June 29, 2006

Up very early and off to the Kunming Airport.

We flew from Kunming to Beijing. We arrived in Beijing in the afternoon. Our hotel is near the airport on the northeast side of the city.

Beijing is a huge city. 16 million people. Tons of construction and refurbishing going on. They are making their city ready to shine for the 2008 Olympics. It is VERY warm, humid, and unfortunately, smoggy.

The team said goodbye to Fred today. He is going back to his job with LifeWater.

This afternoon, everyone did their own thing. Shane, Josh, Scott, and I went to a restaurant that Shane had frequented during his last stay in China, "Paul's North American Diner." It was great, eating al fresco on a pleasant side street. We enjoyed some chocolate, vanilla, and peanut butter milkshakes for dinner.

Only two days left for the whole team. Wow, it is odd to be done with the project(s), but also nice to have some wind-down time.

That evening, bargain hunting was the goal. Prices here are amazing for some great stuff. Lots of "knock-offs," but also great buys on China-made products.

As the evening came to a close, a HUGE thunderstorm hit and the city was in a minor deluge! It was tough to get a cab back to the hotel, but we all made it "home" safe and sound.

Tomorrow, the Great Wall, Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City...and McDonalds!