BATTER UP!
I left Kobe on good terms and headed to Osaka. Using my mastery of the Japanese language it didnt take me long to reach my hostel. I dumped my bags and headed out for a wander.
I took a gander round the city and got a burger since I had a huge meat craving.?@I took a look around the business district which is about an interesting as a group of very large buildings can be then headed to the hostel.
I ran into an American named Iain who came from Wisconsin who invited me out with his German friend Carlo to come see a Baseball game. Having never seen a baseball game before I was all for it. We were joined by two guys, Kale and his little brother Devon, from Chicago. We had a few drinks beforehand to lubricate us up for the game then hit out for the cheap seats. It was the Osaka buffaloes Vs the Nagoya Dragons so we went with the Home team. We arrived in the forth inning to see the Buffaloes were ahead. The stands we were in were fairly empty so we decided to sneak into more crowded and lively ones. We cooly (drunkenly) walked past the gaurd who didnt even register and then found ourself a spot to stand. It took a moment and we suddenly realised we were in the Nagoya dragons stand... we quickly changed our loyalty and decided that the dragons were our team. They scored a run and we started high-fiving a bunch of people and caught the interest of a few businessmen who we ended up sitting with. They were the sponsers of one of the pitchers: Sato. So we joined in the cheers for Sato. Iain turned around and then said "Lets get a wave going." So we leapt up and got the business guys to help us out and we started a mexican wave in a Japanese baseball game. We got the crowd really riled up and got them to do the wave about 4 times! We were getting a lot of interest from the crowd who were very amused by our antics. The Dragons won the game and we celebrated by jumping around, screaming and high fiving anyone near us. People were crowding us to give us high fives, kinda felt like being a minor celebrity. All in a good introduction to baseball and Japan

ONTO JAPAN!
Now Playing: Asian Kung -fu Generation and Orange Range
Stayed in a hotel in Tianjin so it wouldnt be too hard to get to the Ferry in the morning although I was hassled not once, not twice but three times by women knocking on my door for massages. I told them straight tho: "I am not giving you a massage!" The taxi ride was fun: My driver was clearly awesome since he had all the tricks: Driving on the hard shoulder, going down cycling tracks and even cutting up a police car! But I made it to the Ferry and slogged through the 48 hour journey.
Arrived in Kobe with no complications. Compared to my escapades in Shanghai it doesn`t get much smoother than this! I arrived in Kobe port and caught the subway into town then headed to a large station map to find my hostel. Before I knew it a businessman asked me where I wanted to got then guided me through buying tickets and finding my platform. I thanked him greatly then headed on. ON the platform another man asked if I needed help and I greatly accepted so he showed me which train to get on. The Japanese people seem?@immensely friendly and enthusiastic. I arrived at my hostel a mere hour after landing in the port and headed to the nearest cheapest restaurant... I felt kinda bad since it was a chinese place and making it my first meal in Japan after two weeks in China is taking the piss a little. The room was a basic tatami mat floor job with an awesome view of the harbour.

Tiannamen Square and the Forbidden City... with a Hangover!
My head felt several sizes too big when I woke up but I managed to fight throught the muggyness to go see the sights. Our guide was a cheery chinese chap called Kevin who was very informative and funny. Tiannamen square was basically just that... a huge square with a couple of monuments dotted around but the real sight was the forbidden city.
It was a three km walk through it! It was great to see all some of the rooms and such and imagine how it would have been to be an emperor of China (a pretty cushy number if you ask me!). My favourite part was a small stream outside one of the main courtyards which was quite quiet and serene. The Gardens at the end were another high point, filled with impressive rock structures and gorgeous trees surrounding fascinating buildings and statues.
Then it was time for Peking Duck and saying "bye" to the group... and if you guys are reading this tyou better post a comment!

The Great Wall and more Kung Fu
So we went to the Great Wall and I have to agree... it`s a great wall alright. We walked up the steps (being to stingy to pay for the cable car) and took in the view. The weather was overcast and a little drizzly but it worked to our advantage as it meant there were no crowds and the views were awesome without any sort of heat haze to spoil it. It was quite a spectacle to see with the mountain ranges in the distance and wall stretching along it.
We walked the length of the section of the wall we were on and even beyond into a non-touist but of crumbling wall which was overgrown with trees and long grass, which was probably the best bit to be honest.
We took a tobbangan ride back down to the base of the wall which was fun then headed back to the hotel.
In the evening I was lucky enough to get a ticket to a Kung Fu show which was a dramatised show of Kung Fu skills of the shaolin schools. It involved choreographed fights, breaking metal on their bodies, showing different styles and even sneaking in the crowd to jump up beside us and scare the living hell out of us... bastards...
Then I hooked up with the gang and we headed out to play pool and drink beer. Then Dan, Peter and Me headed to a club called Vic`s for more dancing and drunken fun.

