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Today we had to get up early to drive to the airport.
We woke up at 5 a.m. As we were getting ready, our phone rang at 5:30. Wang Jun had arranged a wake-up call, just in case. Craig's sneakers were in very rough shape by this point, so he decided it wasn't worth bringing them all the way back home. He left them in the hotel room. Maybe someone here could make use of them - if anyone around here has feet as large as ours!
Mr. Zhou and Wang Jun drove to the hotel from their guest house to pick us up. We met them at 6 o'clock in the lobby. As we got into the van, it was completely dark and we could see the stars. Wang Jun had not slept well because of a "buffalo killing pigs" in his room (Mr. Zhou snoring), as well as traffic noise. I had slept well, but not long enough. So Wang Jun and I both napped on the ride to the airport. At one point I woke up to see some army soldiers running down the street with rifles, etc., doing their morning drills. Craig enjoyed the nice scenery while I dozed in and out. The rising sun was burning off the morning mist, and steam was rising from roofs, trees, fields, etc. The hotel had packed us a boxed breakfast, since we were leaving before the dining room opened. The box contained a hard boiled egg, sponge cake, a jelly roll, cookies, a slice of bread, and a bottle of water. It was very nice. We took a rest stop at a gas station, and then continued on our way. We arrived at the Guilin airport at 9 o'clock. It is always so jarring to be dropped at the airport. We have been with Wang Jun and Mr. Zhou for weeks, with all the tie in the world to socialize and enjoy one another's company. Now here we are at the airport, saying goodbye and returning to our respective homes on opposite sides of the world. We said our goodbyes and thank to Mr. Zhou. We waved to him as Wang Jun accompanied us into the airport. He brought us to the Air China check-in counter. While we were in line there, a tall man dressed in athletic clothes got into line behind us. We had seen all kinds of ads for a basketball tournament when we were last in Beijing, so we assumed this was why he was in town. We exchanged smiles and asked if he was in town for the basketball tournament. He said that he was; that they had just finished yesterday in Guilin, and that his team had won. He was delayed at check-in due to the weight of his checked bag. We said goodbye to Wang Jun, and promised that we would come back soon to visit him and his family. We wished him good luck on the upcoming birth of his baby. It was difficult to say goodbye, as we had bonded so much during our time together. It seemed like we had known him forever, and that we would be lifelong friends. He waited until we were out of site, waving. We went through security and then went into a shop called "High Quality Goods Confluence." There were very nice souvenirs here, and we bought two dolls and a cloth parasol. When we got to our gate, the basketball player was waiting there. Craig suggested that we ask him for a photo with me, since local people were always asking for photos with me and comparing our heights. So I went over and said hello. I asked if he was able to get his bag situation straightened out. He said that they told him he had to buy another bag and split his stuff between the two. He just wanted to get his stuff home, so he obliged. I asked if he would mind getting a photo together, now that I had found someone in China who was taller than me. He said sure, and stood up. I called Craig over to take the picture. A bunch of Chinese passengers snapped photos as well. Craig apologized for creating a flurry of photo ops. He just laughed and said it's no problem, just go with it. He said that his name is Hassan and that he plays in Venezuela these days. When he gets to Beijing, he has a non-stop flight home to L.A. He was really a nice, humble, friendly guy. We wished one another a safe trip and shook hands. At least 3 groups of Chinese passengers summoned the courage to ask for selfies with him, and he smilingly obliged. After getting home, I did some research and discovered that he is Hassan Olawale Adams, a former NBA player. Again, a very humble, friendly guy. There were a bunch of people on the flight who seemed to be either Somalian or Ethiopian. There was also a Middle Eastern family whose mother and daughter were wearing hijabs. It was the most diverse group of foreigners we had seen in all of our time in China. It was odd that we encountered them all at this one (relatively) small airport. The plane boarded at around 10:30. A man in the row behind us tapped my shoulder. He flashed his cell phone at me, which showed a selfie of him with Hassan Adams. "NBA?" the man asked. AT that point, I hadn't known that he was ex-NBA...he hadn't mentioned it. So I said "Venezuela". They clearly didn't understand, so I got out my computer and used the translator. When they saw the word in Chinese characters, they understood and thanked me for the information. The flight was scheduled to take off at 10:50, but it was 10-20 minutes late. I typed in my notes and we listened to The Elves on the iPod. I had a coffee (needed the caffeine) and Craig had orange juice. For lunch, they served beef, rice, and cabbage, a small salad of olive loaf, carrots, tomatoes, and cucumbers, a roll, and "Spice Girl" brand pickle. We landed in Beijing at around 1:45 p.m. We had to take a train to the baggage collection area. We ran into Hassan again near the restrooms and again wished each other safe travels. Our luggage came off the conveyor very soon after we got there. We emerged at the exit of the airport. The area was backlit, so it was hard for us to see anything. But we saw a hand waving wildly at us, and somehow we knew that it was Alice! What an incrtedible surprise! Alice's colleague Karen had been scheduled to pick us up, but she had a family matter to attend to. She asked Alice if she would be able to fill in for her. Alice was at the airport anyway, dropping off her group of Indian tourists. She was happy to have the opportunity to see us again. It worked out perfectly. Alice presented us each with a bottle of water. She took our luggage cart, and we went down an elevator and outside to