LOL....

Can you imagine what happens when 4 blondes and a redhead travel to China??  I can tell you one thing for sure...a whole lot of laughing!

In a span of 11 days, there were 10 flights, 2 train rides, 2 bus rides, 1 bike, 1 ferry, 1 tram, 1 taxi, numerous rides in an orphanage ambulance, and countless rides in vans...often stuffed with our luggage too.  There were many times when I felt like we were on The Amazing Race!

While we were still in China, I started keeping track of all the crazy, funny incidents.  I'm going to list them here...along with some pics.  Most of these are phone pics ;)

I am well aware that these might not be funny to anyone other than the 6 of us, but I am laughing out loud as I prepare to write them, so bear with me.

*On our long flight to China, a flight attendant comments (after about 10 hours) that we had not stopped talking the entire flight.
*Said flight attendant then proceeds to sneak us out some "good" wine from first class.



*Even the giddy must sleep sometimes...we crashed on our flight to Xi'an. (We got upgraded to first class!! We couldn't have been happier!)

*When we were picked up from the airport, it became very clear that traveling with all our luggage would be a challenge.  This was the ride to the hotel! You should have seen the bellboy's face when he opened the van door and saw us all crammed in there with the luggage. :)

*Our bike ride was quite an adventure. Di and I lasted about 10 seconds on the tandem bike

*I am guessing there aren't many blondes that make their way through Xi'an. I'm pretty sure we will be showcased in quite a few vacation photo albums across China! I had my hair colored the day I left for the trip. Nobody at my house was overly thrilled with my new look. Lucky for me...China loved it!! lol...This man, in particular, got sidetracked in his video-ing of the wall when I passed him. He turned completely around to video me as we passed...so funny!  We must have been quite a site riding these bikes!

Here's another photo op..
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 *Mrs. Meng met us at the Changsha airport with these gorgeous bouquets of flowers. So sweet but definitely added to the luggage struggle. As we maneuvered our luggage carts through the airport, she cleared the way for us and actually kicked people out of the elevator so none of us were left behind.

*The good news is that she picked us up in the orphanage ambulance. I'm sure we were a sight! At least it fit all our luggage, and we each got our own seat :)

*No words needed...

*Mrs. Meng is a little firecracker. She stood on her tiptoes every time she took a picture with me!

 * Some of us went for a foot massage one night. They used fire to attach these glass bulbs to the bottom of our feet...OUCH! The funny part...Aislinn's person was blind!



We attended a musical performance at a university.  All the musicians were very serious.  We were on the front row and this little flute guy yawned in between songs.  We started to giggle at him and Di pointed at him like "we saw that!".  He died!  He tried his best to keep a straight face, but he was smitten.  If his eyes met ours, he couldn't help but get this huge grin on his face.  Of course, it didn't help that Di was snapping pics...trying to catch him in a grin.  I hope we didn't get him in too much trouble!  :)


*We spent Diana's birthday in Hengshan. The orphanage director wanted to have a bottle of wine to celebrate
 

 *All of a sudden, at the end of the meal, Julie chugs down an entire glass...we couldn't believe it! She later explained that this shows appreciation to the host. We didn't even get a pic, she did it so fast and unexpectedly!

 

 *Another Chinese tradition is to wipe frosting on the birthday girls' face

Here I am wiping the icing off her face:

*Diana caused quite a stir when her jacket zipper got caught in her camera bag zipper. No...we do not know these people :)

 



 *We were told to be serious in the temple in Henghshan. However, when we got there...this is who greeted us:

He was a jolly monk who seemed excited to talk to Americans. He told me I was not as tall as he expected...he thought all American women were tall! lol... Let's just say, we may or may not have acted like giggly teenagers during our visit :) I'll never tell!! lol...

 *Paige had some chopstick issues

 *Paige accidentally ate pig stomach...she thought it was a mushroom :) In case you're wondering...this is what pig stomach looks like!  And in case you're also wondering...it does not taste good!

*I ate dried out duck that had the bones in it (I didn't realize it). I spit half of them out and had to swallow the other half...almost didn't happen! (I didn't take a pic)

 *Aislinn hiding an oyster in her plate :) (Di hid hers in some rice...I hid mine in a pile of shrimp shells!) lol...

 *Paige had to pick out the fish that would be prepared for us one night

 *Paige and I realized what we had eaten at lunch that day when we tried "sea worms"!! Yep...the grey slimy things!!

 
(we ate them fried...ugh!!)



*Our northern friend couldn't take it when we finally got a hotel room with a kickin' air conditioner

 These next few, there are no pics. They are our squatty potty events:
*Di almost fell into a squatty potty trying to close the door. She almost stepped into another one trying to open the door.
*Paige fell out of the squatty potty stall because it stepped down and she didn't notice it.
*I locked myself in the same stall and couldn't get the door open...pull, not push :)
*The last two were in front of a bathroom attendant that must think all Americans are idiots!!
*Christina got off an airplane and had to run across the tarmac with her legs practically crossed. When we got into the airport, the bathroom we found was awful! There were tons of nats swarming, and a smell to match. I turned right back around and decided to hold it. She said you had to swat while you squat!! UGH!!!!
*In China, most of the time there is no tp. Pocket packs of tissue become your best friend :) We trusted Paige with the entire pack when she went in...our mistake...the whole pack fell into the potty from her pocket! Yes...these are the pottys that you are not supposed to put any paper into...lol... Needless to say, she was rationed to one tissue per visit from that point on! lol...
*The western toilet in Hong Kong had a sign on the door "For the weak".  Well...that must sum it up!

* Our adventures ended in Hong Kong. We were squished into one of the vans as we went through the border of China and Hong Kong. Here was my view of Di over the luggage from the other seat:

*Our driver had an ID card issue and was not permitted to cross...we ended up sitting in that van for 2 hours waiting for another driver to come. He was very apologetic, but really...we didn't care. We weren't catching a plane, so it was fine. (that's when I put this list together :)

*Julie admitted to us after this incident that every single driver that had been with us had commented on the fact that we never stopped talking! lol... Oh well...guilty as charged!!

*We rode a ferry in Hong Kong and then on this tram up to the top of Victoria's Peak. It's supposed to be the best view of Hong Kong. Here's the line we were in:

When we got off the tram, we found a mall at the top of this mountain! Who knew! We went up about 5 stories and then out the door...to this:

We were hit in the face by extremely thick fog! All we could do is laugh...and take a souvenir pic:

...and what else would make sense, but to eat here
...on the top of Victoria's peak...in Hong Kong! :)

*We then proceeded to get lost as we were trying to leave.  We went up and down the escalators trying to find our way out.  By the time we found our way, there was a whole group of people with us...all trying to get out.

 *The last tidbit I have for you has to do with my overstuffed luggage. When I checked my luggage in to come home, she told me I either had to take 6 pounds out or pay $200!! There was NO way I was paying that much so I opened the bag to see what I could grab. Thankfully, I had swiped this laundry bag from the hotel and stuffed all my dirty clothes into it! You know you have a true friend, when she'll carry your dirty laundry through the airport...to the US and through customs!

Thankfully, I was able to shove it back in the luggage before I rechecked it in Chicago...they never even knew :)

What a trip.  In the midst of all the crazy emotions we were experiencing, we were blessed to have so much comic relief.  These ladies were a blast to be with and loved to laugh as much as I do.  Pure Heaven!