Logie-tip

Iran, Teheran Hafez Hotel, Ferdowsi Ave., tel 670 90 63 - 670 53 31, fax 670 13 67. Een aanrader met stip voor het dure Teheran: goed logies voor geen geld! Zelfs voor wie de eerste maal in Iran aankomt, gemakkelijk te vinden: je neemt een bus van de luchthaven naar Meydane Emam Khomeini. Grote, nette en mooi geschilderde kamers met airco en Tv, soms met koelkast. Goede douche en schoon toilet. Lekker ontbijt naar hartelust inbegrepen. Zeer goede, centrale ligging om verschillende bezienswaardigheden te bereiken. 80 000 R per nacht per kamer. Johan Beuselinck, augustus 2000

Between the Central Asian desert and the plains of Pakistan is a geographical vortex rich in history, natural beauty and cultural diversity. It's also a damned bumpy ride. The great Karakoram Highway - fully opened in 1986 - spans the 'collision zone' between the Asian and Indian continents, setting a winding route in a place where China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India come within 250km (133mi) of each other.

The Karakoram Highway follows a network of ancient trade routes linking the Silk Road oasis of Kashgar in western China with the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Along the way it crosses the Khunjerab Pass (4800m, 15,750ft), otherwise known as the 'Valley of Blood' - a reference to local bandits who took advantage of the terrain to plunder caravans and slaughter merchants. More blood was spilt during the 20 years it took to push, level and blast the present 1300km (800mi) highway through the mountains: over 400 road-builders died, and it doesn't take more than a few hours in this hostile terrain to figure out why.

The glaciers and peaks are mind-bending, but designated drivers miss most of the spectacle, too worried about the hairpin bend, the oncoming maniac, the narrow, crumbling road and the sheer drop. It's possible to navigate the highway by car, bus or - if you've got thighs of steel - bicycle. Though the roads are often treacherous, this part of Central Asia is among Asia's safest destinations.

Despite half a dozen languages, the region crossed by the highway has an identity all its own, defined by religion (predominately Muslim), trade, a demanding environment and a sense of alienation and isolation from greater China or Pakistan. In some of the rapidly emerging tourist towns such as Gilgit, travellers will encounter the same overpriced scams as anywhere in the world. But on the whole, the region boasts great value and unfeigned friendliness from the locals.

While the road itself offers a visual spectacle rivalled by few places in the world, the real treasures are to be found village-hopping off the main drag. The geographical isolation of the villages has created a huge wealth of diverse cultural practices, clothing and crafts. The locals are unremittingly friendly - more so if you have postcards, tea, salt or sugar to trade.

Highlights of the road itself include the highway-nudging glaciers between Passu and Gulmit, the millennia-spanning excavations at Taxila, near Islamabad, and the centrepiece of the Karakoram Highway, the Hunza Valley's majestic snowy peaks. Theoretically the whole trip could take 48 hours. With breaks, breakages, detours, road blockages, disputed territory and the friendliness of villagers along the way, most journeys take about three weeks.

Multan

Little-visited Multan, in the lower Punjab, is claimed to be the oldest surviving city on the subcontinent, dating back some 4000 years. Once an important centre of Islam, it has since attracted more mystics, holy men and saints than you can shake a shalwar qamiz at. Today, Multan is dominated by their tombs and shrines, a fort that affords superlative views over the city, and one of the best bazaars in Pakistan - those not converted by Anita Roddick might like to snap up the skin potion made from lizards that's said to be an excellent revitaliser.

It's a 570km (353mi) trek down to Multan from Islamabad. Buses and minbuses descend on Multan from a variety of destinations including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Hyderabad, dropping passengers off at the chaotic general bus station. Trains (a more comfortable way to travel) shuffle between Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi.
Kalasha Valleys

Missionaries, anthropolgists and Duddley Do-rights come to the Kalasha Valleys, south of Chitral, for one thing - to gawk at a non-Muslim tribe (yes, you read correctly) that lives there. The people refer to themselves as Kalasha, live in solid houses made of wood, stone and mud, and quietly go about their pastoral lives raising grains and herding the odd goat. Amazingly, they seem unfussed by all the attention and seem to welcome interested Western observers.

