The B Family Adventures: Friends are the Best

My good friends Ashley and Jessica visited China last week. I was very much looking forward to showing them China, the place we call home. It was a whirlwind tour; Jessica was here for seven days and Ashley nine. They flew into Beijing, where we spent two days visiting Snack Street, (where they serve everything and anything you can think of on a stick), Forbidden City, Pearl Market and the Temple of Heaven. After Beijing we flew to Dalian, from Dalian we traveled to Dandong for the day to see the Great Wall. After two days in Dalian where we visited Er Qi to have tailor clothes, duvet and three duvet covers made, a trip to the orphanage where I volunteer, shopping and a trip to the naked spa, Jessica returned home and Ashley and I traveled to Hangzhou, which is a popular tourist destination among the Chinese, they call it heaven on Earth.

Jessica and Ashley quickly noticed really how different China is to the U.S. (it really only takes a minute) and agreed that you can't explain it you just have to experience it. They said China doesn't top the list of their favorite places they've traveled, but that they are glad they had the experience. I guess a place where you quickly discuss what you like least versus what you like the most isn't the top of the list of "my favorite places." Not surprisingly, squatty potties, all the people hawking loogies, and the urine scent at the naked spa when we got body scrubs topped the list for them.

It was really great to have Ashley and Jessica here. Hopefully they'll visit us where ever we go next.