Good old WhatsApp!!

[Ally]

Thank goodness Craig, Leilani and myself have WhatsApp on our phones.

Normally when they're away Lani keeps in touch with me with photos and comments via facebook (Craig hates fb ) but as China has blocked fb that's a no-no this trip.

But thanks to WhatsApp I've been able to chat to them and received pics of them this morning at The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square.

Yesterday Lani tried to get a fb proxy and her phone screen went blank!
The Chinese mean business! Or not in fb's case!

I'm about to fb some pics Lani sent. Ooooh naughty me.

[Kaz]

Watch out Ally - they'll be after you!!

On the serious side of course, it is bad what the Chinese are doing by blocking social media.......

[Osc]

It's ten years since we were in China, and it's interesting to know that it hasn't changed that much! I just had a bog standard phone then and no roaming, so couldn't text. Most hotels had a business centre where (allegedly) you could access the internet, but I used to have real problems getting on to Hotmail to email home and in one hotel, a security guy patrolled up and down behind me while I was emailing A really interesting place to visit, but some of it was very oppressive. Miss Osc and her hubby were there 5½ years ago, and I was so impressed that they were travelling independently because it's not very easy to do, or wasn't when we went there.

Ally I love the photo you have on FB - we were in Tienanmen Square in February and it was the coldest place I've ever been. There was a photo taken of our group, and all you can see are eyes behind coats, hats, scarves pulled up over faces - it was bl**dly freezing!!!

[Ally]

Osc..C and L are travelling independently too.

At 11am in the Square it was 36 degrees and very humid.

They're off to the night market tonight.

Thanks Osc..I enjoyed reading your post.

[JoM]

I saw the picture too, glad they're having a good trip

It's so bad that China is blocking social media though, very sad indeed.

I keep getting a friend texting me with links to WhatsApp but I didn't know if it was genuine as that was the only time I'd heard of it. You recommend it then?

[Ally]

I saw the picture too, glad they're having a good trip

It's so bad that China is blocking social media though, very sad indeed.

I keep getting a friend texting me with links to WhatsApp but I didn't know if it was genuine as that was the only time I'd heard of it. You recommend it then?

Absolutely Jo...I love it!!

[Gal]

It's so bad that China is blocking social media though, very sad indeed.

Gosh I didn't know that! That's awful - is there a reason?

I have whatsapp, it's great! Only use it for sending pictures via wifi and the occasional text

[Kaz]

Control Gal, I suspect. Social media is an amazing tool for freedom of speech......................

[JoM]

Gal, I found this list of blocked sites on Wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_websites_blocked_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China