Unless you walk, the only way into Chitral is by air (weather permitting), or via one of two passes high up in the altitudes, and even these are closed during the winter. And it's a long walk from Islamabad: 393km (245mi) to be exact. Once in Chitral you can reach the Kalasha Valleys by jeep, or by taking a bus part of the way and then doing the rest the hard way; on foot.
Nanga Parbat

The Nanga Parbat massif (the name means 'Naked Mountain' in Kashmiri), in the southernmost part of the Northern Areas, has a 4500m (14,760ft) wall that is so steep even snow refuses to stick. The same can be said of a large number of climbers - they've been dropping from the scene for years. Beside it is a stomach-churning track that climbs up a valley and then over a pass. It regularly claimed jeeps over the side until the route was improved in 1987.

First off, you'll need to get to Gilgit (see Northern Areas section) and from there catch a bus or get a jeep to Astor. From Astor you can jeep it to several small villages in the area and after that it's strictly the hard yards on foot.
Activities

With some of the most magnificent mountain terrain in the world, Pakistan is naturally enough a trekkers rave. There are all types of trekking available, from those organised by overseas companies to Pakistan-based outfits. Popular trekking routes that can stretch from a day to a month are found mostly in Gilgit, Nanga Parbat, Balistan (from where treks leave to K2) and Hunza, all in the country's north. For something a little less demanding there are good one-day hikes in the Ziarat Valley, near Quetta.

Other activities include cycling along the Karakoram Highway (from Rawalpindi to the Khunjerab Pass), Potwar Plateau (Islamabad to Peshawar) and the Margalla and Murree Hills (north of Islamabad); mountain biking from Gilgit to Chitral; and white-water rafting along the Hunza, Gilgit and Indus rivers.
Events

Nationwide celebrations include Ramadan, a month of sunrise-to-sunset fasting which changes dates every year (as the Islamic calendar differs from the Gregorian one); Eid-ul-Fitr, two to three days of feasting and goodwill that marks the end of Ramadan; Eid-ul-Azha, when animals are slaughtered and the meat shared between relatives and the needy; and Eid-Milad-un-Nabi, which celebrates Mohammad's birthday.
When to Go

The best time for travelling to Pakistan depends on which part of the country you intend to visit. Generally speaking, the southern parts of Pakistan including Sind (Karachi), Baluchistan, Punjab and southern North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) are best visited in the cooler months between November and April. After that it gets uncomfortably hot. Northern areas like Punjab (Islamabad and Lahore), Peshawar, Azad Jammu Kashmir and northern NWFP are best seen during May to October before the area becomes snowbound. The weather may be a little stormy during this time, but the mountain districts are usually still accessible.

Try to avoid visiting Pakistan during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, which usually occurs sometime during the months of December to early January. You may find yourself involuntarily joining in the fast because activity is kept to a minimum and food is hard to find during daylight hours.
Money & Costs

By staying in hostels or dorms and eating like a local you can get by on as little as US$10-15 a day. If, however, you were looking for a moderate touch of luxury you could spend as much as $30-40 a day which could get you accommodation that included a satellite TV, a desk, a balcony and a spotlessly clean bathroom. As in any place you can spend as much as you like to live in the lap of luxury and stay in swanky hotels. It's worth noting that rooms and food are cheaper in the north than in the south.

Both travellers' cheques and cash are easy to change throughout the country, but commissions on cheques can be high. Apart from top-end hotels, most places won't accept credit cards as payment although you can often use them for cash advances at western banks. Facilities for validation seem better for Visa then MasterCard. Occasionally a tattered note will be firmly refused as legal tender, and often in the smaller towns the appearance of a 1000 or 500 rupee note will cause consternation and an inability to provide change, so make sure you get some smaller notes when buying your rupees.

Baksheesh isn't so much a bribe as a way of life in Pakistan. It can apply to any situation and is capable of opening all sorts of doors, both literal and metaphorical. Anything from a signature on a document to fixing a leaking tap can be acquired through the magic of baksheesh. Most top-end hotels will automatically add a 5-10% service charge to your bill, so any extra tipping is entirely up to you. Taxi drivers routinely expect 10% of the fare, and railway porters charge an officially-set Rs 7. The only time that a gratuity might not be welcome is in the rural areas where it runs counter to Islamic obligation to be hospitable.

