Recap or travels to date

  Zhejiang Province, China
Sunday, April 30, 2006

My journey actually began in New Orleans with a quick stop at Harrahs Casino for free parking. This whole trip is somewhat of a gamble and what a better way to begin. From there I parted paths with Louis David and left early the next morning for Chicago. Chicago brought me over the Arctic Ocean and into Shanghai 16hrs and one day later. The flight over the international date line was actually spent in the bathroom so I couldn't really tell you how big it is but one can safely say that I had spent two days in the bathroom before even experiencing a chopstick full of the food here.


I found Omar standing there in Shanghai's Pudong International aiport amongst the hundreds of other drivers with their placards. I didn't know Omar or that they had people named Omar in China but I recognized my name he was holding in Arabic and was soon in his van on my way for a 4 hr ride to Wuyi, China.

Everyone here is here to ship container loads of goods back to their home town. Nearly everyone is of Middle Eastern descent. I felt like I had stepped into the past. I had no idea that people from all over the middle east to this day where coming to China for silk and spices. The whole city of 3 million is built for exporting goods. No containers for me but I did manage to find an asian to ship back. (refer to picture above)

Business here is complete. My uncle left two days ago and I am itching to travel again, though I should note that I will be leaving my neighbors here at this hotel who happen to be asian girls that play domino by day and make room calls by night to see if "Massage Ok?"

Tomorrow (May 1) I leave for a bus ride to Hangzhou (capital of Zhengzang Province) where I will board a two hour flight to Chongqing. From there I plan on doing a four day cruise of the Yangtzi River
leading up to the formation of the Three Gorges Dam where a city of 2 million is to be flooded and relocated.