For almost 9 years I have been living and working in Shanghai, China. For the last 6 years I have been working for large German multi-national and have enjoyed building up their technical capability in China.

Back in January, I came to Germany for a 2 week business trip. Little did I know that 5 months on I would still be here. Due to the outbreak of COVID–19 in China earlier this year, my employer initially prohibited all travel to China and then in late March this announcement came:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China National Immigration Administration Announcement on the Temporary Suspension of Entry by Foreign Nationals Holding Valid Chinese Visas or Residence Permits

So where does this leave me? Well, fortunately as a UK national I don’t have any immigration problems with staying in Germany (I have no idea what happens when the Brexit transition period ends). A good friend and colleague has invited me to his home, so I am being well looked after and gaining all the weight I lost in the last 9 years!

Since the announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs there has been no further information as to when the borders will be opened again to Foreigners, let alone those of us with residence permits. If I am honest, I have no real idea when I will see my family again.

Earlier this month, the German Chamber of Commerce arranged two Charter flights to China for employees of German companies, one to Tianjin and one to Shanghai. Sadly I was unable to secure a seat on one of these flights, but last week there was an announcement that further Charter flights are being negotiated, but this time the destination would be Qingdao. My employer has applied for a seat and now I am playing the waiting game. Even if I can secure a seat, it is no guarantee that I can return as the Chinese Authorities have to approve the passenger list, and negative COVID–19 tests must be completed before getting on the flight.

As my home is in Shanghai there is a good chance that I will have to quarantine twice, 14 days on arrival in Qingdao, and then for another 14 days when I eventually arrive in Shanghai. So, even if I was to able to fly home today I would still not see my family for another month! This is something I am prepared to endure because there would be definite light at the end of the tunnel, unlike now. Mentally this situation is proving quite challenging, especially now that the amount of work I can effectively do remotely is beginning to dry up which could also lead to other complications with my predicament.

I am extremely grateful to my friend who has welcomed me into his home for the last few months. As well as providing me a comfortable environment to live in, he has also introduced me to the best COVID–19 lockdown hobby of online Whisky tasting!

Here is my family that I miss so much being so far away:

Wish me luck!

Passengers abroad a China Eastern Airlines flight bound for Shanghai were recently rewarded with a free trip to the scenic middle of sunny Siberia following a small bout of engine failure.

Source: _China Eastern Airlines flight to Shanghai makes unexpected stop in Siberia due to engine failure_

Yikes! I’ve taken this flight many times before!

After a long uneventful flight from London to Shanghai we arrived without issue at our temporary accommodation. This small hotel apartment room is much better than a standard hotel room because not only is there a living area, there is also a small kitchen so that we can prepare our own meals without having to go out to restaurants each night.

After a short rest we headed to the local supermarket, Carrefour…this is when I discovered that despite my wife being Chinese we are in for some fun!

My wife has spent most if her adult life in the UK and has not actually lived by herself in China, so basically laundry detergent brands are unfamiliar to her as they are me (I remember this exact same experience when I lived in the USA 12 years ago). What should have been a quick 30 minute shop turned out to be a marathon reading labels and asking shop assistants for guidance!

Our next challenge of the afternoon was to get SIM cards for our mobile phones. Having a nice shiny iPhone 4S, I wanted to maximise its data capabilities which means I had to go with China Unicom as they are the only carrier that support 3G right now. Here are the tariffs,

I have no idea how they work or what I actually have, I just know I can make calls and access the Internet!

The day was topped off by meeting my new boss and his wife for dinner. I just hope the beer helps me sleep through the night, ready for work in the morning!

Location:[Hongfeng Rd,Shanghai,China](‘http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Hongfeng%20Rd,Shanghai,China%4031.242691%2C121.590041&z=10')

About 2 months ago I accepted a new job based in Shanghai during which time I not only prepared for the international move, but also kept up a full time job. In hindsight this was a bit too much. Most of the time my wife was not around to help and it meant that days were long and prevented us from meeting up with all our friends to say goodbye.

