Backpacking on a budget

Budgeting for your trip in Malaysia

As mentioned before, try avoid bringing in so much money on your trip and carrying cash around as this gives you a reason to spend money on things you don't need. Give yourself a limit or a small amount suitable to your day plan and work on that. This leaves you limited choice to spend and use it for what you really need. Avoid using the ATM as most banks usually charge and people seeing you taking cash out immediately makes them think you are a millionaire with a pad in central London. No.

If you are seeking alcohol or would like some as part of your meal or on a night out it is expensive from 14-20RMB but food go as low as 5-8RMB. This depends on where you are. Soft drinks go as low as 1RMB and 7/11 the convenience store is perhaps your best shot if you like somewhere dirt cheap and legit. 

Public transport is cheap with at least 10RMB usage a day. Travelling on the KTM Komuter or Transit would be at least 1RMB to the next stop or two but you are probably better off walking. Taxis charge 3RMB for the first half mile. Avoid 'touts' offering cheap taxi service as they often end up making you pay more which is silly. We ain't fools. But I am never taking a taxi again! I only did the first time from KL Sentral with a pre-booked coupon because of the storm and I just couldn't be bothered. This I regret.

 To save even more food money, do catch the free GO KL Bus service which takes you where you are more likely interested to go to - these are the green lines and the purple lines, the blue line doesn't really go where you would want to go. You really don't need to be spending so much here. So you can get anywhere by foot without needing any tourist assistance (or even falling into a scam trap). They speak fabulous English in this country and signs are translated already. Like Thailand, some of their languages are similar to the English language such as their words are pronounced as they are spelt. If you're lost, just ask someone! 

Bargaining with anyone can be difficult but by suggesting that your friend paid less or you found the same product elsewhere for half the price usually works. Don't be fooled by begging shop owners needing money - they are happy to price their products for what they're worth yet sell openly to 3 times the price just because they can. If they say 15, test it by saying 5 and see what they do. Some of the results are fascinating. 

Tips: Avoid ice cubes in side-street stalls and cafes as they are usually made with unboiled water which is unsafe. Also cut fruit from stalls right by the road. You wouldn't as you shouldn't consider it as health and safety. Easily avoid pooing yourself wet or vomiting by eating sensibly from sensible eateries and stalls. Although it is hard to tell, maintain your health is essential for fighting any illnesses you could catch or develop. Bring Vitamin C tablets with you or take daily immune system tabs to strengthen yourself. 

Since it can be screamingly hot outside, going to place with fierce air conditioning is not necessarily is great thing. The constant temperate drop and changes can be a tiny health risk giving you fever development or a simple flu. Try cover your face while sleeping in your hotel room with all-night air con and drink plenty of water if feeling drowsy from the heat. Being ill while travelling is the worst possible situation to experience. 

Day 1 of 26

~ Shoe-string trip on a budget ~

Immediate tip: do change most of your money once you get into the country.

Sooo, I wait an hour and a half until i can board my flight at Heathrow terminal 3 then finally i am escorted into the A380 Emirates Airbus, find my inflight gifts and say my prayers then we are off!

14.45pm - in the air and i am checking the inflight menu and entertainments for the 7 hour flight.

I then landed and flew from Dubai on an Aircraft B777-300ER for another 7 hours and for another 3000 plus miles.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysi, 5 nights.

As I have mentioned before, I will be noting down budget things to do, where to go and eat.

Tip: do make sure you have an international NUS card! Incredibly useful in transport.

When you arrive after claiming your baggage, head to CG floor 2 to the bus station and catch the Airport coach to KL Sentral for just 8RMB (10RMB without an NUS card). Save 72RMB by not getting a metered taxi! Enjoy the comfortable ride from the airport in an air conditioned ride.
So far no changes in the landscape but palm trees emerge as we ride along the motorway.
The country looks well and wealthy and definitely looked after. I almost felt like I was back in Singapore.
It began to rain, not lightly, violently. Welcome to Malaysia I say. I make it to Sunshine Bedz Hostel through the storm in the taxi 17RMB. For a more cheaper option, catch the monorail from KL Senstral to get where you wish with a short walk distance from arrival. The hostel is bang on in the middle of the city's action and I felt extremely welcomed. Told to remove my shoes and shown to my dorm, I was so so knackered but chose not to sleep just yet. It was 5.30pm and after a short rest at the hostel, I felt it was time to explore my surroundings. I took a walk with a roommate through the skywalk tunnel via the convention centre to KLCC park. Here you find fitness runners and yoga activities among the greens and an outdoor swimming pool with a neighbouring lake. Skyscrapers surround this blue pool next to a gym park for children, an artily landscaped park! Allow me to repeat, a swimming pool next to some of the world's biggest buildings such as the Petronas Twin Towers. The twin towers has corporate offices, hotels and luxury accommodations which costs more than you can count. It was the world's tallest building until 2003.

