China Bulletin 8

Hi Kids!

Or is it 7, I've lost count? Well it's 11 o'clock at night here and I'm sitting in Hong Kong Airport waiting for the BA flight 28 back to Blighty. My nose is streaming from the end of hols cold that started with a sore throat last night. Remember chaps, it is the germs that get you in the end.
Our last day has gone very well. We had a lie-in until 0830 to let the bloody tourists clear the dining room. It's all these trvellers, you know. They should ban them. Then we strolled around the shops for most of the morning returning to the hotel at 1130 for S,S,S & S and to pack before checking out at 12.29. We had to be out by 1230. Danny had bought us each a big two handled zip-topped plastic shopping bag like they deliver sand in from the builders merchants. Great, they took both panniers, various products of the retail therapy in which we have indulged, crash hats, wet socks etc. So we only checked in one bag and one bike.

Then we had an excellent last lunch of local specialities and a stroll round a local park before I sprinted (well, walked fast) to get a last few photos of the bronze horses on the other side of the bridge from our hotel. Then it was back to load the van with bikes, bags and bodies for the 50 minute drive to Guilin airport where we clashed with a big home-bound group of Brazilian ladies who had got up our noses by behaving piggyly in a tea-house earlier in the day. There were about 30 of them. All women, no men; I think they'd eaten them all.

We bade farewell to our excellent guide and companion of the last fortnight, Danny. I gave him the Areostia Ceramica (Moreno Argentin, do you remember him? The mould they made Bettini from) jersey as a keep sake since it was in Chinese colours, red and yellow. Sorry about that Barry. There was a delay of an hour in departure but we had plenty of time and our bags and bikes have been booked striaght through from Guilin to LHR via HK. So here we are in the VIP lounge stuffing our faces and writing the last China bulletin to you and my nose is sore and I hope we've got some anti-congestant in the cupboard in the kitchen at home. I chatted to a lovely couple from Seville on the plane from Guilin. Boasted about Donana and Cazorla, (remember Nancy & Sheila?), and El Entierro del Conde d'Orgaz de El Greco in Toledo and my mate Federico Bahamontes of the same town - I think they were impressed. Well, I think they were impressed!

All in all a great trip to remember - invest in China!

Love, Michael John. xxx