Today is the day we fly out to Shanghai carrying everything we need for the next few months as I am sure we won’t see our shipment until January 2012. I sincerely hope we have got everything, if not then we are in big trouble! I am a bit worried because for the first time in 10 years of marriage I let her pack my bags…..

Excess baggage? My wife says no, but I think different! We will soon find out!

Location:Keach Close,United Kingdom

Today is a big day as it marks the start of our big move to China. Although we are still very much in the UK, in a few minutes time our personal belongings will be packed up and literally put on a slow boat to China.

Although I have moved internationally before, there is still something strange about having everything you own in a small metal container….your life’s material achievements literally come down to a few cubic feet.

The exercise of moving has proven fruitful, not only were we able to get rid of a large amount of rubbish we had accumulated during 10 years of marriage, we were also able to enjoy various memorabilia from my childhood. I even discovered a pristine copy of the 2000th Beano!

For various reasons we will probably not see our belongings again until January, only then we will realise what we left behind! All I am worried about arriving intact is my HiFi and computing equipment, my wife is just concerned about her 27+ pairs of shoes! Keep your fingers crossed for us!

When travelling around China there are often sights to be seen that you never see at home. At first I wad always amazed at the innovative storage and transportation methods used by the people if Wuxi, but these unusual feats seem to few and far between today compared to 10 years ago.

Yesterday I saw this guy trying to navigate through a bit if a traffic jam!

Simply brilliant!

Location:Zhongshan Rd,Wuxi,China

Some shots from The Bund, Shanghai.

Just over 1 hour until 2011!

Location:Jiangxi Road (Middle),Shanghai,China

Some photos of the crowds on Nanjing Road in Shanghai this New Years Eve!

Here are some photos from the hike down from the rice terraces.

Next stop is the train station to catch train to Shanghai for New Years Eve!

I have no idea what this will look like on my blog, but here is a panorama of the rice terraces I took with my iPhone. Simply beautiful and so peaceful.

My worry is that my photo does not do it justice! Don’t forget you can click on any of the photos on my blog to enlarge them, but I have had to reduce resolution due to limited bandwidth.

A culinary speciality of Guangxi for breakfast: Rice Cooked in Bamboo! It takes a while to prepare as we ordered it last night!

I love this place!

Location:Heda Line,Guilin,China

I’ll be totally honest and say I have no idea where I really am, all I can say is we hiked for 2 hours from somewhere near to Dazhai up some mountains in preparation to see the famous rice terraces in the morning.

Unfortunately this is the wrong time of year to see the terraces in full bloom as it were, but I hope tomorrow the fog lifts a little so that we can get some good photos. What I saw today was once again breathtaking and goes to show what a beautiful province Guangxi is.

Scattered around the terraces are multi-level wooden buildings, built Tudor style where the floor above is actually wider than the floor bellow. It’s amazing that all these have been built because all the materials must be carried by hand…I struggled to carry myself up here!

I saw this inscription on the hotel so I assume it is right!

Fingers crossed for a clear day tomorrow!

Location:Heda Line,Guilin,China

Today’s main adventure was a trip down the Yulong River, the scenery was even more stunning than that seen while on the Li Jiang River, something I did not think possible.

We decided to cycle to hitch a ride on a raft, this was a big adventure in it’s own right as despite travelling to China for all these years I have never ridden a bicycle here. If you can indeed call this a bicycle. This particular bike was chosen by my dear wife so that she could sit at the back, with her feet up enjoying the view…which she did!

After 5km of hard peddling across rugged terrain, we made it to the rafting station. I was told they were bamboo rafts, and guess what, they were!

All was fine until we realised there was a total of 9 dams to navigate, you would think that you would get out and carry the raft, but you’d be wrong!

And this is what we dropped down…..