If baksheesh is a way of life, bargaining is a matter of style, particularly in the many Pakistani bazaars. Unlike the western hesitancy for bargaining, shopkeepers in Pakistani love to bargain as long as it's done with style and panache. Bargaining usually begins with an invitation to step inside for a cup of tea followed by a little bit of small talk, a casually expressed interest by yourself in a particular item, a way-too-high price mentioned by the seller, a way-too-low counter offer by yourself and eventually, after much comic rolling of eyes, a handshake and mutual satisfaction for both parties. Bargaining should always be accompanied by smiles, good humour and an ability not to get fixated on driving the price into the ground.

Currency: Pakistani rupee

Relative Costs:
Meals
# Budget: US$2-3
# Mid-range: US$3-8
# Top-end: US$8-10

Lodging
# Budget: US$4-10
# Mid-range: US$10-20
# Top-end: US$30 and upwards

Facts for the Traveller
Visas: a 30-day landing permit will be issued to most western nationals entering Pakistan without a visa, but it's probably safer to get a three-month tourist visa in your passport before you set off (with the possible option of a three-month extension).
Health risks: malaria, dengue fever, hepatitis A, dysentery and, in rural areas, Japanese encephalitis.
Time: GMT/UTC plus five hours
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & measures: metric
Tourism: 424,000 visitors
Getting There & Away

Most flights from European and Asian centres arrive in Karachi, though a few also go to Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Gwadar (Baluchistan). Much more interesting is taking an overland route. A railway links Lahore with the Indian railway system through Amritsar, and another from Quetta crosses briefly into Iran. After the Grand Trunk Road, the most famous road into Pakistan is the Karakoram Highway, over the 4730m (15,514ft) Khunjerab Pass from Kashgar in China; roads also run from India and Iran. A bus service between Delhi and Lahore is also up and running. Sea passage is a possibility, with cargo ships calling at Karachi from either the Middle East or Bombay.
Getting Around

Getting around Pakistan is not always comfortable, but it's incredibly cheap. The state-owned Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has scheduled flights to 35 domestic terminals and daily connections between the major centres. One of the bonuses of flying is that some of the air routes, especially to the northern areas and Chitral, are spectacular. Buses go anywhere, anytime - but the treacherous mountain roads make the going very tough. Vans, wagons, pick-ups and jeeps are also a popular form of road transport. Train travel is slower and easier on the nerves but there are no routes into the mountains. City transport is dominated by buses, taxis, auto-rickshaws and two-wheeled, horse-drawn tongas.
Recommended Reading
# Brief but descriptive odysseys through Pakistan can be found in The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux and Danziger's Travels by Nick Danziger. Other good travel narratives include The Golden Peak: Travels in Northern Pakistan by Kathleen Jamie, To the Frontier by Geoffrey Moorhouse and Full Tilt by Dervla Murphy.
# Pakistan's historical and cultural traditions get a good going over in the excellent Every Rock, Every Hill: A Plain Tale of the North-West Frontier & Afghanistan by Victoria Schofield and Words For My Brother by John Staley. Pakistan: A Modern History by Ian Talbot explores the country's lack of democratic success.
# Less recent histories and more in the 'Gripping Yarns' vein are John Keay's When Men & Mountains Meet, Sir George Robertson's Chitral, The Story of a Minor Siege and Derek Waller's The Pundits.
# For fiction, don't ignore Shame, Salman Rushdie's engrossing tragi-comic fantasy about Z A Bhutto and General Ziaul-Haq. Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King and Kim provide a British colonial perspective and a romping good read. Similarly, there's George MacDonald Fraser's swaggering Flashman in the Great Game.
# If you're looking for a light-headed buzz, read Greg Child's Thin Air about mountain climbing the Karakoram.

All text and images © 2003 Lonely Planet Publications. All rights reserved.

borders
You cannot cross Uzbek-Afghan border at Termez (friendship bridge) unless you are an aid worker and accredited journalist.

