Hey @teutonium! Thanks for your awesome comment! You are totally right about how China is portrayed in the west. It is a shame really as the country is amazing and full of kind generous people.

The hotel was actually really nice and the beds were sooo comfy! We did meet quite a few people doing similar journeys on their bikes/motorbikes and we found them to be pretty inspirational! We also met a family that had a custom built vehicle and travelled the world for 4 years with their two girls, really incredible! You can check their website here: http://www.overlandingfamily.com/

Thanks again for reading and commenting!