Head to Suria KLCC mall which has 6 floors where you will find Starbucks (ofcourse), GAP, Topshop, Zara, Prada bla bla and even Nandos!!!?!!! I could go on. Don't spend long in there as surely it is not what you came for. So every evening at 7.30pm there is a water fountain show in front of Suria KLCC building. Beautiful colours of the rainbow emerge with splashes of the water and sprinkles in unison. Music is played and people watch. So far I was impressed!
For an evening look, grab a panoramic view of the city by heading up to the public observation deck in KL Tower west of the Petronas twin towers. Visit again during the day too!

Note: It was really difficult to actually tell who was from Malaysia and who was a visitor from a neighbouring country. Malaysia is truly diversed and even with my dark-skinned self walking around, no weird looks at all! Interesting.

Lastly, before heading back to the hostel, there is a great street called Jalan Alor where food is lined up on the busy pavements filled with fluorescent-lit stalls and different people. Black, yellow, white, brown, pink, peach, orange, I'm serious, every race is here, whether they are workers, holidayers or residents. I ate chicken fried rice at Restoran Sai Woo for 8RMB which is great for my first day. However, I suspect I will find a cheaper dish elsewhere.

Be back soon! I will x

what do you really know about deaf people?

One in six people are deaf or hard of hearing, that is 10 million in the UK and more than 998,000 of them are severely or profoundly deaf with 50,000 using British Sign Language as their first or preferred language.

 12,000 of the people were born deaf just like me.

Do you believe me? In fact the number could change!

 I’m black British and I’m deaf. I want to share my experience to bring up my point of this message. During my independent visit to the doctors in Central Milton Keynes Medical Centre today, I was seen by a doctor. Not long into the appointment I had to inform her that I was deaf presumably already known and aware of from my medical profile in hospitals and clinics. She was talking to me toward her computer and I couldn’t understand her at all so when she was told, she began to appear frustrated and annoyed at my request to face me while talking so I can lip-read and therefore understand what she is saying to me. It’s only then when I feel horrible about myself as though it is me that should feel guilty but discriminated against. She started to rudely wide mouth questions at me and patronise me in ways that I felt uncomfortable and upset. After 7 minutes of the meet, she sent me on my way with glee! What if I had missed vital information for my back or misinterpreted a suggestion?

So often I feel as though people are poorly educated about deaf people and deaf awareness. Even up to this day, I have people amazed at my physical image when informed that I am deaf which I believe they see as a physical disability. My dentist as you may understand behaves snappy with me when I tell her I can’t understand her especially when it comes to important instructions such as not eating or drinking within 30minutes of having my fillings done. She refuses to remove her mask when speaking, even after the session where she is no longer working one me. She very quickly loses patience with me and sends me on my way as quick as she can. What if I had missed any vital information there for the health of my teeth?

In years of education, I have received great support from a disability team but they are not the ones educating me. After consistent problems in mainstream schools due to lack of deaf awareness and support, I was finally accepted to attend a school for the deaf which held up to 200 pupils at the time. There, all of my needs were attended to and we had thorough support as well as speech therapy but then when we finish our GCSE’s / A Levels, we are thrown back out into the bigger society relying on our independence and outside support. Even today, after constant reminders to lecturers, dentists and individual professionals that I have a hearing impairment, I still feel discriminated against and put out of my place. Among thousands of job applications made and submitted where I mention that I have a disability, I had been rejected one after the after. However, when submitting an application without mentioning my disability, I had two call backs.

During my trip to China this year, a girl from the UK who was my age had questioned the device in my ears. She had no idea what my hearing aids were and what they were for!