the parking area. Mr. Chou was there and lit up when he saw us. We got into the car and he drove us to the Red Wall Garden in afternoon traffic. It was deja vu, and everything was coming full circle: Alice and Mr. Chou picking us up at the airport and driving us to the Red Wall Garden, just as they had done 17 days before. The familiarity as we approached the hotel was palpable. This was our third separate stay over the course of the one trip. We were welcomed warmly at check-in. When we got to our room (#2309) at 3:30, we found a nice note welcoming us back, along with a plate of fruit and cookies. We showered and wrote out postcards, and then met Alice at 5:30 for our farewell dinner. She told us that the restaurant also has a dinner show that starts at 7 o'clock. When we got into the car, she presented us with gifts: two Snickers bars "to eat at the airport tomorrow" and a small bottle of Chinese wine. She is such a thoughtful young woman! We thanked her and she said to consider it a hotel payment for when she and her husband Dion come to visit us as part of their American honeymoon. We hope that they follow through some day! As we drove to the restaurant, we hit absolute rush hour gridlock. The trip should have taken 30 minutes, but it wound up taking nearly two hours. We didn't arrive until 7:20. By that point, we were too late to see the show, but that was ok. We were happy to have a chance to catch up with Alice and tell her all about our adventures since we last saw her. The Bai Family Restaurant is amazing. The employees all dress in Qing dynasty costumes, and a man greeted us and welcomed us. A young lady in a very beautiful costume carried a red lantern and led us down the alleyway festooned with glowing red paper lanterns. She led us into a courtyard which was set far back from the street. It was an oasis within the ciry, and it was all beautifully lit in fairy lights. Walking paths led past a koi pond and to umbrella-covered tables and royal sedans. Beautiful wooden buildings with latticed windows housed large dining halls as well as intimate dining chambers. Our hostess with the red lantern led us to our own private chamber, with a beaded curtain over the doorway. We were overwhelmed as we stepped inside. Everything was incredibly fancy. All surfaces of the room were painted, and there were exquisite place settings. Alice had only ever been in the larger dining hall (where the show takes place), never in these private compartments. She was really excited, and was downright giddy when the staff called her "emperor's daughter." One of the servers had a digital tablet which contained the menu. She switched it from Chinese to English and we ordered our dinner with Alice's help. Alice ordered three beers for Craig, and drank one glass herself as a toast. I had some fancy tea. We had veal morsels served with scallions, which were so tender and delicious! We also had donkey stew, which was very flavorful (our first time eating donkey). We had bean greens, which Alice said she grew up with on her family's farm in Inner Mongolia, the now-familiar Jenga-tower of taro garnished with blueberry sauce, imperial cakes, egg fried rice, and kung pao chicken. Everything was so delicious! The costumed attendants flitted in and out of the compartment, serving the dishes and making sure that everything is just right. One young lady was stationed right outside the door, and her job was to open the curtain for us should we go outside. The food was so good that we stuffed ourselves. After our meal, the servers brought us a white fungi soup with dates as a digestive. We enjoyed catching up with Alice, and we showed her some videos on my computer. She really liked the one of Yupanqui's baptism in Ecuador. We had been sad to leave Wang Jun and Mr. Zhou this morning, but the expected reunion with Alice softened the blow a bit. The trip had come full circle, beginning and ending with Alice in Beijing. What more could we ask for? We walked around the beautiful grounds and then we were escorted back through the lantern-lit alleyway back to the street by the lantern lady. Costumed men bowed and called out something in Chinese. This whole dinner experience had seemed totally surreal. We are certainly not used to being waited on like that! It was like stepping back to another time...just magical! We met Mr. Chou at around 9:30, and he drove us back to the Red Wall Garden. We stopped along the way to drop Alice off at the subway. Subway service ends at 11:30, so she didn't have time to accompany us back to the hotel before catching her train home. When we got to teh station, we hopped out of the car to say our goodbyes, as Karen would be the one taking us to the airport in the morning. We were really blessed to have had this unexpected time together with Alice. The drive back to the hotel only took 30 minutes. We said goodnight to Mr. Chou and we headed inside. I was thirsty and wanted to buy a cold drink. We stopped in at the restaurant and got two cans of Sprite. We were floored when the woman told us that it came to 58 yuan - nearly $10! That was more than I paid for a Coke at the top of the Great Wall! But I was really in the mood for a cold drink, so we spent the money and enjoyed the Sprites. We walked around the common areas of the hotel and took photos of the art on display, including a bunch of shadow puppets similar to the ones we had bought at 798 Art District. We logged into the wi-fi and sent some e-mails telling people that we would be heading home tomorrow, but for some reason I was unable to e-mail photos. We packed our luggage for the flight home, wrote in the journal, and went to bed at midnight. Bai Family Restaurant |
 Mr. Zhou drove us to the airport bright and early  Saying goodbye to Wang Jun at the airport  I'm not the tall one in this photo! With Hassan Adams at Guilin Airport  Arriving at the Bai Family Restaurant  Entrance to our private dining compartment, Bai Family Restaurant  Fancy place settings, Bai Family Restaurant  Posing with our server at the Bai Family Restaurant  Alice posing with our server at the Bai Family Restaurant  Bai Family Restaurant grounds  Alice and Craig pose with staff at the Bai Family Restaurant 
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