Day 26: The Day of Cliché

All of our unplanned, haphazard, Sam’ll-handle-it traveling had been going swimmingly, but we finally hit a snag this morning.  We arrive back in China after the splendid overnight train from Shanghai and take a taxi straight to the Liyun Apartotels that were so good to us.  We explode into the lobby, a dust cloud of backpacks and random limbs.

But it’s booked solid.  Heave the bags backs on, down the street to cross on the overhead bridge, back up the street to try somewhere else.

Booked.

Bags, bridge, try again.

Booked.

Bags, taxi, try again.

We finally find a place that is somewhere that I cannot explain because I cannot explain where any place is in Beijing.

And so, forward with the Day of Cliché.

Day 25: Zhujiajiao, Including Imagining the Gondolier’s Tour of the Canals

Hello!  Yes, yes.  Welcome to Zhujiajiao.  What?  Yes, ok, more slowly then: Joo-Jeeaw-Jeeow.  I know what you’re thinking – it looks like Venice, yes?  With canals and gondolas and so many people everywhere.  But trust me, you’re still in China, heeheehee!  Do you see the lanterns and architecture?  It’s like I told you – still in China!!

Day 24: Shanghello

The Shanghai Museum is architecturally marvelous.  And this building, which looks like it could be a Jedi temple with its stable foundational blocks and a huge ring that surrounds it like a halo, houses some amazing ancient pottery – they have shards from 6800 B.C., which blows my mind.  Ancient Buddhist sculptures, elegant silk paintings, the history of the silk road shown through the evolution of the coins exchanged.  Very cool museum.

Day 23: Adios, Qingdao; Ni hao, Shanghai

We wake up surprisingly refreshed after yesterday’s, well, depravity. Given our recent penchant for studying all day to prepare for the bar, I think I drank more beer yesterday than in the previous three months combined. But we stayed up late enough and ate enough delicious, delicious Ali Baba chuanr that we weren’t spinning when we went to bed. So there is no hangover to ruin our sublime hotel buffet.

Day 22: Beer, Beer, and yes, Beer!

In China, you can always tell how nice your lodgings are by asking two simple questions:

1) Does it have a buffet?  If yes, proceed to 2); if no, check the bedsheets because there’s no guarantee that you’re not sleeping in a bloody crime scene.

2) Is there someone behind the counter to fry up fresh eggs?  If yes, it is a very nice hotel; if no, the place isn’t outstanding but you will still be safe and comfortable;.

The Oceanwide Elite has a buffet with a guy frying eggs.  So we’re pretty happy.

Day 21: Welcome to Qingdao

Today is right at about the half-way point of the trip.  (Crap, we’re gonna be leaving so soon!)

After the twenty-six hour train to Tibet, the trip to Qingdao (think: Ching-dow) is just a quick jaunt.  To me at least.  It might be a different story for Kristy, who’s had a little tubster of a child kicking the back of her seat the whole way.

Day 20: Back to Beijing

Laying awake in the dark, the red numbers of the clock radio flash 4:06.

A.M.

Shower.  Praise the heavens that the bathroom is stocked with a toothbrush and toothpaste and I have enough bottled water for rinsing.  And praise Buddha himself that I keep deodorant in my backpack.  Because, as you know, we don’t have our luggage.

Another trip on the road to the airport.  With any luck at all we will get out of here today.

In the airport we eat some bucket-o-noodle breakfast and wait to see what is happening with the flight.  Sam learns that the airline will be handing out cash to the people on our flight, and I prepare myself for ground-shaking chaos as these people try to get their money.

Day 19: One Day Too Many in Tibet

Where yesterday I didn’t take any photos worth posting here, today I didn’t take any photos.  Period.  Carriage Return.

The Battered Leather Journal says we went shopping today, but I don’t remember it.

In the afternoon, we took one last ride with Sijila (and his little son – it was fun to see Sijila as a caring father) to the airport – an hour and a half backtracking on the route we took to Everest.  This all looks verrry familiar.  Sijila laughed at one of our jokes before we could even respond to it ourselves, reinforcing our suspicion that he is full of lies about not speaking English.  He is the type that would pretend so he wouldn’t have to interact with annoying tourists.  We hand Sijila his and Choedak’s tips, Sam hands his son an authentic American dollar bill, and we are off on the next leg of the trip: Qingdao (think: CHING-dow), via Beijing.

Day 18: Still Driving to Lhasa

Well, here we are.  In the car.  Still.

It is day four of what seems like an endless journey back to Lhasa.  Did some sort of spacial vortex develop on this damn highway since we passed through a few days ago?  It really feels like we aren’t making any progress.

It would seem that the thrill of Everest and Rombuk has chilled since yesterday.

Day 16: Mt. Qomolangma (aka Everest)

This mountain road is incredibly beautiful.  And it’s a good thing, because we’ve been driving for days.

Scenes from the road: