I'm in China!

We just came off a 24 hour train ride from Shanghai to Yangshuo and I'm now in the Internet cafe of our hotel/guesthouse. Every single part of my body hurts!

I have to say that China is really cool! I'm also very happy that since before the Great Wall, my stomach has been on its best behaviour. (Knock on wood).

Here are a few things that you may notice if you come to China...

1- Everyone seems to be very nice and they become very curious when they see Westerners - especially in the back streets. We get lots of long stares and smiles.

2- Almost all of them don't understand the slightest bit of English. However, you'll find a few of them that are learning English that will try and practice it with you. Beware though because sometimes they just want you to buy something.

3- The Chinese are a bunch of crazy drivers! They don't pay attention to red lights, they cut through lanes like it was nothing and they'll pass a car even if there's a car coming in the other direction. They expect the oncoming car to use the shoulder. And keep your eyes open when you cross the street because the cars don't stop for pedestrians. They'll just swerve around you. Surprisingly, I haven't seen an accident yet.

4- The Great Wall is an awesome sight. Just simply amazing. So are the Terracotta Warriors.

5- Shanghai is a superbly massive city and has an awesome skyline. And it's almost impossible to find a taxi when you need one.

6- Most things are cheap here if you know where to look. The Internet at the hotel, although somewhat slow, is only about 80 cents for an hour.

7- Bicycles and motorcycles seem to be the preferred method of travel. All the cities that we've been to have dedicated, and quite wide, bicycle lanes.

8- Street beggars can be quite pushy and irritating. The trick is to not give them any money.

9- Bargaining at the night markets is fun. I got an automatic Bulgari knock off watch for less than $20 CDN. It's the kind of watch that doesn't have a crank or a battery. It cranks itself automatically with the normal movement of your arm. Cool!

10- We're really happy we opted for the Intrepid tour. The group is really fun and we're saving a lot of time by having our transportation and accommodations pre-booked.


That's it for now! Tomorrow I'm taking a Kung Fu class and we'll be taking a nice cruise on the Li River!

Marc