The Great Wall of China

Yup... I had to come and visit the Great Wall of China...



I was unlucky with the weather... but what can I say... it IS AMAZING...

Okay there are lots of tourists... and the wall has been redone... but....

Just walking up and down it was a dream come true:)

I also went and saw the Ming tombs... but they did not really compare to this place.

Photos do not do the place any justice... the wall is so steep in certain places that I had difficulty walking up and down...

But it really is a special place.... I will have to come back one day:)

The following day I caught my flight from Beijing to Paris and then back to Aberdeen...

What a way to spend 2 and half weeks!!!!!
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Aberdeen/Amsterdam/Aberdeen/Paris/Beijing/Dalian/Beijing/Shanghai/Macau/Beijing/Paris/Aberdeen

Kamone back in Aberdeen

Back in Macau:)

Ya I made it to Macau.... after 16 years I was back.. I used to live there and I had forgotten how much Macau had meant to me...

Here is a cool photo of the old Hotel Lisboa... when I was there it was one of the biggest casinos around... well not anymore...


I walked around Macau during the day, and talked to my old Primary School teacher, I saw people in restaurants where I used to eat, I walked and walked and every step I took I remembered something new... It was a really strange feeling but really great.

I have never really paid much attention to my past I always look to my future, but this trip really was great as I realized how much Macau meant to me...



Certain things are still the same, certain pot holes in the road are the same, but the truth is... Macau will never be what I remembered it as.... this made me sad but happy at the same time... I realized how lucky I was to have lived for 3 years at Penha...

The skyline has really changed, more casinos, more buildings,more land, more bridges, but it still has a certain feeling to it....

I was lucky because I met up with Marta, she let me stay at her place (this is her hand):)

I had not seen her for about 3 years... and it felt like we had not seen each other for only a few months... ehehehe
I also met Rita my primary school sweet heart eheheheh. Ya I hadn't seen her for about 4 years... it is strange how Macau does that to one... I am telling that it is a magical place.

Went to a couple of casinos, and night clubs, restaurants... and what can I say.... Macau is a great place to live...maybe not 4ever... but if you are looking for a Portuguese community in Asia... there is no better place:)

On my last day there I went to the Hyatt to the swimming pool... it was great because when I was a kid I used to go there ALL the time... actually I learnt how to play tennis at that hotel... everything was the same (well the tree have grown)...I spent the after noon with 4 beautiful women and that it self was amazing. They all put me right because I was beginning to ponder on coming back to Macau:P

I then had to leave Macau and start my journey back to Europe....but I could not leave China with going to.....

Shanghai is HUGE!!!

So I made it to Shanghai... what can I say this city is even bigger than Beijing... 20 million people... I mean 2 Portugals in one city!!!! It is crazy.

I went to some traditional gardens... walked around and took photos...


Did some shopping... please note that Starbucks Coffee is everywhere in the world... I thought that this looked so cool:)

I then had to see the TV tower... I mean it really is amazing:)

The view from the top is amazing... there is a roller coaster in the middle which I had to go on... This little lady was so scared but her 6 year old kid wanted to go... she asked me in Chinese if I would not mind taking care of her son.... so I did:)

She was most grateful:)

After the roller coaster I went to a museum in the Tower... it actually was very cool because it showed me how Shanghai has changed over the years.... it has always been open to Westerners... maybe that is why it is the biggest city in China...

I then went to a Chinese Musical... which was fantastic... with the traditional dresses/dancing/singing... I did not understand much.. but I still thought it was beautiful.

People even thought that it was cool that a tourist wanted to learn a bit of culture...so they were smiling at me....

I then walked around the Bund... with an amazing view... check it out...

The next day I went to Shanghais museum talked to a couple from New Zealand... I also made a friend there... Allen. This 24 year old took me to a friends tea tasting shop later on... We met up with Jenny... it was AMAZING!! I mean I did not realize how much there was behind tea in China, the types, the meanings, the whole culture. Jenny taught us a lot about it... it was really great!!!

I was really grateful that Allen took me there... They were from the same village and went their separate ways... and met up... in Shanghai...I just thought it was so cool that they wanted to show me a little about their life style...

Shanghai really rules.

Later on that day I walked around the city talking and meeting lots of people, some students came and talked to me... I thought it was really cool that they wanted to practice their English...

The next day I headed off to Macau... as my journey around China continued:)

A day in Beijing ...

So after the rest of the team headed back home, I decided it was time to plan my holiday... I had been working so hard that I hadn't really planned anything or booked anything... So I winged it all the way:)

I decided to go to Shanghai that evening... so I went to by a train ticket... well as you can imagine, not speaking Chinese or being able to read it either made traveling by train not an easy task... this is what the train station looked like... so which platform is Shanghai?! ehehe

Anyway even having a ticket which was 100% in Chinese, I bought the right one... and caught the train that evening:)

I was very happy with myself as I had a plan:)

After getting the ticket I went to the forbidden city, as it is close to the train station and walked around it... and made a few friends:)

For some reason Chinese people like taking photos with me or any foreigners.... I still thought it was great:)

This is my outside the forbidden city... I then headed to the train station to go to Shanghai:)

Weekend in Paradise:)

Hi everyone, it is time to update my blog again. I have been very busy and travelling around the world.

On the 12th of July I caught a plane to Amsterdam to go and see Martine. I am going to keep this entry short as I believe somethings are personal and are best left that way. However it was such a great weekend, I had to mention it.
















I got to Amsterdam and there she was... standing at Amsterdram Centraal... I could not take my eyes off her... beautiful as ever. We had this great weekend together, it was like a honey moon... it was great:)

I think that the photo says it all:)

Unfortenatly I had to leave on the Monday at about 7 to catch my flight at 8... I mean it was great to wake up next to Martine, it felt like I was home... I mean I could not think of a better way to start the day. I managed to catch the flight back to Aberdeen on the 14th... and just made it on time...

Got back to Aberdeen at 9 and was in the office at 9:30h.... waiting for my next adventure....

Gareth