Day 3: Let's Get it Started

Today was my first "real" day here. I started out after about 5 1/2 hours of solid sleep (interrupted only by my bladder at 6AM). This trip, I am staying at a different place than normal. The Richwood Garden is a beautiful place, but it is secluded with no way to get out at night. It's kind of like a palatial prison with good restaurants and a spa. So, we're checking out the Grand Noble.


Nice place.

This hotel is right in the middle of the action in downtown Humen. Now, Humen is no Hong Kong (in fact, one guide book says "Humen is by no means a pretty city..."). But there are some interesting places to check out. In some ways, I prefer to see the decrepit, low end sections of town rather than the new super ultra modern parts that we don't even have in the States yet. The bad parts just feel more like the "real China" to me. Maybe it just plays to my stereotypes better.

After a 12 hour work day (great way to start things off, you know?), we had dinner at this dim sum restaurant just a 5 minute walk from the hotel. It was hot yo! Dim sum is a traditional Cantonese style of cooking a huge variety of small plate single bite items, kind of like the Spaniards and their tapas. Most dim sum items are steamed and there tends to be an incredible variety of dumplings available. We must have tried a couple of dozen dishes, which were all fantastic. They had some interesting things too, like trays and trays of chicken feet. But this tea we had was totally off the hook - ginseng oolong tea. It tasted like it had sugar in it, but there wasn't any. The aftertaste was this nice sugar flavor that gave way to this tingly feeling in your mouth that is kind of like what happens when you eat a mint and then breathe in. I have never had any tea quite like it. I have a little bag of it to take home with me, but it kind of looks like a bag of... um... "special herbs" if you know what I mean.

No Mr. Customs Officer, it's ginseng oolong tea. Put that in your pipe and smoke it! Wha? Where are you taking me?


Look at all those steamers! Check out the bird feet by the girl's hand.

Firsts Today:

Ate tripe (not my choice, but someone ordered it and I had to try it out of principle - it was actually pretty good, almost like a pasta noodle)

Drank Ginseng Oolong Tea - I plead the 5th on this one

Had a live video chat with Hollis and Elisabeth. That was awesome! If any of you are on Eyeball Chat, give me an email and we'll hook up sometime.