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Around the world in eight and a bit flights

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First stop: Thailand A muggy Phuket night after 24 hours door to door from home and a cold beer on the balcony. In the buzzing street outside, a covers band in the bar opposite is blasting out a reasonable approximation of The Doors in competition with Frosty the Snowman, playing on the street tannoy. Frosty is winning at the moment (presumably, it's still Christmas here as Lunar New Year is still a couple of weeks away). In the bar, the band's singer stands down as they turn into a karaoke outfit. The first volunteer at Communication Breakdown is brave, but Zeppelin's Rock and Roll is humiliating: everyone knows that vocal is far too high-pitched for mortals. Frosty has left the building but Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  I remember a number one single called “January”, by Pilot: a jaunty, happy kind of tune, but, being Scottish, they knew the harsh reality of a British winter: the infectious excitement of grandchildren's Christmas and perhaps even a bit of early snow...
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China by boat and train

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Hitting the road: Beijing A few facts about the Great Wall of China. It can not be seen from space and it is not 20,000km long. It is, however, big and running along the ridge of a range of mountains, it is very steep. It is in China and therefore the steps are not designed to accommodate size 11 UK feet. Having perfected a sort of sideways traverse, it is everything else it is cracked up to be. Mutianyu is one of the longer restored sections, about 90 minutes’ drive from Central Beijing. Although only relatively short, this section can be seen rising and falling between its watchtowers, marching over the hills and mountains as far as the eye can see. It's still fairly early in the morning but is already humid and hot in the direct sunlight – there is no shade – so an hour spent climbing and descending between five or six towers is enough. The drive out from central Beijing reveals something of the vast scale of this city, and no doubt others. Just as it seems the buildings are sta...
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