✈️ Full Time Solo Traveller on an Adventure
After a successful overnight train journey from Beijing to Xi’an, I spent the day exploring Xi’an city. I knew nothing about this place before arriving but I actually really like it! In the centre is a gigantic rectangular city wall that totals 14km, and yes, I decided to walk the entire thing, but glad I did because during the walk got to see so much of the city!
I finished off the day with a nice big bowl of spicy noodles with pork!
Bucket list item was crossed off today! Finally made it to the Great Wall of China! It’s even more incredible and breathtaking than you would ever imagine, and though by far one of the most difficult hikes I have ever done, it was worth every single step to get the views from the high points.
I did the Mutianyu section of the wall, and walked from east to west and both sides gave unique views of the mountains and wall. By the end of the walk my legs were shaking from the amount of steps climbed, so the toboggan ride back down was a great way to give them a rest and was so much fun!
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Took a trip to the Forbidden City in Beijing which was amazing to see, some of the buildings gave off a Middle East/Morrocan vibe! Then ended up walking for a good 2 hours around the city just randomly which I love doing in new places as you often stumble across places you wouldn’t have usually visited or seen. Went back to Wangfujing for MORE noodles (they seem to be my go to here in China), which had braised beef in and was probably the softest and crumbliest beef I’ve ever eaten (and only £4)! Oh and also saw my first 4D billboard, I thought these were only in Japan so that was a bonus!
Travelled by high speed rail from Qingdao to Beijing today (5 hours) so had a quick morning walk around Qingdao harbour one last time then headed to the station. What blows my mind is that on a 5 hour train journey travelling at 305kmh at times, you’re pretty much constantly passing high rise buildings, offices and factories which just puts into perspective just how many people really do live in China! You almost always see construction of some kind taking place whether that be residential or business, and I’ve been told by locals that they get new builds up within a year or two! (Not like the many years back in Europe!).
Once arriving into Beijing (at around 8pm) I headed to straight to Wangfujing (shopping/food area) to grab dinner and have a look around. Opted for some beef noodles which were just 35RMB (approx £4) that were very good, then grabbed a mango ice cream to finish off the night! Beijing is so different from Shanghai, in many ways! It’s a lot busier here and there seems to be a lot more younger people about, and many more tourists (heard the 1st British person since leaving the UK!) Shanghai is definitely much more my vibe based on what I’ve seen so far, but got a few days here so we’ll see it that changes!
So today I left Shanghai after an amazing few days to visit city number 2, which is Qingdao. Qingdao is located between Shanghai and Beijing and is on the coast, it was a quick 24 hour stopover on my way to Beijing. I’m glad I spent time here, this city is very unique and different to anything I have experienced before!
I walked along the coastline and docks and found this city to be so full of life, there were things going on everywhere. After the walk I went to the MixC centre which had everything, shops, cinema, ice rink, and a giant food hall on the 5th floor. I then found one of my favourite restaurants to have ever visited, which had a conveyer belt of food (over 250 items) from meat, fish/seafood, veg, noodles and your own little hotpot that you cook everything in yourself - with a choice of about 8 different soups/stocks to cook in. It was a great experience, and also offered fresh fruit, pastries, and sweets and unlimited drinks all for the 59CNY! (Approx £6).
But what this city is most known for is the skyline at night, when I came out of the MixC centre and it was dark, I couldn’t believe how incredible it looked! They do all kinds of light shows in sync across the skyscrapers with some background music along the coast which made it a great place to go for another walk and take it all in. They have a number of piers that you can walk to which give you a full view of the skyline that were so peaceful!
The final full day in Shanghai was another great one, starting off with a walk around Fuxing Park. The parks in Shanghai aren’t just a bit of grass, they put a lot of effort into them and you forget you’re in the middle of a HUGE city! Aside from a few mozzy bites, it was great! Across the road from the park was Tianzifang, which is full of narrow streets with market stalls and food which was amazing! It started to rain so I headed to the Sun Moon Light Centre which was a two minute walk away. They had a food court which I headed to first (obvs), and went to a place where you pick the skewers you want with all types of stuff on (veg, meat, fish, tofu) and they then cook them fresh and season them - very tasty!
For the evening I headed back to Yu Garden which was like a completely different place at night, and just wondered round looking at it all (could’ve spent hours here!).
Shanghai has been an incredible place to visit. If you ever get the chance, go! I could’ve spent another week their easily (at least!) and would definitely go back in the future… maybe I will!
