Spelunking: the sport or pastime of exploring caves

Beijing Wednesday 10-26-11

China has been exciting and fun most of the time. But I’m ready to go get the babies. Angela has expressed concern over the number of bags we have to get on and off the train. We arrived in the airport with 4 large checked bags, 3 carry on bags, 1 computer bag and 3 backpacks. I told her since some of the items we consumable I hoped to bring less to the train station. But not the 3 bags less she wanted. D had a great idea and Angela will be taking Joseph’s clothes and toys and a few other items to FedEx. Including my kitchen knife and D’s pocket knife which are not allowed on trains. The box should be at the Holiday Inn Shifu in Guangzhou when we arrive. And some of our items of clothing will not be leaving Nanchang with us. We planned with a packing method called “take and toss”. Our long sleeve shirts, undergarments, socks and probably jackets will not be returning from China. But not to fear. We all packed the ones we didn’t like or want anymore in preparation for leaving them behind.
　
Wednesday was an adventure outside the city walls. We visited a rural mountain village that happens to have a marvelous cave system. The drive was longer than expected by us and by Angela I think. She nor the driver, Mr. Gow, had ever been there either. The three hour one way drive, however, gave D and I a chance to plague Angela with many questions about China’s culture and people. We should be drawing on the knowledge gained from these 6 hours in the van for years. Weddings, food, unlucky numbers, shoes you name it, we talked about it. Especially customs for babies and the SWI’s. Angela worked at an orphanage for two years and then at an adoption agency for several years after that. She has such a good heart for the babies and children. She said Thursday she would be calling SWI’s for families and would call to check on our Jewel and ask a few questions for us. How great is that!
　
Xianqi cave was very interesting. We love to visit caves all over the US and did wonder how the caves in China would be different. Well for one thing US caves are better protected from tourist hands to protect the cave system. Here is was encouraged, but we did not touch knowing the damage it causes. Stair, stairs and more stairs. Wet stairs with wet hand rails. Small narrow stairs and places that the handrail was a formation. Watch your head more than once. One narrow passageway that you had to turn sideways to get down. Exposed light bulbs hanging from wires above your head or on the walls. Awesome! The most authentic caving experience we have ever had. It even included an underground boat ride to get into the formation part of the system. We enjoyed the experience and I think Angela did also but she is so Chinese its hard to tell. Not many smiles even when I think she is enjoying herself.

　
Thursday we have to get the last of the laundry hung out drying to pack on Friday. We also need to gather the items to ship ahead to Guangzhou. I think we may try again to go to the Science and Technology Museum and the Temple of Heaven. We had so many days planned in Beijing its hard to believe they are almost over. I’m glad we had this time to acclimate to Beijing before heading to Nanchang which is less tourist friendly. And practicing our chop stick usage has paid off. Wednesday we didn’t even have to ask for forks at the restaurant. Which is kind of embarrassing since everyone is already staring at us by then. Angela is writing cheat sheet for us for ordering food. I have found it difficult to order the rice we prefer etc.

I'll leave you with little tidbit. At lunch we ordered prawns (jumbo shrimp). They are served fried in sesame seeds complete with shells, heads, legs and eyes. Angela said some people eat the whole thing. There was a dare regarding eating the whole thing and getting to play on the ipod on the van ride back to Beijing. Want to guess who won?