My point of this message is that Deaf people need to be heard. Deaf people need to be noticed. Deaf people deserve more credit! And people need to be educated, if so, far better than they are! Tell me how many deaf people you work with; one? Two? Or none? A deaf person can be just as qualified as a hearing person but who is more likely to get the job? Perhaps we are too much to take on? Perhaps because the company wants to avoid having to adapt their environment for us or perhaps because we’re not good enough, too complicated they may say. We also say racism has cut down but has it? Today we are constantly fighting against racism just as we are fighting discrimination and every day, I feel discriminated against.

There are many deaf programs and organisations as well as projects, clubs etc. but I feel like it's not enough. My whole life there have been deaf campaigns but still I don't feel like anyone is listening or even yet educated. People are clueless, people are unaware, people are surprised and I could go on! This message should not be from someone who has knowledge about deaf people or someone who has been trained to support deaf people but from a deaf person desperate to get her words across the UK. I want to change the way deaf people are treated, I want to educate the public about deaf people and I want every possible equal opportunity put out there for deaf children and teenagers and even adults like me! Living in this society where women have fought for gender quality, where black people are stereotyped and targeted with racism and where deafness is unheard of must make it in every way very difficult to get through every day. A deaf person with a medical degree with no speech might find it difficult to get employed but what about for deaf patients, what about needs? We need to bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing world and help mix the two abilities together so we can further assist everyone’s needs.

So by filling the gap in the recruitment industry for deaf people, I have been planning on building a business recruitment consultant organisation providing advice to deaf candidates. This is where a qualified deaf person from each industry can work in different sectors and be the one not only to help educate colleagues in the office but to set an example when serving deaf customers. I want to help provide career opportunities, temporary or full time and even set as a career development plan. This will help deaf people to be both independent and confident individuals rather than to feel intimidated or dissimilar and therefore discriminated against. We need to spread the deaf language to help communication, deaf identity, community, heritage and diversity so people can be aware and prepare for when the time comes and they are in contact with a deaf person.

I am one of many voices shouting for attention to be heard, and deaf people need to be heard.        

Where to next?

So i have been arranging my travel money and currency exchanges piling up in my wallet ready for my trip. The main preparation is the packing; always be sure to pack light and ready, i have an old raincoat, a jumper, sandals, hiking shoes, a few tees, shorts and trousers, just one. So, not much because i don't need much. Making sure i bring my favorite English snacks i won't be able to see out there for a few weeks and a book to read! You can buy an adapter out there which is cheaper for you and also exchange your money out there too which is better (although its ideal to have some anyway for transport and somewhere to stay etc.)

So where to next?

First stop, Kuala Lumpur! KL is a progressive world class city capital of Malaysia. It boasts skyscraper skylines, the presence of global brand names and an educated population.
I shall be spending just 4 days in this city before moving onto my next stop.
Terima kasih - thank you in Malay :))) (i'm getting there)

Next stop is Indonesia, Bali! Which is a beautiful island with a variety of landscapes of hills and mountains. It is a winner for travelling and definitely worth a visit so i am exciting to be finally heading there!
I will be staying at Kuta for a few days and volunteering at a children home helping in the kitchen which is so exciting! Something different to what i have done too! Then to East Bali to visit their most important volcano and famous black sand beaches. Ubud for their rice fields and Ulu Watu for their white sand beaches below the cliffs! This is a rough plan of mine which may change but who knows what it will bring!

After a lovely week in Bali, the next stop is Tokyo, Japan!!!!!! Tokyo never stops as you all know so i am extremely excited to embrace their culture for i have such deep curiosity. Ready to blow my mind in the heart of the city, the world's largest megalopolis will seem so intimidating! By research understanding that Japan is one of the most, perhaps the most, expensive country in Asia, it is not a matter of survival on a shoestring budget surely. It will be interesting however how i will go about the city within my budget as i have aims in each destination which i am keen to blog about when i am out there. I believe it is entirely unnecessary to spend as much as one would on travelling and come home to no money and cry about being broke despite spending the best times of your life out there. So with every move i do, i will be sharing where i go, how much i spend and the tricks of the fooling a tourist while in the country! Anyway, everything i do, i will blog about as it's nice to pass on what i know and learn to others when they wish to travel where i am heading. Especially if you wish to go alone (or in a group), be on a budget, and know where to go!

