ok, back home nowhotmail is blocked in shanghaifacebook is blocked all over chinaeven some other sites like google or wikipedia your pc will just freezethere are no internet cafes, only internet access is in your hotelthey charge per minute and again you dont know what sites are blocked until you log in and find out. at least i could do online check in for aircanada for my window seatshanghai is nice, like a giant hong kongthe skyline is very reminiscent of hong ...

ok so spent a full day in xianpeople think we are celebrities and they want to take our pics and hold their children in picswent to see the terra cotta armythere is so many terra cotta figures everywhere kinda takes away the appeallooks reminiscent of egypt in the clay pitsi had actually bought a box set of warriors at the great wall for 130 yuennow some guy is offering the same box for 20 so i bought a second one and got most of the group to buy one toojust came...

ok, so we are in xian nowmuslim bazaar OH MY GODmore on that laterso the tour is 16 agents, 15 women all from ontario, west, or quebecthe rest of the group is good to be with agents as they all have done a lot of travelling so are better than being with a normal groupbeijing is not what i expectedthey have bulldozed everything and rebuilt last 30 yearsthere are no authentic neighbourhoods and no houses, only high risesome nice architecture, very clean and modern ...

so just arrived, we had to change planes in vancouveryou get the olympic buzz in the airport therethen they did not give me a special mealto make up for it they offered me an apple and banana and some cheesehow is that supposed to sustain me for a 10 hour flight after a 4 hour flight and connection from toronto?so i asked to speak to the head of the cabin crew and explained we are a group of 16 travel agents. if they cant give my special meal how can i book passe...