3 days....

On Good Friday I’m off to meet Scott who is currently holidaying with his parents in Shanghai! Coincidence has it that I am arriving 2 hours after his parents board a flight to leave, nothing personal mind, just scouting out the cheapest (direct) flights possible. After my last journey from Beijing back to Manchester I swore off China Southern Airlines after being faced with the prospect of either sitting behind a man who had put his chair so far back that I couldn’t see my feet, or the screening of the only film Legally Blonde 2 or sitting next to the toilet. I went for the latter, Legally Blonde 2 was good, however I will not fly in hellish conditions again. Virgin Atlantic got my custom this time round. Here is a very simple run down of our itinerary over the next 16 weeks…

China
Thailand
Laos
Vietnam
Cambodia
Malaysia
Wormley

Im anticipating some jetleg in Shanghai, therefore we’ll be taking it easy for the first few days. Over my Christmas visit to China I got obsessed with a chain restaurant called Xiabu Xiabu, where you are given your own pan of boiling hot water and veg, noodles, tofu etc and sesame dipping sauce. I got OBSESSED with the tofu sheets in sesame sauce, that its all I’ve been dreaming about in the run up to the trip. Luckilly I’ve checked the Xiabu website and there are a few restaurants in Shanghai, its Scott’s job to locate those restaurants and ensure that I will be dining in them on a daily basis, it is after all going to be possibly the last chance in my lifetime, unless I move to China. After Shanghai were heading towards Huangshan where we will be trekking the yellow mountain, I went on the treadmill today and managed about 15 minutes walking on the hill setting. The quiet peaceful views could be soon disturbed by the view of me trying to lug myself to the top, gripping to every tree and rock as I pass, photos will follow. After some banter on our last holiday about tans, the competition between me and Scott to develop the best tan on this trip has become outrageous. This could potentially result in us being wheeled off the plane after it has landed at Heathrow and into an ambulance towards the nearest major burns unit. Were thinking we better invest in some heavy duty moisturiser at least, picture the scene in The Hangover when he is discovered on the roof.

We’ve set up this blog as facebook is rather cruelly banned in China, so it will be a nice easy way to stay in touch, were requesting that you subscribe to it for a lovely email every time its updated, or at least put it in your favourites list. We hope everyone has an enjoyable few months until we return in August, we’ll miss you and keep in touch. Here is a photo of us for you to keep so you don’t miss us too much :-P.

Kate & Scott

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