You CAN cross the Tajik-Afghan border at:
*Panj-i-Paion (aka Nizhnii Pyandzh, border open daily except Sunday, barge starts around 9:00 am) which can be reached from Kurgan-Tyube and Dusti (Tajik side) and Kunduz (Afghan side);
*Iskashim in the GBAO, which can be reached from Khorog (Tajik side) and Faizabad (Afghan side).

websites and online travel guides:
www.kabulcaravan.com

The Survival Guide to Kabul Excellent city guide
Ariana Afghan Airlines National airline with schedules and online booking

Daily news:
Afghan Online Press
E-Ariana
Afghan News

Weekly news and articles available by email:
Institute for War & Peace Reporting
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

From the Aid community:
Reliefweb
Integrated Regional Information Network (Daily & weekly email options)

Afghan maps:
Afghanistan Information Management Service
Perry Castenada Map Collection

Directory of NGOs and other contacts inside Afghanistan:
A-Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance

Nanjing

In a country where provincial capitals are rarely known for their beauty, Nanjing shines. The construction work that's churning up the face of China seems to have affected this city less than most and it remains a place of broad boulevards and shady trees. This is just as well considering the oppressive summer heat that grips Nanjing, which is known as one of China's 'three furnaces'. The city enjoyed its golden years under the Ming, and there are numerous reminders of the period to be found. One of the most impressive is the Ming city wall measuring over 33km - the longest city wall ever built in the world. About two-thirds of it still stands. On the slopes just east of Nanjing is the Sun Yatsen Mausoleum. Sun is recognised by the communists and the Kuomintang alike as the father of China. Nanjing is asscessible by rail, bus and air. It is roughly 1000km (620mi) from Beijing.
Tai Shan

Tai Shan (or Dai shan) is the most revered of the five sacred Taoist mountains of China. Since the dawn of Chinese history, poets, writers and painters have found Tai Shan a great source of inspiration and have extolled its beauties. Today, however, the fact that it is a major Chinese attraction means that visitors rarely get a moment's peace to drink in the experience, but thankfully the pull of legend, religion and history is enough to make the climb or cable-car ride worthwhile. Tai Shan is not a major climb, but with around 6000 steps to negotiate, it can be hard work. The central route's bewildering catalogue of bridges, trees, towers, statues, inscribed stones, caves, pavilions and temples combine to take your mind off your aching calves.

Not far from the mountain is the town of Qufu, birthplace of Confucius (551-479 BC). Its massive Confucius Temple features a series of impressive gateways, clusters of twisted pines and cypresses, inscribed steles and tortoise tablets recording ancient events. One of the pavilions dates from 1190, while one of the junipers is said to have been planted by Confucius himself (though a Confucian aphorism about gullibility may descend on you if you believe this). The core of the complex is the yellow-tiled Dacheng Hall. The Confucius Mansions date from the 16th century and are the most sumptuous aristocratic lodgings in China, indicative of the former power of the Confucian descendants, the Kong family. The town itself grew up around these buildings, and was an autonomous estate administered by the Kongs. North of the mansions is the Confucian Forest, the largest artificial park and best preserved cemetery in China. The timeworn route features a 'spirit way' of ancient cypresses, passing through the Eternal Spring Archway before reaching the Tomb of the Great Sage. The nearby town of Tai'an is a 9-hour train ride from Beijing. Buses then run regularly to the mountain.
Turpan

Turpan is 180km southeast of Ürümqi lying in a basin 154m below sea level - the second-lowest depression in the world after Israel's Dead Sea. It's also the hottest spot in China: the mercury hovers around an egg-frying 50°C in summer. Uyghur culture is still thriving here and it's one of the few quiet places in China. The living is cheap, the food is good, the people are friendly, the bazaar is fascinating, and there are interesting sights scattered around. Within easy reach are the Gaochang Ruins, once a major staging post on the Silk Road; the Flaming Mountains, which look like they're on fire in the midday sun; and a Sand Therapy Clinic where rheumatics come to get buried up to their necks in sand. To reach Turpan, you'll first have to find your way to Ürümqi by air or - if you're brave - by train. From there you catch a regular bus. The ride takes four hours.
Karakoram Highway

This highway over the Khunjerab Pass (4800m) is the gateway to Pakistan and was used for centuries by caravans plodding down the Silk Road. Khunjerab means 'valley of blood', a reference to local bandits who took advantage of the terrain to plunder caravans and slaughter the merchants. Nearly 20 years were required to plan, push, blast and level the present road between Islamabad and Kashgar; over 400 road-builders died. Facilities en-route are being steadily improved, but take warm clothing, food and drink on board with you. Even if you don't wish to cross into Pakistan, it's worth doing the trip up to Tashkurgan from Kashgar because the scenery is stunning: high mountain pastures nibbled by camels and yaks tended by yurt-dwelling Tajiks.
Longgong Caves

