Wichmann Stories: Elaine & Emily - Guest Blogging Post #5

May 31 – Up at 7am a quick, light breakfast of toast for Emily and Elaine; nothing for Tina and Mark.... Mark, Tina, and Emily were all feeling a little under the weather.

So we leave the cold damp mountains to head back down to the Hong He (Red River) and drive through the valley towards Jianshiu and finally back to Kunming. Along the way we stopped at a Mongolian village, it was more than 750 years old and still populated with some of the Mongolian people that ended up stranded there when the Chinese drove the Mongols out of their country and back up north.

Along the way back we stopped for lunch at truck stop – Mark and Elaine were only ones eating, but it was very good with corn cakes, a local item, which were very tasty, then continuing on to Kunming airport for our flight back to Xiamen……..

We arrived back in Xiamen 7pm, happy with the dry and warm weather that greeted us. After unloading at the apartment, we stopped by temptations for wine, and then on to the Bashi night market for great food and people watching.

June 1^st - Again everyone is up first thing with a tight agenda; Tina’s great at packing it all in. We took a 90 cent taxi ride over to Xiamen University and walked around the campus. It was graduation so excited students in caps and gowns were everywhere.

Quickly followed with a quick tour of Nanputo Temple.

Then began the whirlwind of shopping and getting last minute gifts; we went Zhongshan Lu to kick-off the shopping extravaganza. We had lunch in the expat area as a little western food was needed to calm our stomach which has been a little iffy after Yunnan. We walked back through Electric City, a technology market. Then on to the tailor’s to pickup Elaine’s new wardrobe – she got some great shirts.

We ended the day by hitting Pearl World once more, then tea tasting – one of the highlights.Then an hour back massage with cupping; Amazingly, Elaine came through and now has 10 spots.