passes through here-these bizarre limestones upthrusts shapes-shifting in dancing mists and haze-this beauty here and in Guilin has been celebrated for generations by famous painters and poets.Farmers and families going about their daily routines around these amazing views we will always remember about China.

Entrance to the Water Caves, containing a mud bath and 3 water pools for swimming

Entrance to one massive water cave with rivers,waterfalls,mud pools and natural swimming pools-its a huge water cave deep beneath the mountain-lights went out 4 times in 3 hours we were in there-and boy it WAS SCARY in the dark!!!

PnV had mud bath with slides and all-I took some pictures but she wont let me put it on the blog!!!

More views from the top of Moon Hill, a climb of over 800 steps

Admiring views from the top of Moon Hill

Views from Moon Hill-note my sweat soaked shirt after climbing over 800 steep steps in 35 degree humid condition but the views it gave from top was worth every drop.

Moon Hill in the distance

Bamboo Rafting

Li river majesticlly serene as it winds its way through some mind blowing lush green limestone topography-two hours rafting -met Chinese/American couple from New York as we were rafting along side each other and emails exchanged as one does on this travel!

Bamboo Rafting on the Li River

VnD literally soaks up the views!

Selling veg at the marketplace

Went to local market with our host Mr wei-they sell everything here from live dogs,snakes,bats,rabbits and fresh fruits and vegetables to go with it ofcourse!!!

Guilin

Enjoying the views

Guiln to Yangshou is a 5 hour very leisurely cruise on crystal clear Lijiang river full of happy Chinese tourist because all over China when you mention word Guilin to them you can watch the looks of rapture and pride on their faces-and you can see why when you see it with your own eyes!!!

Lijiang River and the magnificent views of the limestone peaks

One of many picture post card views of winding Lijiang river-some of the most extaordinary scenery !

Lijiang River

More scenes on Li river

i was fascinated by this flag and i wanted to write on it you never walk alone but i was told not to by my wife as two red guards were watching us again!!!

Lijiang River

More views of the Lijiang River

Locals going about their business .

Two pagodas in Guilin

One of many beauty spots in Guilin-this one is favourite with young lovers due to its beauty and dotted with secluded seats with your feet hanging in the water-and night its lit up like Las Vegas.

Views of the Lijiang River on a trip from Guilin to Yangshuo

spot the local navigating his way through the waters

Yangtze River Cruise

Admiring the dam

This is no ordinary dam-its THE bigeest dam in the world and always will be. When completed in 2009 it will control the waters on the third longest river in the world-6500km-THE YANGTZE RIVER

(caps lock not working on keyboard)

it flows from himalays through tibet across china and empties near shanghai in to east china sea/pacific ocean.it will produce elctricity equal to 15 nuclear power station.

Three Little Gorges by traditional small boat

the water levels will go up more than 175m -will displace millions-over 8000 historical sites will be drowned for ever-the three gorges will disappear for ever under water -we are the last of the tourist to see this sites before it is lost-its pure vendalism but on the positive side the flooding will be control so lives will be saved and ofcourse it is going to revitalise middle china- to their credit chinese have built many new cities and bridges all along banks of yangtze above the new water leves-its incredible to see this new concrete jungles.

Three Gorges

not sure but i think this bridge is to be lost once water level rises above 175m from the water level now-the only wild life we saw were few migratory birds and 3 elusive golden monkeys!!!!

Three Little Gorges


More views of the Yangtze River

Chengdu

The Grand Buddha at Leshan - Part One

Caved into a cliff face overlooking the Dadu River and Min River in Leshan,is 71m high.Qualifying as the largest Buddha in the world,his ears are 7m long!!! you could picnic on the nail of his big toe!!! the toe itself is 9m long!!! Carved in AD 713. A buiding once sheltered this Grand Buddha,but it was destroyed during a Ming dystany war.Leshan is full of many Hindu gods statues all carved in to cliffs,caves and walls .There is a cliff with 2400 Buddhas carved on it dating back to Han Dystany.

The Grand Buddha at Leshan - Part Two

It is too big for the camera, you'll just have to try and imagine part one and part two together.

Candle Prayers at one of the Buddha Temples at Leshan
One of many great sites in Leshan hills-note the happy Buddha in the back ground-they say if you rub Buddhas belly you will also become happy and if you are bold you are a wise one-but then there are exception to this rule!