Guizhou province's awesome Longgong caves form a network through some 20 mountains and can be reached by bus from the town of Anshun - about 23km (14mi) away. The caverns lie in Anshun county, at the Bouyi settlement of Shitou Zhai. Another scenic cave in the vicinity is Zhijin Cave. Anshun is two hours by minibus or regular bus from Guiyang. From there, it's a US$185 flight or a series of bus and train trips to Beijing, some 1750km (1085mi) away, as the crow flies.
Activities

The bicycle is the unofficial symbol of China, and with more than 300 million trundling about you'll have no trouble hiring anything from a rattly old local Forever brand to a half-decent multi-speed mountain bike. Even in towns that don't see many tourists, there are hire shops catering to Chinese who are passing through. Cycling tours are popular and many Chinese and Western travel agents offer short and long-term biking jaunts. Camping along the way is also possible if you can find a few spare blades of grass.

If it wasn't for the ubiquitous and ridiculously expensive permits, mountaineers, white-water rafters, hang-gliders and other adventurous types would be over China like a rash. Instead you're far more likely to encounter mountains of red tape. At least hikers can carry on regardless without having to obtain a permit, as they don't need much equipment. But opportunities for hardcore hiking can be limited to trails fitted out with handrails, steps, souvenir vendors and restaurants. One solution is to go underground. Caving, particularly in the south-west provinces, can be a lot of fun - but be prepared to get wet and muddy.

Camel rides are popular in Inner Mongolia and in the deserts around Dunhuang (Gansu province), and horse riding in the hills of Xinjiang and west of Beijing can be a beautiful way to spend the day. Winter offers ice skating on Beijing's lakes and skiing (downhill and cross-country) in the northeast provinces, but Westerners with big clodhoppers may have to bring their own boots.

More sedate pursuits include tai chi, a popular form of slow-motion aerobics practised in nearly every town park in the early morning throughout the land. Novices are always welcome. For brain exercising, most universities offer courses to fee-paying foreign students; possible subjects include Chinese language study, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, brush painting and music.
Events

Chinese New Year (or Spring Festival) starts on the first day of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in February. Although officially lasting only three days, many people take a week off. Ear plugs are handy at this time to dull the firecracker assaults, and prices of hotel rooms tend to go through the roof. The Lantern Festival isn't a public holiday, but it's big and it's colourful. It falls on the 15th day of the 1st moon (around mid-Feb to mid-March) and marks the end of the new-year celebrations. The famous lion dances occur throughout this period. Tomb Sweeping Day is in April, and sees Chinese families spend the day tending the graves of departed loved ones. Hong Kong hosts one of the liveliest annual Chinese celebrations - the Dragon Boat Festival. Usually held in June, the festival honours the poet Qu Yuan and features races between teams in long ornate canoes. Many Westerners take part in the races, but plenty of practice is needed to get all the paddles working as one.

Special prayers are held at Buddhist and Taoist temples on full-moon and sliver-moon days. Temple and moon-based festivities include Guanyin's Birthday (late March to late April), Mazu's Birthday (May or June), Water-Splashing Festival (13-15 April), Ghost Month (late August to late September), Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (October) and the Birthday of Confucius (28 September).
When to Go

Spring (March-April) and autumn (September-October) are the best times to visit China. Daytime temperatures range from 20°C to 30°C (68°F-86°F) in these seasons, but nights can be bitterly cold and it can be wet and miserable. Major public holidays, in particular Chinese New Year, are best avoided as it's difficult to get around and/or find accommodation.
Money & Costs

Generally, eastern China is much more expensive than the western part of the country. Visitors to eastern China could budget around US$50 a day, but it would be a challenge. Budget travellers in western China should be able to keep costs down to US$25 per day. The main drain on savings tends to be long train journeys. Food is cheap throughout China, and if you're careful you won't have to spend much more than US$7 a day on meals. However, the bottom line is that you'll be charged the 'tourist price' a lot of the time - it's a practice encouraged by the government.

Foreign currency and travellers' cheques can be changed at the main branches of the Bank of China, the tourist hotels, Friendship Stores and some department stores. Hotels usually charge the official rate. You will need to keep your exchange receipts if you want to change any of your remaining RMB at the end of your trip. Travellers' cheques are useful because the exchange rate is more favourable than that for cash; Thomas Cook, American Express and Visa are most commonly accepted.

