Day 4 China Adventure

Weird day today.  I woke up exhausted after the Great Wall trek but rallied right away.  We had to get the luggage ready to ship out to Xi'an today even though we are leaving tomorrow.  We have to plan what we need for today, tonight and tomorrow and only take carry-on bags.  I am downstairs by 6:30 am to get the luggage and get it on the truck.  At 7 am the group has a Soybean seminar until 8:30 am so I have a little time for breakfast.

We head to the northeast part of the city to a food manufacturing plant, Pueng Chang.   It is a huge plant and processed all of the pork for the Olympic athletes.  I did not realize that we were going to see the whole butchering process.  I guess if I am going to eat it I should see where it comes from.  The night before we had a wonderful pork belly and I am glad we had not been to this plant yet.  I doubt if I would have eaten it!

After the plant we went to a "chain" Chinese Restaurant that had over 1000 people in it on two levels.  Another Lazy Susan meal but surprisingly good.  Kind of like a Denny's only much bigger and family style.  Then we are off to the Summer Palace which is only about 150 years old but a really beautiful and huge park around a lake.  It was a lovely afternoon with no smog as there was a breeze.  I probably have not mentioned the smog before.  It is really heavy.  You are driving along a highway and 30 story buildings appear out of the haze only a few hundred feet if front of you, like ghosts.  It is like a very thick fog sometimes.  I feel stuffed up all of the time and a lot of my people are having sinus problems.

After the Summer Palace (which, by the way, was created by the Dragon Lady - the original woman behind the throne as her son became emperor at age 4 so she really ruled the country.  When he died, she picked the next two kings and they were ages 3 and 6 so she was always the
real string-puller), we head to pearl shop.  We had requested it as we had had no time for shopping and everyone wanted to buy pearls.  A lot of money was spent but not by me.

We were supposed to go to another Chinese meal but the group rebelled and we got to skip it and have pizza in the lobby as well as a real glass of wine!  I know it was real because it cost me $28.00!  The pizza was only $16!

In bed by 9:00 pm and it feels great.  I will miss this hotel and Joan, our guide.  She was a real asset and I am afraid none of the other guides will be nearly as informative and funny.  On to Xi'an tomorrow.