Hopefully after a hectic time at Tokyo i will be ready for my last stop in Seoul!!!!! With a wealth of historic sights, South Korea seemed like a great plan before heading home. Keen for the open-air markets, food, palaces, art, entertainment and museums, i am looking forward to drawing in the infamous cafes while people watching and engaging in the busy city.

Flying with Emirates is new for me as i have always flown with different airlines to experience the service they provide. Especially with each airline boasting different qualities or better qualities, it is interesting and necessary for me to actually see this in action. Also not to be selfish by sticking with one airline and disgracing another. Although, Singapore Airline by far has been the most amazing airbus travel i have ever been with and this was flying to Cambodia when i was 17. I could go on about them but i can't betray emirates now?!

Not only i travel, i try as much as i can to help those i live among while i am there. I be sure to give back, learn from the different cultures and to create my own path and leave a trail.

I'll be back with information on my campaign for deaf people in employment and deaf awareness!

Difficult road - Beautiful destination.

Heeeeey!

Thanks for coming back! Much appreciated.
I now have the time and strength to be writing my blog every other day for daily commuters, early morning strollers and bedtime readers. Also for those who are just generally interested! Having finished my degree at Kingston University (finally!), I have been continuously busy with arranging my store full time, planning my next travel around the world and watching educational documentaries hosted by Stacey Dooley whom i dislike and Louis Theroux who is actually awkwardly interesting.

Moving on, my blog will mainly consist of information on my vintage clothing boutique, general thoughts of the day and new travel plans! And speaking of which, I will be heading off to the Far East next week for 26 days flying with Emirates to 4 countries! I am sooo exciteddd.

After 3 years of studying and moving to another university at year 2, i have been through the worst and the best while being a student. The worst being so broke and eating 11p noodles from Lidl everyday for a month and the best meeting my soulmate who is a music fanatic and my favourite Greek girlfriend (we are literally a version of each other except that she likes to drink ouzo and ouzo is horrendous). I have had tonsillitis, the deadliest toothaches, the unhealthy weight loss, the omg-i-want-todrop-out-but-my-mum-will-kill-me moments, the most painful procrastination adventures and the all-nighters in the library writing your 300000000 words essay due in the next morning at 11am. I have written about drug use, whether babies can count but they just don't know it, why we find things ugly, the psychology of films - whether they are just entertainment or a little bit more, influence of working memory, occupational psychology, the relationship between art and psychology, development of theory of mind, statistics in psychology, brain and cognitive development - this is just in my last year for all i know! Don't get me started from my first year. My dissertation was a qualitative study focusing on 'Work related stress and health of staff working in a care home' and it included conducting interviews with care staff and coding the transcripts. The word count was only 12,000 words but what i went through to get the word count filled in was ridiculous; ethics approval was last minute, title kept getting changed and recruiting the staff was even more of a pain but a week before the deadline, i presented my study at the psychology conference and everyone was pleased so i felt just little bit more confident with it. Anyway, uni is finished now and i am already paying back my fees so until that is done, i will feel totally free from education! I don't regret doing a degree in Psychology as i have had great opportunities thrown at me and i grabbed each one when i could. I learnt so much from being a student and glad to have gained some brilliant transferable skills.

I am excited with what my future holds and what God has planned for me. I am forever grateful for what i have and those who are in my life. I am still a hard worker and determined for my #careerbefore25 plans. To celebrate my degree and my holiday before work ~ travelling seemed like a brilliant plan, alone.

Passport checked, immunization checked, visa checked and i am almost ready to go! Lonely Planet is one of the best companies to rely on when travelling as their books and magazines are spot on and not so expensive in stores. However, i would advise you to find your travel books in charity shops which go as low as 50p to £1.99 ~ Oxfam is the best place to go where you will find most countries on one shelf usually among the foreign dictionaries at the back.
For those also travelling, let this be a chance for yourself to grow outside of your comfort zone, learn more about yourself when breaking through difficult challenges, realize  how tiny your problems are, meet new people and learn about the world you live in. Give back, help a charity, love greater, smile wider and live better.

Come back for my next post and find out where i am heading!

Tianah's Closet!

I am now an owner a new vintage boutique online now at Asos Marketplace selling mens and womens vintage and retro clothing!

