Polar in Poland

So we're on the go again and they s time both the destination and scope of our trip are more modest. Or annual inter-semester break has brought us to Poland's cultural capital, Kraków.

As you might expect, Poland in January is not warm, in fact it's currently minus 10, snowing and thus more than a little chilly outside.  Still, the city has impressed. It strikes us as a cross between Prague and Bath, with a little flavour of St. Petersburg, although slightly more medieval.

The days have been spent enjoying the views whilst darting between heated buildings. That is aside from the two hour walking tour which our fingers and toes were not pleased to be a part of. In all this we have discovered functional and incredibly filling polish food, amazing hot chocolate (served in grams not ml and really just warm fluid chocolate in a cup), and polish jazz.

Tomorrow is set to be difficult. Not the early morning, not the hour and a half bus ride and not even the continuing sub-zero temperatures. No, tomorrow takes us to one of mankind's greates shames: Auschwitz.

A look back at the Trans Mongolian Railway

So, its been a few months since we returned from the east.  Lots of things have happened, we've been on a train and been disappointed, realised that reading road signs doesn't have to take 30 seconds and been asked many, many times "Was it good?".

Yes, yes it was.

We knew we were having an a truly brilliant time when we were being whisked through central Europe, central Asia, eastern Asia; crossing tundra, desert and small walls; all in a awed daze.  Now we're back, the feeling which we get thinking back to the trip is nostalgia (yes, nostalgia after this short a time) and amazement that we did such a huge trip and just how special it was to be able to do it.

For looking back photos are excellent and we took a few whilst we were away.  In fact we probably took hundreds every day.  Of all these photos, however, we tried to make sure we took one particular photo every day, just an A4 sign, with the day of the trip and where we were.  By day 31 we had quite a collection:

 I hope you've enjoyed sharing it with us it.  I know we have.

Beijing Roundup

Beijing surprised me...

From the Hutongs to the High Rise

Our Chinese experience started well: the train crew's method of emptying the compartments in order to get them clean after a week's travelling was free food vouchers for breakfast and lunch. This, coupled with spectacular river gorges linked by a warren of 63 tunnels wound us into our epic train journey's final destination: Beijing.

Where Camels Grumble

So after six days, a host of unforgettable experiences and close to 800 miles, most of which at least felt off road, we're back in the metropolis that is Ulaanbataar.

Where Water Flows

Today was always intended to be a watery day, the original plan to go and see Mongolia's highest waterfall, Orkhon. However, a chat to our guide last night gave way to the fact that the road to get there would be very rocky and moreover, she had an alternative in the form of a hot spring which would be very 'comfortable'. Lets just say she sold the hot springs and so, after a slightly later start, we headed off glad to be on a paved road for the majority of the journey.

Where Monks Chant

Possibly the longest drive of our trip so far, not helped by the initial half an hour needed to get back to the road from last night's ger, or the stop on the main road to say hi to people in a passing car, led us to our first real 'tourist attraction' outside of UB; the Erdene Zuu Monastery.