China part two...

It's been a while since my first post about my trip to China for my 21st birthday..

The photos in this post are of our time spent in Xian, Chengdu, on the Yahtzee river and in Shanghai.

Extremely happy to be off of the train...2 hours with noisy strangers got annoying fast! 

 On the cruise ship on the Yahtzee river. I love my Mum :)

 Xian at the Terracotta warriors

 Trademark stupid Belle face

 Terracotta warriors

 In the evening we went to a dumpling banquet, they are my favourite thing on a chinese takeaway so I was in my element and LOVED it!

 Beautiful costumes during one of the shows we saw

 Hugely excited to see the pandas 

 One of over two thousand shots of the pandas

 All dressed up for my cuddles with the pandas

 Best moment of my life.

I highly recommend a trip to China..the mixture of culture alongside the modern day life there is amazing. I loved every minute of it and am so greatful my Mum thought to take me there for my 21st.
The best bit for me was always going to be the pandas but paying the extra money to spend time up close with them was a once in a life time thing and if you ever get a chance to do it seize it! Especially as they're so endangered *insert sad face here!* 
We booked with a company called China tours who sorted out everything, flights, hotels, shows, food, transfers. Flawless service! 


Take Care
Belle
xoxo

All that's beautiful travels...China: part one

I recently traveled to China with my Mum for my 21st birthday present. Whilst over there we visited Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Yichang and Shanghai. I'm going to put the trip into six separate posts starting with Beijing.

First of all I know I am incredibly lucky to have been taken away to such an exotic place for my birthday and I really appreciate it all. This post is in no means me bragging just putting my thoughts and opinions out there whilst also sharing various shots I took, being a photography graduate and all that...

Holidays for me always start in duty free and this one was no different. After my Dad and boyfriend dropped me and the Mother off at Heathrow, and of course after a farewell caramel latte in Costa, we headed through all the departures procedures and were off. Many people said we were crazy, two women going to China alone but we had a tour booked with tour guides accompanying us every step of the way. I had saved all my 21st birthday money up to purchase one special handbag in duty free, the Mulberry Alexa in Conker, a gorgeous red wine colour. I had a permanent smile etched on my face knowing that little beauty was mine. Onto the cosmetic goodness, I always purchase at least one perfume when traveling abroad not being able to resist the slight discount of duty free prices. This time round I bought the Pacco Robanne One Million and I love it, such a me scent. I added to that a Kiehl's moisturiser, YSL Rouge Volupte in no. 1, YSL Shocking mascara, MAC paint pot in Rubenesque, MAC concealer and foundation.

3 hours after landing, very tired outside our first hotel sporting the lovely new handbag

I jumped straight in the bed for a quick nap 

(I'm aware this is sideways)

Mum and I at the summer palace

Gorgeous paintings at the Summer Palace

Being idiots at the Forbidden city

We flew with Air China and quite honestly it was the longest 10 and a half hours...very uncomfortable and not a great start to the holiday! when we arrived in Beijing it was interesting to say the least. I was expecting a massive culture shock but was surprised at how westernised everything was with exception of everything being in Chinese of course! We stayed in a Sheraton the first few nights and the beds were amazing! Literally like a cloud I was so exhausted I just wanted to pass out but with the time difference we had to try and stay awake, its 8hours ahead out there.

First proper day was spent in two places; in the morning we explored the Summer Palace a gorgeous place full of intricately painted structures and very peaceful even with masses of chinese tourists milling around. The afternoon we spent in the Forbidden City, very historic, learnt a lot especially that Chinese coffee, unless from Starbucks, is disgusting!! In the evening we watched a Kung Fu show, meaning I now want to learn Kung Fu and break wood with my head of course. 

Kung Fu fighting..

Our second day started with a walk/climb along the Great Wall of China. Its huge! Even bigger than I expected from what I'd seen on television. Being the strange person I am I donned my panda onesie and walked a couple of sections being stopped quite a few times by locals wanting pictures with the crazy western girl dressed as a panda...this was quite a frequent occurrence to be honest even without the panda suit. Chinese people deem my tallness, pale skin and blonde hair as extremely beautiful and wanted photos with me all the time. Wasn't something I could put up with all the time! I belong on the other side of the camera... The afternoon was spent walking around the grounds of the Ming warrior temple.

Mum and I with the Olympic Birds Nest stadium in the back ground

 Noms on our first day

 (Frustratingly I can't rotate these pictures!)

In the forbidden city grounds

On the Great Wall of China 

 Stone statues at the Ming Warrior Temple

On the Great Wall of China again

 Posing with the locals in my panda suit

 Some crazy person...

 More stone statue fun

The third day we visited the temple of heaven which was beautiful and pictures will say more than I can. After this we visited a local village called a Hutong and had lunch with a local family which was lovely, nicest meal so far actually. Then off to the airport to fly to our next destination Xian, which shall have another post to it's self. 

Local families home with a little doggy (yes he has orange ears)

I cannot for the life of me remember what these contraptions were called

Congrats if you made it this far!

Belle

xoxo

Pandas, New York and Life....

It's been another crazy week.

My tutor for photography has had me pretty much change my project from twisted fairytales (which I've done a whole summer's worth of research on) to something more concept based...so now I have choice of women's struggle in being sexy (I can't explain it very well....) or child abandonment issues/attachment theory. I think I'll go for the latter.

Anyone know any photographers/theorists who have dealt with this theme???

Other than that I've started working on my first essay of the symester which isn't going too badly for the minute. For the media side of my degree I have to keep a surveillance journal for 24 hours recording how many times I'm watched etc. I know it's going to make me so paranoid!!

All I seem to do is uni work and work work. I've seen my Mum a lot this week which has been nice, went to see The Hole 3D, in no way is that kiddies film! I was scared and I love horrors!!! And I saw The life and death of Charlie St Cloud, which was rather good, sad but good....

I still haven't got round to putting together my review posts but when I get some more time I'll pop them up, to be honest I don't know if it's really worth it!

Anyway here's some photos of things I'm loving this week...

Pandas :D

I love Pandas so much

New York

My Mum's said that as I'm not really into the idea of a big 21st birthday party next year that we'll go on a holiday to celebrate my birthday and my graduation (possibly even engagement...) and I've wanted to go to New York for years :) So we're planning on spending a week in New York and then doing a cruise together for a week, I'm so excited!!! Even though it won't be until November next year :(

Gavin also wants to take me away near my birthday, I'm hoping somewhere hot and tropical :P but it will probably be Devon or Cyprus. He did say when we first started seeing each other that he won't propose until I'm 21 so I'm hoping next year....fingers crossed!!

Dachshund

I'm still waiting but patiently...

Excited! Maybe under the Christmas tree.......

Snow Fairy

I had to see what all the fuss was about Lush's limited edition Christmas goodies and have since fallen in love with this loooovely :)

I've already stocked up with another large bottle hidden away. I LOVE showers now, I don't mind getting out of bed early for uni for this little bottle of goodness. Nom nom nom!

Gossip Girl

Pretty Self explanatory....

I love it :)

Series 4 is awesome, just a shame Gavin doesn't like it so I can't watch it when he's around. I've even got my best friend hooked on it, woop :)

I've also gotten back to the gym and am well and truly into my Christmas shopping, well about halfway there. We've been car hunting too so like I said busy busy busy!!

Byeee

Belle x

p.s I don't know why this is all underlined!!! What happened!?!?!