~ Tianah's Closet ~

Follow me on Instagram ~ Tianahswrld. http://instagram.com/tianahswrld/

Find my boutique here ~ https://marketplace.asos.com/boutique/tianahs-closet?oss_ss=1&mpwa_searchIsSuggested=1

Join me on my facebook page! Tianahs Closet ~ https://www.facebook.com/tianahscloset?ref=hl

For any inquiries, do contact me!

xxx

What am I like? ; finishing what I started.

Over two months late for the post i was supposed to make the next day. 

I really ought to be punished for this, I feel sad and bad for writing to you and expecting your return when I, myself struggle to return too!

I left off with up to my first week travelling China - below is up to day 16 from my notes so bare in mind how present it may sound despite being no where near China. Also there would be some moments where I would write in my note exactly what I am doing or write about yesterday's event. The grammar is poor but it's my blog, a blog. The excitement is in the writing you see, you have to make it feel natural, as though we're talking. 

But this is only for those who are interested - if you remember anything I last said from day 7, this would probably make more sense to you (but if you quickly read my 2nd to my last post it would probably help) 

Day 8

We arrived Guilian at 11.14am, the next day. The piercing weather was just so bad it hurt. We waited for a minibus to take us to Yangshuo which costed CNY20. Only £2 for a hour and a half ride!? Are you reading this!! 

Yangshuo is a backpackers dream! It was a sleepy farmers village until the 90s when sadly tourism took hold but it still had a rural wear to it. It offers great food, bars and activities - it sounded so good! 

11.34pm 

The tight fitted bus finally came. it had limited space, probably fit up to 60 people so it made sense to pay so little.

Duration: 1.6hours 

We then had a car take us to the small town of Yangshuo and after a short walk: checked in at Monkey Jane hostel in a 4 bed dorm. Lunch was until 3pm then it just started pouring, rain drops in every gap of the air - we tried to wait in the stalls until we gave in. I was a walking river, honestly!

 Our activities were cancelled so instead we went up the rooftop which was wowsha! Another fabulous view in China of the area. 

We decided to take a walk around the village also to see what the day would bring - it had stopped raining then. We went by the flowing river and attempted to climb the big rocks but that clearly failed because we are wimps like that (well no, we both cant swim really). We went around the local parts and watched people on the streets selling food, fruits and hats in ways that one purchase could change their life, or could it? We walked through the shopping street with ladies trying to charge us stupid prices for a bracelet or a scarf just because we were foreigners which is an unfortunate. I don't have the money they think I have and never in a million years would I ever believe a scarf costs £40 - not in China, grow some common sense.

Luckily, a friend from the hostel showed us a very local and cheap noodles restaurant where we eat for a low as 40p! I cried on my first bite (mainly because it was so spicy and I surprisingly couldn't handle it but mostly because it was so so good!)

We met some other travellers in the area and swapped ideas and plans as well as life points - always rewarding!

We spent the evening at the rooftop bar where we were given a free bucket - vodka, orange and sprite. Thai style. I missed this!

I was wavey too quick! Hadn't drank in weeks so this was like a new thing again and i dont think i was enjoying it. We watched the guests play beer pong with the owner and if you beat her, you win a free tee. Bare in mind she had a very big beer belly! She competes every night so you never actually win.

It's a good money grab scheme.

Bed was soon after 11pm. 

Day 9

9.30am we joined a cycle hike trip outside the village. We rode alongside such beautiful landscapes and next to the road! It didn't feel unsafe but I felt uncomfortable having big lorries that just wouldn't move away from me on the road, never mind what I am doing there! Shortly after half an hour to Yulong, we arrived for Bamboo Rafting down the Lijiang River. I liked the rafting because it involved splashing through mini waterfalls and seeing the mountains beside us - some looked like turtles, most just looked like mountains! Ha, I tried learning how to raft but again, that was a flop, the erm, rider wasn't amused with my failure but I had a laugh! We arrived at Gongnong bridge before continuing our cycle hike. But only just after the rain poured very heavily briefly before. We rode nearby for a hike uphill to see the Moonhill which is a hole in a rock due to years of erosion, so the fuss was the hole and it looking like a moon in the sky further seen away.  It was 800 steps up but the view was worth it! The heat was tearing my skin apart and I sweating with downpour from my forehead - it wasn't pleasant! We took a short break for lunch where everyone called out a dish to share. 

