UK-based writer Rachael Glazier decided to put her green beliefs into some extreme practice this month. Looking for an alternative to carbon-belching jumbo jets for a long-haul trip, she opted to travel from London to Hong Kong, by train. Currently in day three of a planned 11-day trek, Glazier had a piece in this weekend’s London Times detailing how she planned the trip, bought her tickets, acquired visas and prepared for at least 11 days in transit in countless different climates, from frigid Mongolia to subtropical Hong Kong. Doubtless, it won’t be an easy trip, and it’s certainly more expensive and time-consuming than flying – with days of planning, a total pre-travel cost of $1,550, and dealing with a travel industry where a train crossing seems completely Victorian, if the agents even have an idea how to make the arrangements. I’m guessing though, that she’ll have some great stories to tell when she arrives at her destination.

(Image via itchypaws’ photostream)