Day 10

Streets and alleys lined with vendors selling eggs, bread products both cooked and raw, noodles, meats (again, both cooked and raw - some recognizable and some not, even to our guides, clothing, drink, houseware supplies vegetables............everything you NEED to survive. "Self-sufficent" would be the word to describe the village of Zhang Jiang. This is true China.  So we got up this morning and decided to take a walk to the village.  After about three and a half hours we were finally there (ok, maybe not quite but "just a little ways" was a stretch.  We walked by the river where people were fishing.  I have pics and video of how they do this and Spenser, let me tell you "patience" is the key word here!  Passing some buildings that were being torn down we were told that unlike in the States, in China they first go in and take out doors and windows to re-use.  Then they take off the roof tiles to re-use.  Then they take out the floor panels to re-use (you're seeing a pattern here right?).  Then they tear down what's left and haul it away.  Pretty brilliant from a recycle point of view. Finaly reaching the village we started walking and looking and buying and sampling and yes, even Diane sampled some of the stuff!  My girl is getting SO adventurous! It was amazing to see how these people live. They truly have eveything they need right here.  Oh sure, occationally they would probabaly have to go to the city for something but they have bars, churchs, a cake shop - even a bike repair shop.  They grow what they eat and they eat what they grow.  (No Doritos here baby!) After we walked around the village for a couple of hours we flagged a taxi and went to a nice lunch of rice, chicken (I THINK it was chicken...) and dumplings.  There was a DVD vendor outside of the resturant that Pete trusts so I thumbed throught the thousands of DVD's and bought a few.  For 5 RMB (about 70 cents how can you NOT take the chance?).  Then we walked Pete home (he had some work to do before we left tomorrow) and Di, Diane and I headed to the spa.  They needed to get their hair done and I thoiught "well, a masage wouldn't be all THAT bad....". We cane back home and Mr. Lui picked us up and took us to the fabric market to pick up my jacket.  It turned our really well, I was very pleased.  And the shirt is cool too.  I liked it so much that I left it there to copy and ordered it in a different color!  We will get it when we get back from our "road trip".  I am a little afraid though.........Diane saw a couple of shirts she really liked and since they can turn stuff in 24 hours.......I see more purchases in our future! Off to dinner at Teppanyaki with Pete, Diane and 7 of our new friends.  There were 11 of us total and it was a blast.  Think "Benni Hanna" on a bigger scale.  We had a wonderfull dinner of Sushi, chicken, rice, beef, smoked eel, white fish, salmon, garlic (LOTs of garlic - I feel sorry for the people on the plane tomorrow!), veggies, grilled bannannas and ice cream and a lot of beer.  It was a great time! After someone got the bright idea to go back to the spa for foot massage and since we ARE guests here........... By the time we got home I was VERY ready for bed!