Cave of a thousand Buddha's at Leshan, near Chengdu
This really was awe inspiring site as you climb all those very steep steps and on the top are statues of Buddhas every where and you are in the clouds and its straight out of Indiana Jones movie-the smell of thousands of candles and inscense burning was very intoxicating and made you feel great admiration for those who built these places for love of Buddah and dedications and worship of other Gods.

Panda Bears in Chengdu

This picture is not from the wild but from our visit to Chengdu Giant Panda sanctuary-20km from Chengdu.Giant Panda use to roam around these hills freely many years ago but not anymore as there are only 1000 or so left in the wild-and you have to be extremely lucky to see one in the hills-as I said before Chinese like to eat anything that moves and may be that explains the demise of these adorable teddy bears!!! We saw some 30 Giant Pandas and 10 or so Red Pandas(they look like giant red squirrels) They charge 60 quid to have your picture taken holding a baby pandas-we kindly turned it down.On this early morning trip we met lone American Tiger Woods look alike student from Vermont who speaks fluent Japanese-some guy! and it gives one lots of inspiration to enjoy life -also met a giant lone Danish traveller and he really has travelled the world few times-had some great stories to tell-also met some Jews fom Israel but they wont that friendly towards me as I expressed my views on Palestine struggle for liberation and Intifada.The hostel was great again in Chengdu-we were booked in for 3 dormatory beds for 4 to a room but as we entered the room P spotted a biggest spider you have ever seen and with few tears from V we were soon upgraded to double bed ensuite room,thanks to Mr Spider and Vs acting we had a great room for next 4 days at very little cost!!! We have decided to try the same trick elsewhere when we are unhappy with our accomodation!!!

Chengdu is a vast modern city with gateway to Tibetan highways and mighty Yangtze river,but its very polluted with hundreds of factories with big chimneys coughing out toxic pollutant in the air and dumps all toxic waste in to Yangtze.Its still a charming city with loads of Buddah temples and bit of Tibetan culture under surface.Also met interesting travellers and saw my beloved REDS lose against the FASCISTS in Shamrock bar with other REDS travellers and few locals-this disappointment will remain with me until we win the next Champion League Cup.

Xian and the Terracotta Warriors

Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show

This show was enjoyable with lots of music and dancing and lots of hand waving with long sleeves!!! P wanted to see acrobatic show in Bejing but decided see that when we do around the world clokwise!!!

Terracotta Warrior Army
8th wonder of the world according to former President Clinton and I have to agree with him simply because what still lies undiscoverd around this vast area buried deep beneath the earth.The Warriors were re-discovered in 1974(by a farmer digging a well),having been buried for over 2000 years.All facing East in battle formation with weapons,complete with horses and chariots to guard the tomb of the emperor Shi Haung Di and to protect his journeyto the after life.Thousands still remain buried with the tomb,7000 are discovered and on view,all are life size and modelled on each warrior of his vast army at the time,no two faces are alike.Its simply awsome site!!!

Another view of Xian City Wall
Xian is an Imperial city with bucket load of history ,old city enclosed by fabulous wall (exact square) 24km built during Tang dynasty with new city built outside the wall,it has some of the best street food in China. It has fascinating Muslim quarter with Great Mosque and street food!!! There are many other historical site in and around Xian and its mighty fabulous city with lots of charm.

Our hostel located by the City Wall
Great hostel ,8 pound a night,double room ensuite,absolute luxury for us backpackers!!! but a bit noisy at night.Young American owner form Texas very charming and full of travelling knowledge.Met couple of lager swinging Koreans doctors and shared few beers with them as one does.P n V learnt to make Dunplings and we went to a dumpling party!!!

Bicycle ride on top of Xian City Wall

Everybody in China seems to owns a bike so we decided to hire some and cycled around on top of the City Wall and it was great fun-the wall is brick built 25 feet wide and 40 feet high and very long!!!! we bumped in to lots of joggers late on as it was half a marathon day on the wall. The wall and cycle ride was worth all the cycling pain!!!

Bell Tower at Xian at night

In China you see lots of city wall ,temples,pagodas and TOWERS ,they are fantastic to look at and have great views form the top over the cities and all have fantastic lights by night.All cities in China are great on neon lights and can give Las Vegas run for their money.(In China one new power station opens every week and are all coal fired and thus China has 7 top polluted cities in the world-POLLUTION is big problem in China-most cities are covered in fog all day and night and in some cities blue sky is at premium!!!-the other thing you notice is lack of any wildlife what so ever-I mean you never see any birds or insects or dogs or rabbits just nothing except people-and in China anything that moves is a delicasy and may be that explains lack of wildlife)