It was all worth it because the views were beautiful…

Lily Told me that tonight me that tonight we were going to see a show that was directed by Zhang Yimou a famous film director and also the genius behind the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Opening Ceremony.

I did not really know what to expect, I had no idea that the backdrop would be the illuminated kirst peaks and the show would be done on a lake with fisherman, birds, cows and a cast of over 600 people!

The best way to describe what I saw is simply ‘jaw dropping’. To see something on such a large scale executed so precisely on water is simply something that has to be seen to be believed. I don’t think a single photo or DVD would do it justice, so come and see it for yourself!

Today we are heading to Yangshuo by boat! The scenery looks stunning and we haven’t left yet! Not sure my iPhone camera does it justice.

Location:095 County Rd,Guilin,China

We are still heading down the Li Jiang River toward Yangzhou. The views are simply jaw dropping, this is a journey everybody should do if they get the chance.

Location:095 County Rd,Guilin,China

Well as much as I would love a good ole fry up right now, instead I tucked into spaghetti style noodles in a spicy soup with pickled vegetables and chunks of what I think was pork!

Welcome to the Shanghai -> Nanning Express!

We are now well into our journey to Guilin only about 3 hours or so to go assuming that we are on time. According to my guide book the journey should take 22 hours and not 24 as I had previously thought.

I managed to get the top bunk out of 3, which sounds bad but for some reason I like it up the top. Despite the lack of space to even sit up I can camp out with my gadgets and keep myself amused.

Unfortunately my sleep was not as good as it usually is in a train due to increased competition in the snoring department. I am clearly an amateur in comparison to my father-in-law and a stranger sharing our cabin with us. I am sure I would have won if I had a few beers before bed.

Technology rules this trip, iPhones and iPads are keeping us amused when the scenery isn’t.

Some shots from around the Seven Stars Caves and Scenic Spot

We made it to Shanghai without issue and are now waiting in the Shanghai South Railway Station so we can board the sleeper train K537 16:52 to Guilin.

This is the first time I have been to this particular railway station, and like some other new stations it reminds you more of an airport, it even has metal detectors and X-ray machines, a sign of thinks to come back home I’m sure.

We have arrived in Guilin and are staying at the Dozycat Hostel, this is a bargain place to stay even with ensuite at £12 per night. I have stayed in many a worse place in Europe that cost a whole lot more (Hotel Medusa in Tirrennia springs to mind!).

It has all the facilities you need, shower, laundry, kitchen, Internet etc etc. So if you are ever out this way and are looking for some budget accommodation check out the Dozycat Hostel!

Well Boxing Day Dinner consisted of Black Beauty Hot Pot, can you spot her in the photo?

No prizes for guessing what’s in this drink!

No I didn’t try it! :)

While heading to Nanchang Market to get our Christmas Brunch, we spotted Santa….

For the rest of Wuxi it’s just a normal shopping day!

The first leg of our Christmas Day journey begins at Wuxi Railway Station. Just a normal Saturday for the locals!

Once we get to Shanghai I believe we have to catch the Metro to Shanghai South Station before boarding a 24 hour train to Gualin.

Over the years I have seen the train system in China evolve into an experience I would love to see in the UK one day. Here are some shots of a CRH High Speed Train.

While out wandering the streets of Wuxi this Christmas Eve I was struggling to find anything that would make it feel vaguely Christmassy. We happened to walk through the lobby of a large hotel and saw this Grotto made from Cookies. Sadly I was not allowed to take a bite, but photos were allowed.

In general the shops have a small amount of Christmas decorations and some are playing new mixes of songs such as Jingle Bells and We Wish You A Merry Christmas….I need to introduce them to Shakin’ Stevens!

I spotted these while out shopping today. Even though they are copies (can you spot the difference?) they were still just as expensive as the real thing. The funny thing is that real UGG boots are also made in China, most probably in the same factory as these!

I have been coming to Wuxi for over 10 years now and each time I come it looks different.

