Chiiiina Part 4

The next morning we leave our bags outside the door for collection and head down to breakfast - nothing too outrageous this morning - just a little egg custard which is almost like scrambled egg. Another spinach dumpling, some more cold duck and a bit of Shanghai Burger. Matt tries the 'egg salad', which seems to be fruit salad with mayonnaise - weird, but he says is ok.  The stewed spicy duck he is not so fond of, but I try it and think it is quite good - horrendously salty, but....

At the airport, I don't have to climb up onto the step to be patted down, but just stand with first one, then the other leg, out in front.  Once on the 'plane we get served lunch whilst on the ground .... oh no - an hour delay - but wait, no, they're now motoring through to clean it all up, and we're off!! I manage to sleep through most of the flight until the descent, which is one of the worst I have ever experienced. Highly turbulent, we sway and swing from side to side and I have visions of the plane flipping onto its wing the moment we touch ground... yet we are spared.

At the airport, we meet our final guide, Andy, who leads us to "The Temple of the Heaven'! 

With our guide, Summer

It's also a popular hangout for retirees playing cards, exercising, playing badminton and shuttlecock. I eventually join in a game of shuttlecock, despite the long dress and platform boots, and do alright... mostly. .... and work up quite a sweat! Unlike here, I can't just fill up a water bottle from a tap or drink from a fountain - nowhere in China can you drink the mains water. I nearly did it the first morning, filling up a glass from the tap and dropping in a Berocca - NOOOO!!! It would be so easy to do. One of the old foxes whispers to me, " You are beautiful..... I love you....."!!!!

Just a bunch of dudes...on a mattress....on a cart....in the traffic....

 From here we travel to one of our best meals yet, where we enjoy some Indian-style chilli potatoes - everyone seems happy! We return to the hotel for a shower. and within half an hour, are hitting the streets for one of our rare free nights! As suspected, it is a fairly quiet end of town. At the main intersection we follow a local (like sticky rice!!) then braving it ourselves on the way back. Then we run into fellow tour members Daniel and Dianne, from Ballarat, and we walk through an interesting area of garages, then restaurants, (and some that look like a mix of the two!). We end up in a restaurant on the street where no-one speaks English, but through the  sheer magic of finger puppets, the menfolk order some drinks, and we enjoy some time just being...

The laden tables after a feast - not ours!!

Love these crazy little three-wheelers!