Credit cards are gaining ground in China, with Visa, MasterCard, American Express (branches in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen), JCB and Diners Club the most common. Cards can be used in most mid to top-range hotels, Friendship and department stores, but cannot be used to finance your transportation costs. Cash advances can be made at head branches of the Bank of China (4% commission). Tipping is not really expected in mainland China - but bargaining is definitely OK. You can bargain in shops, street stalls, and hotels - but not in large stores.

Currency: Renminbi (RMB). The basic unit is the yuan

Relative Costs:
Meals
# Budget: US$1-2
# Mid-range: US$5-10
# Top-end: US$ 10 and upwards

Lodging
# Budget: US$25-35 (eastern China), US$5-12 (western China)
# Mid-range: US$35-100
# Top-end: US$100 and upwards

Facts for the Traveller
Visas: Visas are required by all foreigners entering mainland China although, at this stage, visas are not required by Western nationals visiting Hong Kong and Macau. Travelers in transit can stay in China visa-free for up to 24 hours as long as they have an onward air ticket for a flight from China to another destination departing within that time period. Visas are available from Chinese embassies and consulates in most countries.
Health risks: Rabies, bilharzia, dengue fever, malaria and cholera are all present. Immunisation against cholera, Diptheria and Tetanus, hepatitis A and B, Japanese B Encephalitis, polio, rabies and typhoid is considered essential.
Time: GMT/UTC +8 (the whole of China is set to Beijing time).
Electricity: 220V, 50Hz; plugs can be three-pronged angled, three-pronged round, two flat pins or two narrow round pins.
Weights & measures: Metric
Getting There & Away

Despite over 115 ports of entry and exit, most visitors to China travel via Hong Kong or Shanghai. The national carrier is the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC, known on international routes as Air China), which also operates a company called Dragonair as a joint venture with the Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific (bookable through Cathay Pacific worldwide). If you are leaving China by air, there's a departure tax of Y90, payable only in local currency, so be sure you have enough yuan to avoid a last-minute scramble at the airport moneychanging booth.

You can travel to China and back from Europe or Asia without having to leave the ground. Exotic routes include Vietnam-China, the Trans-Siberian railway, Tibet-Nepal, Xinjiang-Pakistan and Xinjiang-Kazakstan - but don't even think about bringing your own car, as foreigners are rarely allowed to drive in China. Other entry points include Zhuhai-Macau, Kashgar-Islamabad (Pakistan) via the Karakoram Highway, Urumqi-Almaty (Kazakstan), Kashgar-Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Beijing-Pyongyang (North Korea) and Pinxiang/Hekou-Dong Dang/Lao Cai (Vietnam). You can take a slow boat to China from Japan or South Korea. Popular places to sail to and from include Shanghai, Xiamen (opposite Taiwan), Tanggu (near Tianjin), Macau and - of course - Hong Kong.
Getting Around

Now that private carriers have been allowed to set up operations in China, CAAC has assumed the role of `umbrella organisation' over airlines including China Eastern, China Southern, China Northern, Great Wall, Yunnan Airlines and several others. There is no such thing as a discount, no matter where you buy your ticket and you'll usually be slugged with an agents commisioning fee. There is an airport tax of Y50 payable on all domestic flights.

Long-distance buses are one of the best means of getting around on the ground; they're frequent and cheap (which also translates as crowded and stuffy) but there's extensive services, passable roads and interesting towns and villages en route. An even better mode is the train, which reaches into every province (apart from Tibet) along a 52,000-km network. It's cheap, relatively fast and a safer proposition than buses; the only dangers on the trains is getting your luggage pinched or dying from shock at the state of the toilets.

As land transport improves, the romantic days of domestic boat travel are fading. But there are still a number of popular boat trips to be had between Hong Kong and the mainland. The best known river trip is the three-day cruise along the Yangzi River from Chongqing to Wuhan.

