"The End of a trip ...UK to SE Asia overland"

25th January (Day Fifty One)

12.55am Qantas flight QF1 from Sydney Australia, via Bangkok Thailand, for London England.

The aircraft arrived at Heathrow airport London at 6.10am, the flight took twelve hours to complete. On touch-down, to the groans of the passengers on board, the pilot informed us that the outside temperature was around freezing! I think at that point it hit everyone that their holiday was now officially over!

It was straight forward going through customs and passport control, although once through to the other side the bags took quite a while to arrive onto the carousel. I presumed that they had to be inspected by the Drug Sniffer Dogs first to see what they could find.

At 9.00am I was on the North-bound train from London to Scotland and, by 9.50am, it had arrived at Peterborough railway station where my journey had commenced.

That was it, I had done it! The months of preparation had definitely paid off. I had read just about everything there was to read about the countries that I had visited and had planned the journey meticulously to see the most of each country that I was visiting in the time I had available.

I felt that I had accomplished my goal and had travelled overland to Hong Kong, although I do not think, even in my wildest dreams, I had ever imagined it would be as amazing as it turned out.

Reflecting briefly on my journey, travelling on the Trans-Siberian Railway, visiting Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow, walking on the Great Wall of China, seeing the Terracotta Warriors at Xi’an, observing the everyday life in China, watching day turn into night from The Peak overlooking the harbour in Hong Kong, are just a few of the highlights that spring to mind, but there are so many more experiences that occurred or that I observed, I only hope that I have adequately put my memories into words in this journal.

Surely there must be a limit to the number of times that I could have my breath taken away due to the awe and splendour of the sights that I observed. Yet time after time it happened, and for me, it was and overwhelming experience never to be forgotten.......

Read Neils complete adventure here.