High altitudes, hill walking and slingshots.
Woke up around 7ish, oustide the homestay to find Brett had already gone walk-about. Kunchuk made us breakfast of egg and tomato with fried bread.
We then hit the road again and decided to stop for a walk down the hill... which turned into an all out sprint due to the gradient. Kunchuk was behind screaming something incomprehensible and laughing, while Brett, Tim and Katy were ahead. Once we stopped running I felt a little dizzy which made me?@think maybe I dont climatise well. Which made the next idea seem really dumb.
Tim and I decided to go for a short jog. Within around two minutes I was puffing and wheezing and really feeling the effects. Time fared better than me keeping his pace a lot longer but after around 10 mins we packed it in.
We went for a more relaxing trek with Kunchuk a little later up over a ridge over-looking the town. We crested the ridge at the top to the site of a huge wooden structure covered in prayer flags. There were small pieces of paper blowing around with horses drawn onto them which were called "wind-horses" and are for good luck. It was about then the wind really picked up. I`ll never forget standing on the steep incline looking down into the valley as the small squares of paper blew up and around me as the prayer flags flapped in the wind.
The wind didnt last long as soon the sun was out again and Kunchuk decided to show us his skills with a slingshot. No slingshot was available so he used my belt instead a sent a stone around 60 metres... then a passing shepard (I think thats what he was, he was following the goats and shouting a lot at them) lent his slingshot to Kunchuk. There was a whipcrack noise and the stone flew out the slingshot for a good 150 metres or so! It was pretty awesome to see. I had a go and sent the stone whizzing around 10 metres... sideways...
We sauntered down after to have dinner and go to bed. The next day was mostly travelling down to Lanjo and then flying out to Beijing.

Bouncing buses, tibetan kids and open air sleeping.
We arrived in Lanjo and after breakfast we hit the road... and bounced... a lot. We bounced our way along for a good 6 hours or so until we arrived in Xiahe. We were met by our guide: Kunchuk, a stocky tibetan who came from a family of nomads. He walked us around the town to show us the prayer wheels and temples and explain a little of the history of the place. We then had dinner where Peter, our irish potato lover ended up in the kitchen cooking his potatoes to his desired crispyness, much to the amusement of the restaurant owners.
Next day we headed to the monastery for a guided tour. I`m annoyed that I can`t remember more of the facts but it was a pretty dense tour and lots of names were mentioned so it was pretty hard to take it all in. The temple had a great atmosphere: the air was heavy and the silence was almost oppressive.
After lunch we headed up another bumpy road towards our homestay and stopped at a Bund temple on the way. We then headed to a tibetan school to meet some tibetan kids. They were very curious about us and it wasn`t long before we were surrounded by little groups of tibetan kids who prodded us and shouted random things. They seemed really interested in our watches, my long blonde hair (yep... I kept it) and Brett taking his contacts out... altho they kept asking him to do it again and again and didnt seem to understand he wasnt taking parts of his eye out.
Peter, Brett and Dan all played football or frisbee with the kids. Brett started busting out his usual tricks and tormenting the kids. Tim and Katy taught them Head-Shoulders-Knees-and-toes which went down really well. I hung back at first as I`ve never been great with kids and wasn`t sure what to do. Then Katy asked me to do a cartwheel and I then had the idea to do some old Break-dancing tricks. Most of the kids gathered round to watch and I (tried) to teach them?@some moves but the language barrier made it very chaotic. Then I was stepped to by a 11 yr old girl who did the most amazing back bend I`ve ever seen. I know when I`m beat so I called it a day. We headed to the homestay after that and took a walk around the village wall.
The homestay was nice and our hostess was very pleasant. Kunchuk and her made?@us a thick noodle soup which was THE best meal so far. After that we had a couple of drinks of some paint thinner like alcohol called Arro (I think). Brett and Kunchuk then showed me and Katy how to play Sho, a tibetan dice game. We played a couple of rounds of that which was really good fun.
The offer was then revealed we could sleep outside so Kunchuk, Brett and I all headed out with some blankets and laid out. Once the lights went off inside you could see all the stars so clearly. It was beautiful to see the sky in the pitch black.