Taxis don't cruise the streets except in the largest of cities, and while most cabs have meters they usually only get switched on by accident. Motorcycle taxis, motor-tricycles and/or pedicabs hunt in packs around most major train and bus stations. They're a motley bunch, but they're cheap and useful if you don't mind sudden traffic-induced adrenalin rushes. But really, once you've settled in somewhere, the best way to get around is by renting a bike and joining the pedalling throng.
Recommended Reading
# Jung Chang's mega-seller Wild Swans is a fascinating family saga spanning three generations against the backdrop of China's turbulent 20th-century history. Other I-survived-China titles include Nien Cheng's Life and Death in Shanghai, Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng & Judith Shapiro and Bitter Winds: A Memoir of My Years in China's Gulag by Harry Wu.
# Western views of contemporary Chinese politics are provided by Nicholas D Kristof & Sheryl Wudunn's China Wakes, Orville Schell's Mandate of Heaven and the highly recommended Evening Chats in Beijing by Perry Link.
# For a spot of biography to enlighten your trip there's The Private Life of Chairman Mao, written by the man's private physician, Zhisui Li. Books on other Chinese personalities include Deng Xiaoping and the Making of Modern China by Richard Evans (which includes a discussion of the Tiananmen Square tragedy), The White Boned Demon: A Biography of Madame Mao Zedong by Ross Terrill and Eldest Son: Zhou Enlai and the Making of Modern China, 1898-1976 by Han Suyin.
# When it comes to history - and be prepared for some brick-sized titles here - the most comprehensive coverage is the 15-volume (and counting) series the Cambridge History of China. Travellers may prefer to lug The Walled Kingdom: A History of China from 2000 BC to the Present by Witold Rodzinsky around - it's a mere 450 pages. A book full of lively prose, and a pleasure to read, is Jonathan Spence's The Search for Modern China; another highly rated modern history is John King Fairbank's The Great Chinese Revolution 1800-1985. More recent history is discussed in Sowing the Seeds of Democracy in China: Political Reform in the Deng Xiaoping Era by Merle Goldman.
# Colin Thubron's Behind the Wall and Paul Theroux's Riding the Iron Rooster are two of the best recent travel books written about China, while older travelogues include Isabella Bird's 1899 The Yangtse and Beyond and Peter Fleming's One's Company.

All text and images © 2003 Lonely Planet Publications. All rights reserved.

We took to heart the comments on treating Mongolia like a remote camping trip, but in fact found pretty much everything in local supermarkets. With the exception of fresh vegetables which the locals were buying in huge quantities at the border stop in Erlian. There is even a well stocked french supermarket near Sukhbaatar Square, Ulaan Baatar.
Ulaan Baatar also has an ATM machine now, located on Peace Avenue, also close to Sukhbaatar Square.
Ian Douglas, Australia (May 02)

There are no ATM's in Mongolia at all, nowhere in the entire country. I just returned from Beijing and Ulaan Bataar and, as a lazy American, counted on ATM's for cash.
Maryann O'Malloy, USA (Oct 01)

Transiberian Railway: I've travelled the Transiberian railway a few times (I'm a tourleader) and every time this good looking man or lady in an official uniform tries to sell life insurance for about $10.00 each. They tell you that since last January or whenever, some rules have been changed and every tourist needs to have this form. This is not true. He or she will try to convince you but don't buy this insurance! Just have a big mouth and they will go away.
Monique Gijsbrechts, Netherlands (Aug 01)

>I am an American on my way to Moscow, Russia. I am in Iceland right
>now and will visit Lithuania in a week or two. My brother told me I
>can get a Russian visa at a travel agency in Vilnius.

Our old friend's Skot's brother?

Where do I go
>to do this?

In firm "Astrida" (usually cheapest visas) in 1 day - 390 LTL, in 4 days
- 300 LTL, in 8 days - 265 LTL (1$=2.84 LTL)
Astrida's contacts -
http://www.inyourpocket.com/lithuania/vilnius/en/venue?id=LIVIENW0039
In other firm "Gintarine Sala" it cost for example 440 LTL.
These ar preliminary prices. If you still interested I can say exact
prices tomorrow morning.

Also, is there anywhere I can stay for free (or very
>cheaply) in Vilnius? Thanks for your help.

Free accommodation in Vilnius - www.hospitalityclub.org

Regards,

Vladas Sapranavicius

Hi

>we did our visa for russia on our own at the consulate in
>salzburg, austria.
>we got our invitation from waytorussia.net and i think it's a serious
>company, you can trust them. it was 30 usd for the invitation
>and 55 euro for the
>visa and it was done in 10 working days.

It is 273 LTL in 10 days. In Lithuania for USA citizens 265 in 8 days.
Almost the same.

Regards,

Vladas