2013 Savannah Century

12 friends rented a cottage on Tybee Labor Day weekend.  Sunday was the Savannah Bike century which was a blast.  I was recovering well from my jet lag but came down with a stomach virus so no biking for me.  Seven riders started with one finishing the 56, two finishing the 75 and four finishing the 103.  Good turnout from the Team Peace wearing their Orange Cycle Jerseys.

I have to comment that the cottage turned out to be a very special place for our group to relax and catch-up.

We booked the cottage online from Mermaid Cottages; the cottage we chose was the Dutton-Waller cottage.  This cottage was built in the 1930s and is one of the few remaining original tybee cottages.  It is on the national historic register.  The cottage was advertised to sleep 8 but their are beds and couches for at least 6 more under the age of 21.  Mermaid Cottages were very easy to work with and made the stay very easy.  

Mom, Dad and Suzy came over Monday for their anniversary dinner.  A great labor day weekend wih friends and family.    

Find the translation mistake

Our visit to Qingdao was short. On the way to the airport our guide and driver took us through the city and past the big public tourist beach.  The picture below was not taken by me but was somewhat close to what we saw.  

The flight to Shanghai was delayed multiple times but one of my travel partners was a Delta black Diamond traveler and was able to get us in the China Eastern lounge where we could get snacks and drinks.   

There is a fair amount of mixed up translation, it is just amazing when it is so wrong.

Tsingtao beer festival

Sent from my iPhone

Gregg Wagner

More pictures to come...... Words will never explain what we experienced

I posted more pictures of the festival in the Google+ album mentioned in my previous post.  the only way I can describe the festival is to think of it as a giant state fair; but on a magnitude of 10x larger.  Everyone was having a good time and outside of the crowds we had no issues with safety.  Not having a local speaker with us was a hinderance as there was no English  except at the Paulaner and Carlsberg names.  The event had a very large toilet facility setup but our group enjoyed the festival just enough to keep our bladders in check to avoid a long wait at the bathroom.  

When the Japanese were in control they brought the tradition of drinking liquids out of bowls.  To this day many of the Chinese buy their beer in plastic bags to take home and drink out of a bowl.

China beach

Sent from my iPhone

Gregg Wagner

Took a one day trip to Quingdoa, china. This is a coastal town that has one of the few swimmable beaches. Not recommend for westerners. The city is known for its history in WWI and WW2. Quingdoa has been occupied by Germans and Japanese.

More to come as I only have my mobile devices

Water village

Today, Sunday, I organized a trip for 9 people to the Zhujiajiao Ancient water city. Zhujiajiao is an ancient water town well-known throughout the country, with a history of more than 1700 years.  There are not many Western tourists, this is where the Chinese come for time off.  I am told the little town is the best-preserved among the four ancient towns near Shanghai. Unique old bridges across  small rivers shaded by willow trees.  Bridges in the town are distinctive and old, built during Ming and Qing Dynasties.

 Without a local with us, the nine westerners opted to not try the local cuisine, we all packed protein bars and trail mix.  I did pay for three bean pods from a street vendor.  You dig out the seed/bean peel it to a white covering is exposed and eat it.  Many of us tried but not everyone in case it might make us sick.  So far all is good. 

Some of the food we skipped.

More photos can be found here

Shanghai trip 5

Back in China for a project kickoff. Second time being here in August. This year there is record heat and is hot ~ 35 - 40 Celsius . What a better way to quench the heat is with a cool drink.

Vietnamese Beer on ice for lunch at Pho Yummy

Scotch on a sphere

Dinner Friday night was wonderful at Lost Heaven restaurant down near the bund.  The cuisine was Yunnan Folk and was somewhat spicy. Chicken, Mussels, Pork and Beef dishes were served in a unique setting.  The only thing I disliked was the tofu.  Lunch Saturday was at a Vietnamese fast food restaurant, the mushrooms that ended up in my dish were not bad!  I am usually not a fan of them.