Xian, the wall (not the GREAT one), muslim hotpot, terracotta and dumplings!
So we caught the train from Luyoung to Xian. We arrived in the evening then headed to the Muslim quarter where Brett took us for some Hot Pot. If you`re unfamiliar with hot pot it is basically a large metal pot which is divided in two sections. One is filled with a spicy mixture and the other a more mild one. The pot is placed on a gas heater in the middle of the table and then you simply pop skewers of meat/veg/whatever?@into it and let them cook. It was a good meal but I just knew I`d be singing some Johnny Cash on the toilet the next day.
The next day was Terracotta Warrior time. We headed out to the pits with our guide, Tina. Who gave us a fairly rapid tour of the place. It was interesting and also, when I got thinking about it, a little overwhelming. SO many of the warriors were made and buried and the fact it took several years also made it hard to comprehend the scale of the construction of a burial chamber of this size.
After we returned to Xian, I took a wander down culture street and then headed down east street.
I should mention the layout of Xian here. The city has four main streets: north, south, east and west all converging on the bell tower which is a massive pagoda style building holding a bell. Down south street a little is the drum tower which houses... (go on,?@guess!) drums. The city is surrounded by a 14km long wall that was for keeping invaders out back in the day.
That evening we sampled a brazilian place which is basically meat, a buffet style salad/meat/sweets/soup bar, more meat and some meat to finish (fans of Jimmy Chungs/thai buffer raise your hands!) The meat was served by guys wandering round with skewers of meat and they cut pieces off for you to enjoy. They even wheeled round a full roasted pig!
The next day I got up early to go down the park to see the tai chi being practiced in the park. There were women doing fan dancing, guys practicing with sabres and people doing froms on all sides.
I headed to the Mosque in the muslim?@quarter after that to see what it was like. It was pretty and had an open layout that was good to wander through, but I really liked some of the displays they had in the little enclaves at the side of the place. Simple things like ornate mirrors or desk just seemed to stand out.
I then decided it was time to walk the wall. I hit out with my pack on my back and started trudging. I stopped at each of the main gates to take pictures and occasionally had a look over the wall while I was walking. It was good to get out into the air and take in the sights from a different perspective.
Then it was simply back to the hotel to catch a train to Lanjo.

Shanghai to Luyoung
Now Playing: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jack Johnson
Well folks, I got my wish. Everything went wrong! The directions I was given to my hostel turned out to be more vague than I oringally thought. Strange city, no-one to call, don't speak the language, 9 at night, lost, alone... Did I panic? Did I even flinch at the prospect at sleeping in the streets of shanghai? Did my mighty body quake in fear of this most unexpected situation. No... I merely hoisted my pack, set my steely gaze and stomped off, phrase-book in hand. After shouting at several of the locals that I was looking for "Maggie... *checks phrase book* Jao-dai-swor!" and receiveing blank stares, the wrong directions or apologetic motioning I was starting to think I had booked into a non-existent hostel. I finally settled on a budget hotel for the night which cost around 7 quid and decided that I'd find the hostel the next night.
Next morning I find a net cafe and finally manage to get the right directions. I scoot over to the hostel and dump my stuff then head out to see some sights. The area I was in seemed so different to me, skyscrapers loomed next to ragged shack-like dwellings and shops but it made for an interesting contrast. I walked around a couple of parks and mainly chilled for the day. Although I feel I got the worst introduction to Shanghai possible! Not only did I get lost on my first night but my roommate was a moody londoner who HATED Shanghai and spent most of the night slating it... it left me with the feeling that I had come to an awful city.
The next day dispelled whatever doubts I had when I met my tour group. Our group leader is an enthusiastic American named Brett, who looks like a white version of The Rock, who helped to clear up any worries about the city we were in. The group is small (only 5 of us) but everyone is friendly and easy-going. Dan is a big, friendly Canadian who is pretty much my room-mate for the trip. Then there is K, and Tim, a couple from Nottingham and Peter, a dry-witted Irish lad who is also a tour leader from India. After our group meeting we headed down the Bund for dinner and then onto a bar for a few drinks. I was pretty unsure about the Shanghai food vendors on the streets but Brett said they were not only ok to eat but usually really tasty. And I have to agree... I think I'm addicted to meat dumplings.
Next day we started in Shanghai museum where I was pretty impressed with the works on display. The Bronze-work and masks particularly caught my eye.
After that we had some free time so I beat feet and headed down old-town and sampled some more Shanghai street vendor food. I took in some of the architecture from the old pagoda style buildings to the skyscrapers in the business district. In the evening we went to see the Chinese acrobats in the aptly named "Charming Shanghai Acrobats". They were incredible. Effortlessly throwing themselves through the air and balancing... and they were all around 14 years old!
On the wednesday Dan and I set out to see the oldest pagoda in Shanghai... we saw it then kinda thought... "what now?" We then noticed the temple right next to it and had a look around inside. Very impressive art-works and statues of buddha awaited us. We then headed down something called The "Prisoner Execution Tunnel" which was kinda creepy and a little odd. We ended up at some sort of Martyrs monument which had some strange sculptures.
We then headed to the city bizarre where my Cowboy hat grabbed some interest and a family asked to get their photo taken with me which amused me greatly.

