Last full day

Good news! You can stop worrying about the Chinese economy! 1.4 billion Chinese and their economy has been slowing down, but Susan went shopping today and all is righted!

Actually, the most fun part of shopping was the part we did on our own. Rather than take the tour today, we went off by ourselves, with plans to meet up with the tour at a silk factory. We ended up in Chinatown (not too hard to find around here), meaning a real people area, not touristy. We just went into various stores, the most fun one being a pharmacy where drugs were being sold on one side and herbs, roots and traditional Chinese remedies on the other.

We went into grocery stores (we think we saw some of the Cinn's relatives for sale in the butcher section) and the Chinese version of a shuk. We were the only Westerner's in the entire place and had fun looking at what they were selling - Susan got a scarf and I got a pair of gloves.

Enough for the inexpensive shopping - we then met up with the tour and accompanied them to a silk factory. The tour part - watching the silk being spun and stuff made was fun - the shopping part, not so much. It's not a matter of fitting everything Susan bought into our suitcases - rather, we have ordered a separate cargo plane.

After the silk factory, we went to the Olympic area and saw the Water Cube and Bird's Nest stadiums (stadia?). Real cool.

Driving through the city is fascinating. Unlike Moscow, the architecture is not gray and forbidding, but modern with an Oriental flavor. Many, many huge beautiful buildings. Lots of cranes. No empty storefronts, vacant lots or signs of economic blight. Milwaukee should be so fortunate. The only negative is the horrendous traffic - we were lucky in that today was sunny and clear (a bit chilly, ergo my new gloves and Susan's scarf), but none of the famous pollution.

Also unlike Moscow, no sign of anti-Americanism. Even in the shuk, everyone was as nice and forthcoming as could be.

The only negative is that my leg continues to hurt and prohibited my plans for a run today. Belinda has made an appointment for me with the same orthopedist who treated my knee last year and I'll be seeing him on Thursday.

We leave tomorrow - the flight leaves here late in the afternoon and if all goes well, we should get to Chicago about the same time, the same day (must be a fast plane!) and to Milwaukee in the early evening.

Other than a few problems, a fascinating and fun trip. But, all good things have to come to an end.