I never want to eat Chinese food AGAIN!

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WOW... I never knew how much anyone could sweat in one day. It has been almost unbearably hot (but we have survived). The Shaolin Temple was incredible and training with the monks was a unique experience. Our monk taught our group the first form they learn... it is way harder then the first form I learned in karate. But we had fun learning despite the heat and the bugs. Deng Feng the city below the temple where we stayed left much to be desired. From talking to other people our hotel was actually posh which is very very scary. I wouldn't even step bare foot on the ground. It was very icky. Some of my friends had cockroaches in their room (not us luckily). We have eaten chinese food for basically every meal and I am pretty much intent on starving until I get home. No more RICE!

We took about a 6 hour bus ride from Deng Feng to Xian today to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors. They are as incredible as I expected but the main building that they are in was so uncomfortably hot that it was hard to really enjoy them which sucks. But I took the best pictures I could and bought some postcards. Everyone went out to dinner and too see a Teng Dynasty show tonight but I stayed at the hotel with some friends to eat a western style dinner at our very nice Hyatt Hotel! Will went to the show and took video so I will get to watch it later. Tomorrow we tour Xian which is one of the Ancient capitols of China and then catch a plane to Beijing. In Beijing we do some more training with Professor Materra and Grandmaster DeMasco (the heads of USSD) and then become tourists. We will get to see Tien An Men Square, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall. I am also looking forward to finding a McDonalds once we are in Beijing (which is funny since I won't eat there at home). Oh and our Xian travel guide Peter was part of the student uprising at Tien An Men Square and he told us all about the experience and he also gets to work on parts of the Terra Cotta Warriors excavation with one of his instructors from his University (I think he is a Ph.D. student).

All in all I have decided that I am glad I came, but will probably not come back to China anytime in the near future. I like the choices of food in America and the toilets. Some of you will not even be able to imagine some of the places we had to use the bathroom. Needless to say I am dehydrated because I don't ever want to have to use the bathroom when we are out. And I will never choose to live anywhere with the type of humidity that they had in Southern China. The weather in Northern China where we are now is hotter and dryer. I can't decide which is better. Both are miserable.

I am going to get to bed because we have a long day of tourism and travel tomorrow. I hope you are all doing well and I am looking forward to eating Chipotle!!!!!!!

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Comments

[Trudy]

Love the Travel Blog
Enjoying China through your eyes. We are following your trip and enjoying your blog. Thanks for sharing. Grandma is doing great!!!!! She is so glad to be home. Love, Mom

[Tru]

Beijing
I think you are in Beijing as I write this. Sounds like you are going to see some grand sites. Looking forward to reading about the sites in your travel blog. Everyone is fine at home. Love, Mom

[genee]

WHINER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm soooooo sorry that are having SUCH a hard time being away from home, work and school and McDonald's?! ewwwwww. Take good pictures, we want to see! love ya Genee