It’s Saturday 22nd January 2011. I’m in Shanghai, staying with an old friend, Johnny, and his rabble of 3 wonderful children and gorgeous wife Tory. I’m looking out to the courtyard where the Chinese architecture is draped with decorations ready for Chinese New Year. We’ll miss the event, 3rd Jan, when the year of the rabbit commences. I can’t have it all I know, for by the 3rd Feb I’ll be in Kazakhstan, having endured and enjoyed subzero temperatures in Mongolia and somehow gotten across borders with local trains, planes, automobiles…horses, if we have to!

Tomorrow we overnight sleeper to Beijing where we meet Tamsin Pickeral, the author of the book, and her wonderful partner Chris, who was a total legend when the time came to organise visas. Having stepped up to the challenge and helped us run applications, collect passports and rally around in general ensuring we were ready for this trip, I am hoping that his skills as sherpa are equally as impressive!

Australia was incredible and I have yet to write about some of the intricate experiences that happened there, but I will.  Now I have 2 hours of peace and quiet to edit, and somehow we are ending this day celebrating Burn’s night at a swanky hotel where we’ll be flung around the dancefloor in ball gowns… which we are yet to beg, borrow or steal. A foot massage precedes that event, and a shopping trip to bundle up with fleeces and arctic gear precedes that.  So, we have a serious day ahead of us and i really must focus.  But, I just wanted to document this moment. A pause in my journey, a pause to recollect, to organise files, to flip through my photos and to have a minute to myself, which is a rarity these days. 

I have also learned that I have a history here in this city, for my Grandparents were married in Shanghai Cathedral and my Great Grandfather served in the war here. So much to explore and so little time…

Good for the heart?

Tory, Robin, Johnny, Romily and I. No more horses, it’s time to (Highland) dance.