China: Day 27: July 31, 2010 Saturday

My first thought on waking up today was, “I don’t have to try to teach anyone anything today! I am on vacation!” So far, this hasn’t been a vacation at all. We have worked out butts off. Everyone is very tired, and a couple of teachers are still quiet sick, went to the Chinese equivalent of urgent care and got IV’s for a third time.

We are getting close to the end of our China poriton of the trip, so time to take stock of the money form every nook and crannie.

I spent a good chunk of the morning consulting with my husband by Skype as I packed my suitcases.

One that will remain packed until we leave, one to bring along on our weekend excursion, and one to go along to Hong Kong. It was hysterical to get the computer camera set so that Dick could say, okay, take that pile of t-shirts and roll them and place them on the right side…. now put the book on top of that. It was so funny, but very useful. When you have been in a hotel room for 27 days, who have the chance to accumulate a LOT of stuff. Especially since there has been such interesting shopping.

Three of us had a late lunch and then I was off for one more massage.

This time I took the deluxe one for nearly $40. This included a private lovely room, a shower before and after, a soak in my private hot tube and a two-hour oil deep tissue massage. This was wonderful. She kept saying, “You neck, no good. Too tight.” No kidding after all of the stress of trying to make these classes work. I was glad to begin to relax.

Then a last dinner at the hotel and off to the Shenzhen airport.

This is a super huge, modern, major airport. We had some little glitches getting through security, and then waited to catch the plane. Airline food is a little different in China, including the seaweed coated peanuts.

We arrived in Guilin, the center of a really beautiful tourist area, at about 1:30am. Then we had another hour bus ride, arriving and checking in at the hotel at about 2:45. This is a slow motion check in with there being a special form to fill out that they would just give one at a time. Sigh! Then there were no pillows in our room and I temporarily lost my backpack. We were all sooo tired! Finally to sleep. Although there were people signing in the street until who knows how late. Here we are at The Happy Hotel, on VACATION now in China.