Random Thoughts

Can you believe there is a Beverly Hills Polo Club in the lobby of our hotel...along with a Gucci and Bernini, etc. -- Rodeo Drive meets Guangzhou. This is no doubt a city of contrasts.

So the fog is starting to lift a little here but there are moments when I still don't remember where I am.

Traversing 8 or 9 time zones does strange things both to the body and to the psyche.

That being said I will fill you in on a little of what we have been up to and also let you know that today we meet up with 9 or so of the 18 families traveling with our agency. We will meet in the lobby at 10:30 and then Norman will be taking us on a city tour and to a dim sum breakfast.

So far we have learned on our own that Guangzhou is a city of contrasts....you can see and sense some real poverty and also grand opulence. Here is the photo of the lobby of the Dong Fang Hotel across the street....walking through there one might think they were at the Peninsula Hotel in NYC...

We have not ventured to far out of the three block radius of our hotel yet...due to both fatigue and my extreme lack of desire to encounter anything that might cause illness or injury in between now and when we take Elizabeth home. We will venture out when Norman and the China team are able to escort us. Other than that my goal for this trip is pretty simple. Get Elizabeth and get us all home in the best shape possible.

Of course that tends to be my philosophy on most of my overseas ventures. My brother laughed at me this summer when I told him that my goal for our Baltic Cruise vacation was to make sure Marty and I got there and didn't get hurt or sick and got home safely. He said I should set my expectations a little higher. He's probably right.

I do tend to try and play it safe. Speaking of playing it safe...Marty and I have decidely different opinions on what is safe to eat and what isn't. I think I have read to much about 'what not to eat' in China. And I have also realized that China may not be the best place for a germ phobic, vegetarian, recovering hypochondriac. I look at the lavish buffet at our hotel as an invitation to the SOS International Medical Clinic. Marty sees the buffet and is euphoric.

Last night we had the buffet (which I will pass on next time) and Marty determined in spite of my dire warnings that the sushi was perfectly fine to eat. (I had read make sure everything is cooked cooked cooked). Sitting across the table watching him eat a half pound of sushi was somewhat horrifying to watch. Marty however assures me that we are "under the bubble" while we are at these major hotels and that everything should be fine. I am happy to report that 24 hours later Marty is up and about and feeling no ill effects.

I however remain vigilant and skeptical-so what else is new?