I don't really eat vegs (sorry mum) and the Chinese live on vegs :/ so most of the dishes are played with by me until I finally give in to try them and gag. Most of the time I'm able to swallow it and say its okay. 

We rode nearby to The Goldwater cave which is an underground site of four mountains.

We had a tour around the cave and were shown all the rocks that symbolised certain objects and animals of people. We stopped by the mudbath pool which they say is very good for you and almost fell asleep in the hotsprings nearby. I could barely see anyone and the Chinese were snapping away to whoever had blonde hair or black skin.

The ride home was 35 minutes and was probably my favourite bike ride ever - riding pass fat cars and farm lorries beside mountains and rivers. Wonderful!

We had noodles at the local restaurant further away from the touristy part of Yangshuo. Paying only 40p for such a yummy dish again. Beef noodles with spices. 

We then went to the health centre to try hot cupping!  I wimped out as soon as Sophie began screaming. 

They slide a fireball in a wooden cup before dabbing it on your back which then sucks up any toxins in your body in that area. It's supposed to relax your muscles really. 

After a few days, Sophie felt nothing but if you had seen it, she looked like a transformed human dinosaur. The whole experience was partly hilarious apart from my cry. 

Day 10

We took a trip to Xingping town which is outside of Yangshuo county about 2 hours away then took a visit to our local friend's family home in a village near XingPing up the mountains.

First we had a view of the landscape printed on the CNY20.

We went to the market for vegs to make the dinner that night then drove up to the village.

After being served nuts and green tea by the mother while we wait, we were taken to the uncle's house where the food was being cooked. The walk was by the cliff side and it was just beautiful and scary at the same time! You could see hills, mountains, farms, fields after fields argh just indescribable.

Once the food was cooked, it was served as each dishes were readyyyy! I mentioned before that the Chinese like to make several dishes and lay them out on the table then you serve yourself piece by piece filling your tiny bowl with vegs piling over your rice. 

I was so full I felt so ill!

The ride home was an hour then me and Sophie went for a quick shop for cute buys before heading to bed after 2am. 

Day 11

9.40am we met in the lobby for the minibus to pick up all backpackers to the station. 

After 2 hours in the painful traffic feeling so uncomfortable, we finally arrived Guilian Station. 

13.25pm was our train, after a short airport style custom and a quick food shop we were soon queuing up pointlessly to get on the train. Sophie was above the bed above me. Got it? 

The majority of the journey was spent speaking with our Chinese neighbour, learning more Chinese and how to write my name! Also updating our diaries and chatting about life and life in general. I always learn more about Sophie each time we have the time to sit and chat. 

Day 12

 I slept at 11.43pm last night after Sophie finally fled my bed and took the courage to sleep upstairs in the cold and dark bed. The bites as you can imagine was a terrific misery. I woke up with 10 lumps in one place all stuck together as though it was a 'team attack'. I was violently itching my arms just as I got up in the early morning. It was 8.52am, the next day. 

We had 4 hours left until we arrive Chengdu which we are staying only for one night. The joys of travelling! 

My eyes fastened to the window ahead of me where behind were vast lands and monstrous mountains slowly passing. It felt as though we were still and the earth was constantly swiped until we reach our destination. I was lying down at the time of this thought; it all changed once I got out of bed to head to the loo I dreaded. It's a metallic hole in the ground where you can see the track beneath rushing pass with the train! I watched my urine flee then returned to bed to write. 

-----------------------------

It's currently 10am and we have 3 hours left which is great! I didn't mind the long journeys anymore however this has been my longest - a total of 24 hours was to be spent on this train in carriage 7. 

I could have flown to Australia at this length and I'm just going further up north of China.

I learnt that our 22 year old neighbour has never set foot in Shanghai and Beijing. He has only been to Yangshuo and Chengdu. I don't even know what to say :/ 

----------------------

I have just woken up at its 2.37pm? We were supposed to be arriving at 1.30pm. It has been 25 hours I have been stuck in bottom bunk carriage 7. ZhaoYao, our Chinese neighbour had just said we still have 5 hours until we arrive. 

