My apologies to those of you expecting pictures here. I should have brought my laptop.
Our schedule has been demanding and changes have kept me pretty busy with the work side of this trip, but some quick notes on the trip so far.
Thirteen and a half hours in a plane. I thought the US constitution protected you from cruel and unusual punishment. Evidently not. The good news is I had an empty seat beside me. the bad news is it didn't help much. The first 8 hours were OK. The last 5.5 were tough. Sleep would help but who can sleep on these things. It's a tough trip.
Sunday. We hired a private guide who was indeed wonderful. For a total of 1600 RMB, which is about $200, 5 of us shared the guide and a van with a driver. If I ever do this again, Christine will be on my list of people to contact.
She took us to the Great Wall of China, pictures to follow I hope. Then to Beijing and to the Lotus Market where we ate lunch, then to the DrumTower and for a pedicab ride that took us to the residential sections of Beijing. We even got to go into a home for a brief visit. Most folks live in one or two small rooms. Very different from what we are used to. VERY different.
Mostly the town is dirty. But there are 20 million people in Beijing. Lots of construction going on getting ready for the 2008 Olympics. And HOT. Humidity is lower but man o man. It will probably hit 100F today if not higher. And talk about your basic pollution porbelms...they got em. While writing this I'm sitting onthe 19th floor looking out a window and should be able to see the mountains easily. I bet I can't see much more than a mile.
Our hotel is very western. I eat eggs for breakfast with bacon, sausage, or ham, waffles, cereal, and fruit. Best watermelon I've had in a while. I keep stuffing it in. Room is very comfortable. Much more than expected.
Chinese food. It's everywhere. And it's not all that different from what we experience in the US. Last night they took us out for duck, which is evidently the BBQ of the Chinese. The General Manager ordered lots of food. I ate little. The duck was good, but the frog, sea cucmbers and a couple of other undescribable dishes were passed. A taste of each, but I don't think I returned to any of them except the duck.
But the regular Chinese food we've had is very much similar to what I eat at home. I've asked folks, since we have a Chinese restaurnat on every corner, do they have American restaurants on every corner. The answer always comes back KFC, McDonald's, and Pizza Hut.
Time is growing short. We're probably going to Tianemen Square (forgive the spelling...nothing with me to check it) to see the flag lowering ceremony.
Was hoping to get some pictures up today, but left the cable to download at the hotel. Will try again tomorrow morning Beijing time.
In short, things are good here. Dreading the plane ride back, but will want a burger when I get there.
And before I forget, the office is only a two minute walk from the Beijing WalMart. Geez!
