Cross China Road Trip: 10,000 Miles Ahead & One Tent Peg
Well it’s taken long enough but at long last all that needs to be done is move the massive amount of gear from the apartment down into the back of […]
Beijing’s Vanishing Hutong: Last House Standing
2008: I remember it clearly like it was yesterday. The route from the apartment to Tsinghua University would take me through the warren of narrow streets, alleyways and dirt tracks […]
Book Trailer: Warm someone’s spirit with this three year life-changing travel yarn
Just Turn Left at the Mountain – Trials & Tribulations Meandering Across Chinese Borders by Andy Smart With zero Chinese speaking ability and minimal planning, Andy’s story starts with […]
Thank you Mr Xu: Bicycle Repair Man
Bike Stats: • Bought: 2007. Used nearly every day though placed in storage for two years. • Back wheel: Now on third. 1st was stolen, 2nd damaged (see below). • […]
Beijing Subway Line 10, Huo Qin Ying Extension: TBM Tunnel Boring Machine
To accommodate the rapid growth of Beijing and in a bid to reduce the number of cars, the subway system is also expanding. A good friend Wang Chun Guang who […]
Andy Smart’s Friendly Little List of Travel Tips Part One: First Time Travellers, Afore Ye Go!
Welcome to the first part of Andy’s friendly little list of travelling tips. If you think of any suggestions or additions then by all means comment at the bottom […]
The Beginning of Winter, Beijing 2015: Knickers in the Wind
One of the good things about going it alone is that you can stop and make notes in your own time. These are observations that have been sitting in my […]
5,4,3,2,1: Countdown to Chinese New Year. Guonian Hao Everyone!
It’s all happening here in China at the moment, so I’d like to wish all of my amazing readers the best of luck for 2016. I’m making some great friends […]
First Driving Experience in China: From Excitement to a State of Shock
This is a draft from Chapter 4 of my second book (Cross China Road Trip). I am open to any suggestions including editorial ones. Illustrations will be omitted when the […]
Chinese Medicine: Donkey skin, red dates and sesame!
Some parts have been translated. Round the corner, the local ‘yaodian’ is far more than any old pharmacy. It provides traditional Chinese medicine as well as modern drugs, consultations and […]
Beijing Red Alert Pollution Warning: Praying for Blue Skies
Yes it’s official. The authorities have issued a ‘red warning’ to Beijing that pollution levels are going to reach dangerous levels. For once the kindergarten opposite is quiet. All schools […]
Writing While Holding a Job Down at the Same Time: Maintaining That Second Heartbeat
It amazes me how much I’ve achieved when it comes to writing all considering. I mean how one is supposed to maintain a steady flow of thought transference these days […]
Oddments & Unusual Observations on the Beijing Subway
The subway is a fascinating place. A concentrated microcosm of Beijing. The amount of information your senses experience on a single subway journey across Beijing can send you into overload […]
Just Turn Left 
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