11/06/2009: Food, Glorious Food... Endlessly....

So, let's revisit the smog. Every day the gray shroud becomes darker and thicker and lower to the ground. It's like that movie "The Fog" except we are nowhere near a lagoon. My throat feels like it does right before I get a sinus infection but H, my doctor friend traveling with us, said it's the pollution. Great. It's been progressively worse for the last 3 days and today, I have a headache, exacerbated by travel weariness.

This morning, we had to pick up JJ's Chinese passport. The traffic was good so we made it to the passport office and back to the hotel in about an hour and 15 minutes. Awesome. Susan the Guide said we were fortunate that there were no mistakes. If there had been a mistake, we'd be leaving for Guangzhou tomorrow instead of tonight.

At the hotel, Susan the Guide left and we went to the room and did some packing before lunch. Does anyone notice this food theme? Ok. Not just food, but the eating theme. Because we did that a lot. But that's typically Asian, not just Chinese. At every meal you think about, talk about, and plan the next meal. I think I've gain 5 lbs to far. No exaggeration.

For Lunch, MGF Lilly took us to a restaurant that was supposedly the oldest Moslem restaurant in China or Beijing or wherever. I don't know. I missed that part of the conversation. I found it to be strangely Chinese. The only concession to Moslem seemed to be the Islamic writing under each Chinese item on the menu. Maybe it was the building that was the oldest? Like I said, I missed that part. But it was really delicious! Another meal of about 3 appetizers, soup, rice, 5 or 6 dishes... Etc etc etc.

We went back to the room, packed, Joseph took JJ out to the Old People Exercise park around the corner from the hotel to tire him out... LOL.

Then said goodbye to MGF Lilly and met Susan the Guide who took us to the airport, got us our tickets, did all the talking and left us at the Security Entrance. It's amazing how attached you get to people in such a short time. Susan was fabulous. Kind, caring, funny, sweet, and very professional and efficient. It was very sad to be leaving her and we couldn't thank her enough.

We found our gate and when JJ saw the airplanes, he was just out of control with happiness and excitement. He was counting all the planes out the window and pulling on our hands to see them with him. It would be safe to say he's probably never been on one or been to the airport either.

Since we would not be arriving in Guangzhou until around 10:30 PM, it was time to eat. Again. Just in case famine struck. Yah. So we found the restaurant. The One. Just One. Nothing Else. Yup. Not another one in the whole airport. And so we sat, ordered more noodles, and ate. JJ, who was full and didn't want to eat, ate anyway. Like all good Asians. Early training.

Waiting for the plane now.

That's it for now. Next...Guangzhou!