one week down…

Been out of touch due to internet issues but if this gets to you it means we are back in business and have arrived in Chongqing

Spent yesterday in Xian Suddenly felt I was in a foreign country. No English and nothing familiar Except Macdonalds and Starbucks and your local Gucci shop. Greeted at the airport by hundreds of screaming young girls with balloons. Not for us though. Winner of Chinese Idol was on our plane. And apparently from Xian
Highlight was visit to the Terracotta Warriors. All 6000 of them Truly a wonder…but after a while they really start to look the same. And now, like every other tourist/sucker we are sclepping our own 2 back to Canada and their new home

Cost us $100 in overweight bags yesterday (better the bags than me) and so today we forwarded all our no longer needed conference clothes directly to Shanghai to meet us. Not quite sure if we will ever see them again. All done on the word of the guide with no receipts. Really need to learn to travel light!

Dinner last nite was frightening. My food list is useless. There are colorful appetizing photos in all the menus followed by descriptions which it would be best to leave out. Fungus is a favorite. And lots of pig. How about a thousand layer crispy pig ear. Or duck neck or bullfrog. Even the special crispy BBQ chicken came complete with head. Ordered shrimp with egg white just cause I was so glad to see egg white. Arrived looking like melted marshmallow on top of tiny shrimp. Just gross but ate it out of desperation Didn’t count on more than 1 protein bar a day and I am getting nervous! Then got back to the hotel and consumed all cookies I could find in the coffee shop. Desperate. Also no wine here in restaurants… Only beer A glass or 2 of wine may help with the food problem. If there is no wine on the boat I may go overboard

Woke up at 5 today (4 yesterday) to catch our flight. Was so comatose I could not remember where I was or how to turn on the lights. However Joel’ you’ll be happy to know, managed to find the golf channel. Just like home

True toilet tale. Beautiful new airport in Xian. Went to the bathroom. Holes in the floor. Discovered the handicap stall had a real toilet…only catch no door! Whatever and Oh…toilet paper dispensers are beside the hand driers outside the stalls You tell me how you are supposed to get that
Off to the Panda Breeding center and then the boat for the Yangtze river
XXOO

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