Frontiers of Heaven - Stanley Stewart

- A Journey Beyond The Great Wall -

Another traveller's tale recounting their adventures in the vastness of China that lies beyond Beijing. This time, it's a westerner (although one who seems to be able to converse and communicate to a sufficient degree for independent travel), and Stanley Stewart's route takes him by boat, train and bus from Shanghai to Taxila, Pakistan, following the Great Wall and the Silk Road, in a 20th century take on the fabled Journey To The West.

Fascinating, pleasantly unpatronising, a lovely final paragraph, and, if i'm honest, it's got the China-and-the-'Stans travel bug agitating again....

Buy it: Amazon link