China in a heartbeat.

Ok ok, slack I know. I've been home a month and failed to so far blog about my trip to China. There is only really one word to sum it up; PERFECT! So I won't bore you with any more than that. The trip is exactly how perfect I imagined it would be, probably even more so.

I think pictures really do speak a thousand words, so here goes for your viewing pleasure.

This is me, getting mobbed. Yes. Mobbed. This happened almost everywhere we went and since I was turning 27 on the trip was most welcome for the ego. The translation our guide offered us was that I was "beautiful". HA! They really mustn't see many foreigners. 'Twas fun to experience being a movie star for a week however delusional they may have been.

Mumsy and I in the Forbidden City. Just spectacular and BUSY! You really feel all of the 1.3 billion people in the DPRC as your pushing through the crowds.

Ah, Peking Duck, my tastebuds did a happy dance when I saw this baby being wheeled out toward us. Delish.

The wall. Isn't she a beauty? It's so obvious standing on her that it really is a Great Wonder of the World.

This is me running the wall, full of enthusiasm. Little did I know I was about to face the original StairMaster 10000....on steroids.

Slowly running out of said enthusiasm.

Ok, this is getting ridiculous. Pretty sure I heard the phrase "f#$% me" in 56 different languages on ascent and descent.

Almost at the top!!!!!!

And the bottle of water I paid the equivalent of $6 Aussie Dollars for (as opposed to the 25 Aussie Cents I was regularly paying for water). Silly lady, could've charge me 50 bucks and I damn well would have paid it.

A 27th Birthday well spent, visiting the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. Ah-mazing! I'm not gonna lie though, felt very out of sorts to be away from my boys on such an occasion. Mum made me feel a little less homesick. But future note to self: Do NOT spend birthday's away from husband and son again.

Enjoying the cherry/peach/camellia? blossoms. Not sure which they are.

Xian street life. Probably my favourite pic of the trip. Really captures China.

The Bund. Shanghai. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this city. If you can see past the haze of pollution it's one of the world's truly great cities.

So that's about it, a small snippet of the 1300 pictures I took in a 8 days. Yep, I do love me a picture. Enjoy.