White Horse Temple, Longman Grottos and stairs... lots of stairs.
We hit out toward the White Horse Temple once I pried my aching body from my bed after my lesson in pain. The White Horse is the oldest Buddhist temple in all of China and held promise of being pretty spectacular. The temple itself was nice enough, the usual gold gilting on everything and monks wandering to and fro. But the bit that really caught my eye were the gardens that led off to the right of the main gate. They led up to a small waterfall and pool and further up to a pagoda with several small shrines dotted around it. Very serene and picturesque.
After that we headed to the Longman Grottos where there are thousands of stone Buddha statues. The are was impressive to say the least. Huge carved chambers with decorations from floor to ceiling and hundreds of smaller enclosures containing carvings of Buddha or other figures. A lot of the statues had been beheaded or completely stolen because of treasure hunters or looters who thought they`d make good paperweights or whatever. It was a shame to see especially after us hauling our asses up all the goddamn stairs to see it!
We wandered by the temple there and then headed down through the gardens to our bus and then it was on to Luyoung. Dinner was the cheapest and best so far and then we simply grabbed some 2 yuan beers (13 pence) and sat in the street outside the cafe drinking.
A couple of kids wandered by and Brett, our group leader, started to play with them. He made funny noises, tickeled them, played rock-scissor-paper and a whole other barrage of nonsense. It was cool to see the kids having so much fun even though they didnt understand the language.
Then it was simply a case of hitting the sack.

SHAOLIN!
OK folks, so Shanghai was awesome after the intial hiccup of being completely lost in a foreign city with no help but my steely-grey-eyed killing instinct to guide me (which proved sufficient in the end).
We caught the overnight train to Louyang where we didnt have much time before we were shipped out on a bus to go to the Shaolin monastery. We arrived around 11.30 and set down to a brunch of which included fish tasting egg-plant and spiced ass meat (best ass I've had in years...) Then it was down to business. I booked myself a three hour lesson with a Shaolin coach and was pretty worried about being chi punched through a wall during that time. I didn't really get a chance to look around the monastery before I had to head to the gym and meet my trainer: Chang Wao Jon (phonetic spelling I'm afraid) who I was lucky to meet let alone be coached by since he is a highly esteemed Martial Artist.
He sat me down and talked about basic Chi use and some history of Shaolin Kung Fu. Then It was onto business. He first demonstrated what it was like to be hit without chi (ow! mildly stingy) to being hit with Chi (My arm just went numb and I was knocked about 3 feet back... and that was a "gentle" hit!). I was then shown the basic form I was going to learn and shown the punch bag. After some breathing, twisting, punching and berating I finally managed to channel some "chi" into my punch and knock the punch bag over. I was shown the form in great detail and Chang Wao Jon demonstrated some practical uses for the moves used in the form(like dropping me on my head or countering every move I did when he told me to hit him). It was a good experience and I learned a lot about the physical nature of the wushu style.
After the lesson I got chatting to a couple of students, Josh, from England, and Yan, from Germany. We discussed deep subjects like how Shaolin and Wushu martial arts (their style) compared to fencing (my style), the chinese culture and the impact it has on foreigners and the price of the meat dumplings in local towns.
After that I got some time to see the kids practicing in the courtyard and was supremely impressed. I walked out the door and the first thing I saw was a 10 yr old doing an aerial cartwheel in front of me!
Well, s'all I got time for now. Drop a post and let me know how you're doing. More to come soon.