5?!!! That will be 31 hours journeying to Chengdu - we only planned this destination to see the Pandas overnight. 

I bought pot noodles on the platform when the train stopped and sat back on my bed writing. 

--------------------------

3.20pm we were on the move but not as fast as it feels being on the slow train, hence the duration! 

After this, I will be going places like its nothing - this is just ridiculous, the things I could do in this time. 

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6.17pm 

Sophie found a very large poo in the lavatory - missed the hole by a few inches. Luckily I ate moments before this traumatising event. I laid listening to music while Sophie writes about the Chinese economy in her diary. 

Day 11 and 12 would be spent majorly on journeying to Chengdu. 

I had 10 days until I will be back in London, back to the usual life, back to the ordinary - back to routines but back with my loved ones. 

6:57pm 

WE'RE ARRIVING 

WE ARE FINALLY HERE! 

CHENGDU!!!! 

We had our bag checked before a ticket swipe to the metro - we took the line 2 subway to Tianfu Square (line 1) 7 stops. Change for Wenshu Monastery on line 1 (2 stops). 

5minute Walk to Mr Panda hostel 

Hotpot dinner was recommended but I wasn't hungry

Instead i strolled locally and shopped at the supermarket with teenagers following me around.

After my shower, we exchanged words with our dorm mates who were graduates and telling us loads of life stories to learn from!

 I love meeting people like this!

Day 13 

I woke up at 7.22am

And left at 7.38am for the World Panda Research Centre.  

A bit about the Research Centre and pandas;

Firstly they are a family of Ailuropodidae.

And the world renown center was for research on endangered species, conservation education and eco-tourism.

 Pandas; 

- Only found ln remote afeas of china 

- Feed on Bamboo shoots 

- 45-50% are twins in captivity and in the wild, only one survives 

- Predators include golden cats, jackal and yellow throated marten - attacks old, sick, very young or disabled giant pandas.

- Common parasites found in pandas are ticks, fleas, chorioptes

- They have pseudo thumb to eat, it holds the food 

- A baby cub was born weighing 120g which is 0.1% of an adult's body weight 

- The smallest found was 51g and it survived! AW

Got back before 12 to have lunch next door which I absolutely hated, I ordered beef fried rice and they decided to put everything else I didn't ask for on the plate - every spring onion I bit into, my tongue went numb! It was only 90p so I didn't cry about it. We then decided to take up the chance to get a massage by a blind masseuse - they were actually very good as they knew where to concentrate on and they would make sure the focus is there. My back is very poor so you could imagine the pain I went through. It was only £2.50 for the full body anyway - when it was finally over, I really needed a walk around! 

I took a stroll around Chengdu with one of the guys staying at the same hostel. Within two hours, I had learnt so much about life after graduation - he was an Oxford graduate with a geography degree now just travelling with his wife after working stupid hard for 4 years. Both the couple had left their jobs as a break. His wife worked for the top law firm in London FF while he worked on different sales project under companies such as Unilever. They were an inspirational pair! They're set to travel the rest of the world together before they settle down! Massive winkwink to my boyfriend *heheh* I've been meaning to drag him on the plane with me! But in due time my dears. 

Anyway - we visited Tianfu Square were Mao's statue was placed. There were so many police officers, military  trucks and officer vans around the area so we tried not to look like tourists because it would appear that we were going to attack undercover. It was in the moment, in the moment. Thinking about it now, I feel silly but there were loads of them speaking on their walkie talkie as we walk by. 

We headed to People's Park briefly before it was time for my mandarin class! The class was fabb - learnt more phrases, improved on my pronunciation for the numbers  and learnt the rules of the past/present/future tenses. 

Soon after we visited the Wenshu Monastery where we learnt a bit about the life of being a Buddhist. We were not allowed to step on door stop nor take pictures inside the temples - people were bowing heads and waving their incense leaving a trail of smoke across the air everywhere I walk. Some of the statues were over hundreds of years old - gold paints and extravagant jewellery. Dragon's sons outside temples as security of some sort which also has luck for those who believe in it - they say when you touch the head of the still dragon and then your own, it will give you intelligent. The inside life of a monk and a buddha - It was nice to learn something new anyway.  

