Yak Day

Still sick.  Big time.  Richard had a little bug, mom is somewhat sick, Ann has a cold but seems much better today, and I think everyone else is doing alright.

Yak day was GREAT!  We didn’t ride them but I was ok because of everything else we did.  We went to the Spruce Meadow instead of the Yak Meadow and it was so much better!  It put Calaveras to shame.  I can’t even really describe it.  Pictures will do a much better job.  AND I got my yak on a stick AND..... wait for it.... wait for it... Octopus on a stick! Fried and rolled in spices!  It was legendary.  (Sorry for the How I Met Your Mother references, but not really).  I was like a little kid on Christmas morning.  We went  to some old villages where my mom spilled BOILING hot tea on my leg and did some shopping and had hot pot for dinner and then slept!  Supposedly I launched my pillow at Adrienne in my sleep.  I don’t believe it.  Actually I do.

Cool story: Our tour guide, Robin, has been with us before.  Two years ago when we toured Lijiang he was our tour guide and we absolutely loved him so this year when Ann was booking everything she asked if he was still there.  He had been promoted to a higher office position but jumped at the opportunity to be our guide.  He is brilliant and his english is fantastic.  My dad had some really good conversations with him and gave him one of his books this morning when we said goodbye.  He gave us all postcards and might come to visit during our next few weeks of english camp. His ‘replacement’ took us to the airport this morning.  His name is Andy and he went to school in Lin Cang where I’ll be teaching and his sister is currently there.  I gave him my email and name and he gave me his sister’s name and phone number.  He also took a picture of me and sent it to her after he called her to tell her about me.  He said if I ever come back to Lijiang that everything will be free.  I can stay with him and his family and everything will be taken care of.  This place is great.  I’m so glad my family is getting to experience the Chinese people the way that I see them.  We aren’t even to camp yet and my mom already cried at how great the people are here.  She’s going to lose it at camp.

We are in the airport in Lijiang about to head back to Kunming where we’ll be for one night and then at 5 am we leave for Lin Cang! FINALLY!  I can’t wait to see my apartment and actually have internet (since again I’m writing this on Pages since none of the airports over here have free wifi).  

Sorry these are all so long but it’s only going to get worse.  We cram so much in a day here and that makes for tons of stories.

(Pictures once I get all settled in!)