Today was a bit more of a chilled day in Shanghai, but still managed to spend a few hours at Longhua temple, a Buddhist temple near the centre of the city. Plenty of history and very interesting to see the spiritual side of the religion.
Across the road was Longhuahui shopping and food centre with so much choice! I found a cool looking Thai restaurant and had Chicken & Basil Eye Egg, Stir Fried Morning Glory with Thai Sauce, a Thai Lemon Tea and complimentaty rice and Thai crisps - all of which was around £10, which is incredible value!
Another incredible day in Shanghai!
Started off the day by visiting Yu Gardens which is located in the old city of Shanghai. It was very pretty and well maintained with some beautiful temple buildings inside! The gardens were right next to Yuyuan markets, so of course I had to have a look around there after! The best part of the market was the food (of course!), where I enjoyed beef noodles, fried dumplings, a chicken soup and some steamed veggies - all for around £10! After this I found a tea vendor who let me try specialty teas from about 8 different Chinese cities, he told me the benefits each tea had and what the flavours were - he was so lovely!
After walking some of the food off I found Gucheng Park which was very peaceful, and the sun was shining! Then as it got to the evening I walked a little more to see Shanghai Tower and the Pearl Tower. These were incredible to see, especially as it got darker and they lit up! Whilst I’ve only been here a couple days, I’ve not once felt unsafe walking around at any time of day. Everyone has been so considerate and friendly that there isn’t a bad word to say! Now I’m looking forward to seeing more of not only this city, but the other cities I’ll also be visiting whilst here in China!
Day 1 in Shanghai was a success!
Landed at 8:00am and managed to get through immigration and collect my bag in about 45 minutes! Headed straight to the hostel to drop off my absolute beast of a backpack then jumped on the metro to start exploring!
Once making it to Shanghai centre, i first went to The People’s Park which is known for its ‘marriage market’. This is where parents attempt to match make their children with a potential husband / wife by providing their child’s personal details (age, height, weight, job, income, hobbies etc) with the hope of finding a perfect match! It’s like Tinder, minus the photos!
After this, I walked over to Nanjing Road which is a famous street full of shopping and food outlets. I came across ‘Shanghai’s first foodhall’ which was 3 floors full of food options. I settled for a gigantic bowl of ramen which was incredible, it contained octopus, crab sticks, Tofu, a variety of mushrooms and some other ingredients I’m not quite sure of.. but it was a solid 9/10 and was enough for a family of 4!
After eating my weight in food and after a quick nap (the jet lag was fighting), I visited ‘The Bund’ which is a long stretch of the river giving incredible views of Shanghai’s skyline. By this point it was dark, which made it even more amazing to see as it was fully lit up and the atmosphere was crazy! It’s a national holiday in China this week so the city has a lot of visitors from all over the country!
After a jam-packed first day I can’t wait to explore more of this beautiful city!
A little intro post 🙋🏽♂️ I’m Luke, and tomorrow I have a one way ticket to Asia to start my journey travelling full time. I’ve always wanted to explore more of the world, so now I’m finally doing it! This is a solo adventure, so it’s just me and my backpack. I don’t know how long I’m going for, or where I’ll be in a few months time, but the journey starts in China. I’m ready to start living outside the norm, and excited to see where life takes me ✈️
🌍 Hello, world! I'm Luke! 🌍
1st May 2024 marks the beginning of an incredible adventure, one that I've dreamed about for as long as I can remember. After much contemplation and some life changing decisions, I will be saying farewell to my current life, leaving behind the confines of my desk job to pursue my passion for travel - starting off in China! 🇨🇳
For years, the idea of exploring different cultures, foods, and places has captivated my imagination. Now, I'm thrilled to announce that I'm turning that dream into reality. From bustling cities to remote villages, from mountains to beaches, I'll be immersing myself in everything this beautiful world has to offer.
But this journey is about more than just ticking off bucket list destinations. It's about growth, self-discovery, and connecting with people from all walks of life. It's about stepping outside of my comfort zone and embracing the thrill of the unknown.
I invite you to join me on this adventure – through the highs and the lows, the triumphs and the challenges. Together, let's celebrate the beauty of diversity, the joy of exploration, and the power of following our passions.
So here's to new beginnings, to chasing dreams, and to living life to the fullest. Thank you for being a part of this journey – I can't wait to share it with you!
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