We shopped at Jinam Street (didnt buy anything though) and Sophie sang along with ex opera singer playing a wooden flute instrument - it was amusing and delightful at the same time. Sophie is unafraid of anything - she's the intelligent you'd need around! 

It was soon dinner and i asked for a bowl of rice - I got it with soup to heat it up and it was free. I was loving China right at that moment! Sophie had fried noodles and ate that quicker than me having to do my hair - I have none! Hahaa

7.45pm 

It was time to leave Chengdu, sadly only after a day - we took the subway to North Railway Station which was only two stops away. 'By the way the East railway station in Chengdu is the biggest railway station in the whole of Asia'

Our K6 train was at 21.14 and we boarded at ten to - carriage 17, bottom bunk 22!

Departure: 21.16

Expected duration: 15 hours 

After eating a load of rubbish - I drifted off to my playlist playing wildly in my ears - I have no idea what time this was. 

Day 14:

Woke up to the train radio at 10.02am and it was painfully bright! 

Someone's hands were hanging off the top bunk and I was afraid to remove it so had to move around it for a while. 

It's currently 10.50am and we have under 2 hours left (I hope) until we arrive Xi'an! Home for the next 2 days! 

Arrival: 12.16pm 

We took the 603 bus to Shyuan Hostel which was located in front of the south gate of the famous city walls around the first ring of Xi'an. If it is your first time to visit Xian, then you may wonder what are the most important things to do in Xian for a short trip of 2-3 days. I recommend the following described below ; 

3pm 

I took a stroll within the city walls which is the first of four rings in Xi'an. Sophie went for a bike ride on the city walls and went around. The day was just so disgustingly hot i didn't enjoy my ice cream! 

I also went up the bell tower; (quick note) :

When travelling, do remember to bring your student card! I had forgotten mine at home so instead used a picture from my phone of my cinema card which had my face on it and an expiry date - passed mate. 

Oooh yeah (inside joke). You know when jokes are not the same when shared with another person outside of the time when the joke was made. Yeah. 

Anyway - I went up the bell tower which is central of Xi'an! It wasn't too high but high enough to see all around the city. 

6pm 

We decided to volunteer at the local soup kitchen which is next to Xi'an's biggest church. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to show pictures so we can't share our experiences in that way but when we arrived - we had bought peaches for the those who come to the shelter. I had learnt that they provide soup and dumplings every Monday Wednesday and Friday at approximately 7pm for half an hour. They are also given warm water to drink. It made me feel so good about myself having known about the place and actually visiting 

I grew tired quickly.

Day 15

Time was flying and it was nearly the end of our travels in China! 

Today we visited the Excavation site of Terracotta Warriors that Qin the emperor had created since he was 13! A visit to the Army of Terra Cotta Warriors is the main reason why you would go to Xian. The original site was found by a local farmer digging a well in 1974. Now it has turned into the most important attraction in Xian aswell as the Terracotta Warriors and Horse Museum. 

It is located about 50km east of the Xian City. The museum includes Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3 as well the exhibition hall of the chariots and horses. The Pit 1 is the largest of the three.

Again it was stupid hot that day and my water was boiling, literally. After the cinema exhibition, the three pits and the Musuem - we went to eat at the local noodles place nearby and ate handmade noodles made in front of you within minutes! 

The journey back was an hour and a half away so when we got back we rested for up to an hour (as time was going) and then headed to the famous Muslim quarter in Xi'an. There I felt the real china town ha! Food stalls, scarf stalls, men shouting and squids flapping from sticks. People loved me far too much there - well my skin colour actually. 

'Oh look a black girl' I've actually learnt how to say this in Chinese just by hearing them all say it! 

We went to the market and visited the mosque in the middle. 

We headed back and I went to the shop and this was where I had lost my phone! 

I realised I didn't have my phone when I returned from the shop - I ran back and told them that I had lost it. 

After two hours of this nonsense - I finally had it back. A street lady had retuned it as soon as I threatened to get the police involved. 

 I guarded it afterwards like it was my baby! 

Bed was shortly after as we were heading to another place again in the morning. 

Day 16

Check out at 10.30

11am we settled off to the mountain farm where we were going to stay for one night before we head to Shaolin! 

The drive was an hour and a half and behind my window screen was greens after greens after greens. 

Lets go see the real china! 

Be back soon - I'll be! i promise! xxx