I was last here in June and the maternity hospital across from my in-laws apartment was there, but now it is just a pile of rubble being moved to make way for a new one.

An underground railway is also being constructed which made me think…

What percentage of the world’s construction cranes etc are in China? It must be in the 90’s…

Back in September we decided to spend Christmas away from the UK for the first time ever. This seemed like a great plan until last Saturday 5 inches or so of snow fell on most of the UK in little more than one hour. This caused havoc on the roads and crippled Heathrow airport. Our travel plans looked doomed!

We got lucky… We were one of the few that managed to get away from Heathrow on 21st December which meant that our travel plans were going ahead. We eventually arrived in Wuxi yesterday evening roughly 24 hours after leaving home!

The journey was not without it’s tales, Heathrow was packed, as was the Shanghai Metro….however the new train station at Hongqiao Airport was simply one of the best I have ever seen.

Today we made an attempt to visit the Shanghai World Expo 2010, the problem was so did the rest of China!

I have never seen so many people in one place and although the buildings looked great and the general organisation was superb the actual experience was awful due to the large crowds.

Many of the popular pavilions had queuing times in excess of 5 hours and even some of the less popular ones had relatively long queue times for nothing special. After giving up all hope of visiting the Chinese and Japanese pavilion, we queued for 45 minutes to visit the Turkmenistani pavilion only to see a few rugs, some jewellery and a brief presentation on their communication infrastructure.

Maybe my expectations were too high but I am glad I didn’t travel to Shanghai specifically to see the Expo, unlike the thousands of others that visited with me today!

This morning we visited the Lingshan Big Buddha as we were told that the 26th May was a good day for visiting and making wishes.

We asked a friend to drive us there and it has changed significantly since I last visited 10 years ago, however Buddha is still big, about 88M tall!

I could have been selfish when it came to lighting candles and incense to make a wish however instead I wished for my buddy Carl to have a full recovery from Trevor, his brain tumour (visit his blog for more details)

Well the Tibet leg of our holiday is mo over and we are now 31 hours into the 48 hour journey back to Wuxi. I am grateful for my iPhone and netbook keeping us occupied during the non sleeping periods which is most of the time in my case!

Our diet had not changed much from the journey to Tibet…still instant noodles, fruit and snacks!

I am looking forward to reaching Wuxi so that I can start getting pampered, not only by the in-laws but at one of the local spas!

Today was a little bit of a disappointment as we travelled about 4 hours north of Lhasa to visit Namco Lake, the highest lake in the world only to be turned around by Police 50km from the lake due to a heavy snow storm! Apparently the road is treacherous under the best of conditions so it was probably a wise move.

We stopped for lunch and negotiated a deal with our driver to take us Yamdro yumtso Lake which is at an altitude of over 4000M and is over 638km^2 in size! The water was a glittering jade colour and the snow capped mountains in the distance were a small section of the Himalayas. Stunning.

As this was our last day in Tibet we took a bike rickshaw ride around Lhasa and stopped of near to the Jokhang Temple were there were thousands of people circling the temple by take a couple of steps before lying down, arms stretched out preying and chanting mantras, it was a sight to be seen. Due to the large crowds there was a significant police and military presence which now seems to be the norm around Lhasa even at midnight!

To end the night we headed to the most famous bar/restaurant in Lhasa called the Makye Ame where 300 years ago the 6th Dalai Lama used to sneak out and meet a mystery women….

The last couple of days have pretty much been spent on the road heading back to Lhasa from Bomi with another stop off at Bayi City.

On the way we visited various tourist hotspots and also stopped wherever we wanted to take photos. One of the more notable sites was Basomtso Lake which is one of the largest alpine lakes in east Tibet. After crossing a floating bridge to a small island we took a brief look around a temple that is over 1000 years old. What amazes me about Tibet are these remote historic locations that contain such interesting treasures and have the folklore to go with them.

I tried to take a picture of the lake with my iPhone and like before it doesn’t do it justice, believe me the water was turquoise and the trees green all around, beautiful!

