Weather in China has been great. Today it started at about 45 - but went up to 70. It was sunny - as JP and Wanda's bus arrived at the wall. They went to a place different than we did. They caught a bus from a hotel in town - and it took 90 minutes to the wall at Matiyuno. They got there early and had the wall to themselves for a while. Then the tour buses started coming and the wall started crowding up. They had 5 hours at the wall and said 3 hours would have been plenty. They said the climb was very strenuous. The ride was $15.
Lulu had her class to teach this afternoon - so she could not go. I was supposed to meet with Fulbright after the class but they postponed the meeting. I decided to try to find the Cable TV Company and get a cable modem. I found an address and took a long subway ride there. It turned out to be en empty building in the middle of an old folk's neighborhood. I ended up watching a bunch of old people playing Majong - under pavilions on a nice sunny day.
The next few days are very busy.
Tomorrow Wednesday - we have tickets to go to the Forbidden City. You must get tickets online in advance.
Thursday and Friday we are all taking the Hi-Speed Train for 5 hours west to Xian. It is the home of the Terra Cotta Warriors. They have dicsovered thousands of statues of warriors buried in the ground. Look it up. They are lined up in formation for battle. Each statue has a different face - etc. Crazy strange.
Lulu made a very nice meal tonight. Scratch meatballs. Scratch tomato sauce. We also had a salad - cake - ice cream. And wine and beer. To make the sauce she boils down oil and fresh tomatoes. Very good. they have really fresh stuff here.
I am still a whiney baby about the internet. Right now it seems good but I am too tired to lay out a web page. Often. time I lay out a page with pictures then the internet won't take it- very frustrating.
Yesterday we went to the Silk Market and bought some pants. They measured us and pick out the fabric. I am too fat for any of my pants here :-). They don't sell them in my size. Chinese people are skinny. Nancy is getting 2 pair - I am getting 3. Nancy was wheeling and dealing for them. I have video of that - she got eaten alive by these young perosnable sales girls.
Wanda and JP are so proud they made it home on their own. Subway - bus - cab.
Since Nancy only teaches Tuesday - we are free to tour now for a week.
Weather has been good yet. I go out with short son mostly - because my pants are tight. It has been warm enough to go shirt sleeves.
We are really happy to hear from George - that the Florida storm was nothing - a little wind - a little rain - some pine needles. When we get home - those pines are history - they are too tall and threaten our home.
We are both healthy. I did do a tumble yesterday - steps over here sometimes would not pass OSHIA. Lulu tripped over speed bump too - and went for a fall. We have to be more careful - nothing broken.
We cooked in - three meals today. We drink bottle water because of the lead. The heat goes on a little at night. The AC is off. We have gotten very little rain. the street sweepers keep the streets very clean.
We get our news from sirius radio - CNN - wash post - newyork times. Ironically - The Times News is not censored at all. We get all the local news form Tamaqua in there. :-)
Our internet was throttled back - we still get email - text messages - and data - but slowly. It is hard to send video and pictures. I am still taking lots of pictures.
Yester I took Wanda and JP to the Summer Palace. Another beautiful sunny day for pictures. Cabs are cheap here. They turn on meter and rides starts at $2 - out highest was like $7. We got in a cab and he did not turn on the meter. He said flat rate. I said no way and told him to pull over. So got out and I said - flat rate - zero. He had no idea what I said. Most cab drivers are very nice - this guy wanted to screw tourists. If they do not turn meter on - they can get in trouble.
We hardly spend any money. The apartment and utilities is all paid for by the college. The museums let us in free because we are over 60. We thought it was because we were Americans. Our pays are piling up at home in Wells Fargo Bank. We take a little out of the ATM at a time - 3000 yuans is $420. I also get money out of the bank for JP.
I will try to keep in touch more. I miss my American free internet.
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