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.