On the way back to Lhasa this evening after bouncing over a big bump something broke on the rear suspension of our minibus. This dud nit really surprise me as for the last few days this poor vehicle has been over terrain more suited to a 4x4.

Fortunately this occurred a couple of miles outside a small town so we turned around to find a mechanic who could fix it. We did succeed except that the mechanic could not fix it but instead applied a bodge that would hopefully get us back to Lhasa. We continued the journey back to Lhasa at about 20km/h! In the meantime the tour company arranged for another bus to pick us up and take us back to our hotel leaving our poor driver to drive slowly back to Lhasa to get the suspension fixed properly. I guess we will find out if he made it if he picks us up in the morning!

To end the day on a high Lily and I ventured out into Lhasa to find a bar, after a bit of guidance from a taxi driver we eventually found one and spent the rest of the evening playing liars dice and drinking beer…pretty much how we met in Wuxi over 10 years ago.

Tomorrow we will be heading north for the day, I will try and remember to take photos with my iPhone!

Today was a long day. We left Bayi City around 8am and headed further east on the G318.

After a couple of hours our journey got interesting as the paved road stopped and the muddy, pot hole ridden road continued into the distance. It wasn’t too long before I felt we were reliving the Top Gear special in Vietnam as we had several heart stopping passes with a sheer drop to our right and had to clear the road of large rocks after a recent landslide!

After winding our way through stunning valleys, we eventually reached our goal…Midui Glacier. The iPhone photo does not do it justice, it was simply awesome to see something so large and natural in real life rather than just on the TV.

After the Midui Glacier we headed off to Rowa lake. The scenery here was more of what you would expect in Switzerland rather than Tibet, simply gorgeous!

We had originally planned to stay near to Rowa but due to the military presence and sensitive nature of the area (close to Indian border) there are no hotels that can accommodate foreigners so instead we gad to double back on ourselves and stay at the only hotel that would take me in Bomi.

We arrived in Bomi very late and after checking in we headed out to find some food. It was then pretty clear that Bomi looks after the military personnel very well because there were more brothels than restaurants open!

I am not sure what adventures we have planned for tomorrow but by the sounds of the rain outside we may have some new landslides to contend with as we head back to Bayi City!

I love this place!

Today we left Lhasa and headed east on the G318 national route. This eastern part of Tibet has only been opened to foreigners for a few years now and because it holds sites of natural beauty rather than sites of historical value it does not attract that many foreign tourists…except me!

En-route there were several Police checkpoints, which I discovered were actually journey time analysis checkpoints. Instead of installing ANPR cameras and measuring average speed automatically they employ numerous teams of Police to do the checks manually!

For the whole journey we were surrounded by stunning mountain peaks and got to see how real Tibetans get on with their lives, raising livestock and general farming. It seems such a slower and more peaceful life than the chaotic and stressful one I lead!

At one point we stopped to take photos at over 5000 meters above sea level, certainly the highest I have ever been outside of an aeroplane. It literally takes your breath away!

I have noticed that Tibetans appear to be very house proud, the buildings are beautifully decorated inside and out, though they do seem to let their livestock roam the streets, we often had to give way to yaks, pigs and sheep!

Before we got to Bayi City we stopped off and saw Kadingla Falls, a 200m waterfall tucked away in some beautiful terrain which had yet to be ruined by tourists.

Tomorrow we will be venturing out some more, we have had to slightly modify the tour as we found out that foreigners are not allowed to stay in the hotel we had originally planned so we have to double back on ourselves.

Let’s hope the weather continues to be kind to us!

After getting up and having a poor excuse for breakfast we headed out to the streets of Lhasa. For me it is hard to distinguish Lhasa from any other city in China, there are the same stores, streets which have shops of one type etc. However there is one noticeable difference and that is the presence of both armed military and Police. There are numerous patrols around the streets, markets etc as well as small teams posted sporadically around the city with riot shields and batons!

