Back to the grind, sort of. We had to meet our driver downstairs at 10 am. This time, we had a different driver as our normal one needed a day off. We were also greeted by another physician who would be our host for the day. His name is Enoch and was also a super nice guy, and looked pretty young. Turns out he was only 30. He said his English wasn’t very good, but we didn’t think so. He told us that he would be taking us to a place in downtown Chengdu, kind of similar to an old town, where there was plenty of shopping and touristy things. Since we didn’t get a chance to do much shopping before, this was a good thing.
There were shops everywhere! All kinds of things that a visitor could want was there, and then some. Lots of paintings on bamboo scrolls. Silk, which was the first thing that was really expensive that we have seen, was abundant. Shops and shops of little trinkets and sake sets and carvings and Chinese things! It was clear that one could procure lots of gifts to take home, with the only problem being the space. We must be very careful not to buy too much otherwise it might get left behind!
The real fun was in trying to find out which stores would bargain and which ones wouldn’t. We had previously thought that EVERYTHING in China could be bargained for. Not true. It goes without saying, but obviously I am saying it anyways, that we tried to shop exclusively in places that bargained. It really is an art, this bargaining. To further aid in our quest for the best available price, we had Enoch. We are considered lao-may. No, that is not the correct spelling, but it is how it is pronounced. Foreigners are lao-why. They call us something different because we are Americans. I see how it is! We did get some magnificent deals on some things. Rather than possibly ruin surprises for some people, I won’t say what was bought or who bought them. We also ran across another Starbucks and also a Dairy Queen. If we had more time, I definitely would have gotten some ice cream! Paula had to have Starbucks though. It’s funny that these American places bring such a comfort to us. I still haven’t been to the KFC or Pizza Hut though. Better be soon, or I’ll get cranky! As good as Chinese food is, I grew up in the US and miss our food!
We were then taken to lunch at a less formal restaurant. The food was still good, but a lot simpler. Not as spicy, and had some very sweet things. They did also serve chicken feet, but none of us had them. We had filled up on the various dumplings, soups, noodles and sort of desserts to even try. Even here we had some beer between all of us, and Enoch did toast us. But only sips. Our next stop was the 120 center to check on the equipment and set up for tomorrow. We were greeted by Pu with hugs. It was like seeing a long lost friend. Haven’t I mentioned how the people here are amazing? During this she presented us with a special tea that we had drank at a restaurant when we toured Dyungjian. It was from our host that day, and he would also be in the class tomorrow. So, to further our space problem concerning gifts we now had 2 bags of this wonderful tea! We were going to have to be creative for the trip home!
The light beer was good at doing one thing, at least for me. Traffic was bad on the way back to the hotel and I dozed off. General Dave tried to fight against it, but succumbed as well. Only Paula could stay awake. I realized I was actually pretty tired, and even took a 2 hour nap when we got back to the hotel. General Dave went to the gym and Paula made a trip to the business office. I should say that we use the term business in business office loosely. Simple tasks take forever and it is as if they don’t know how to make 2 sided copies. Not only that, but they also charge a fortune to do anything! So, laundry and the business office. Those are the money makers for the hotel. Unfortunately we cannot avoid either of them for the rest of the trip. Such is life.
I did end up going to the gym after dinner. General Dave and Paula had the buffet, and I had a burger. They finally got the burger right. They were good the other times I’ve had it, but this was way better. General Dave even said that had he known it was going to be that good he would have gotten it. I even indulged in their form of crème brulee again. Tasty meal, and I needed to work it off. After the gym I retired to my room, as the others had done at the conclusion of dinner and the day ended with no fanfare.
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