Putting this negative stuff a side, what is simply spectacular is the Potala Palace (the hone of the Dalai Lama) and the Jokhang Temple where you can see pilgrims who have travelled thousands of miles to see this holy place. I must say, everybody should put atleast these two sites on their list of things to see and do before they die. The history and treasures that they both hold are simply mind blowing.

Tonight is our last night in Lhasa until the end of the week for tomorrow we will venture into eastern Tibet to see some unspoiled natural beauty spots.

A short time ago the Police came round and checked everybody’s ID and I my case checked through the various permits I had to obtain to visit Tibet.

The Police were very polite, asked where I was from and even welcomed me to China. Take note USA immigration / TSA or whatever you are called!

Some of the scenery we have passed through is simply spectacular, taking the train was the right decision!

After scoffing huge dumpling things for breakfast and lunch, I tucked into my duck noodles for dinner.

I think I was misled by the photo on the lid but nonetheless they tasted good.

I have now been on the train for over 24 hours so half way to Tibet. Tomorrow will be interesting to see how my finely tuned body copes with the altitude.

If you don’t hear from me tomorrow it means I didn’t make it and the Tibetans have given me a sky burial. It could also mean the battery on my iPhone is flat!

21 hours after leaving my home in UK I arrived at my in-laws without event. On unpacking I realised I forgot not only a waterproof jacket but also socks! So much for my failsafe checklist I have been using for years!

Fortunately over the last 10 years I have built up a stash of clothes that I leave at my in-laws and fortunately docks were amongst them!

Today we are preparing for the trip of a lifetime to Tibet. I have travelled to various places in China but never somewhere as remote as Tibet, I cannot wait to get there!

The train from Wuxi to Tibet will take about 48 hours so we must stock up on supplies to sustain us for the journey. I sincerely hope I can get some sort of Internet access there so that I can post some select photos!

Which flavour instant noodles shall I pick?

9pm Thursday night we boarded a train for Lhasa making a few stops en-route. I had intended to keep track of where the train stopped, but sleep got the better of me!

The whole journey should take 48 hours, the longest time I have ever spent on a train in one go, however as you can see from the photo we haveca bed to kick back and relax in. The gentle rocking of the carriage is enough. To put anybody to sleep!

Although there us a dining car we gave come armed with 2 days worth of food which pretty much consists of instant noodles, dumplings, biscuits and fruit! I hope that the Tibets are preparing a nice juicy lamp for my arrival!

As a foreigner I had to obtain various passes to visit Tibet and was told that I would not be allowed to board the train without them. As of yet I have not had to show them so I am beginning to wonder if it is a money making scam, time will tell!

Today is the start of what will hopefully be a holiday of a lifetime, for tonight I will fly from London to Shanghai.

When I arrive in Shanghai, assuming my wife has not forgotten about me, she will meet me at the airport with train or bus tickets to take us to Wuxi, Jiangsu province to stay just one night with the in-laws.

Although I have made this journey many times before, it’s what’s happening on Thursday that should be a big adventure! I hope my wife has been able to make all the required arrangements, but I will not tempt fate by going in to details now, just in case it goes all horribly wrong….after all there is an Icelandic Volcano doing it’s best to cause travel chaos throughout Europe.

Passport…..check!
Tickets…..check!
Wallet…..check
Clean underwear….check!

What more does a travelling man need?

Watch out Wuxi, here I come!

For many years now I have been fortunate enough to travel around the world both on business and pleasure. I have always wanted to write about where I am going and what I see as it happens, but due to what can only be described as bone idleness I have never pulled my finger out and created the platform to do it. So from now on I am going to try and do my best, starting from tomorrow!

Obviously internet access is never guaranteed especially when you travel to certain parts of the world, so if this is the only post you see over the next few weeks then you know I am having connectivity issues! I will however try and update my twitter feed as I have a few different methods of doing so.

Come with me on my journey.

Paul