Shanghai'd in Chengdu

... Fell asleep on the bus from the mountain (Emai Shan) to Chengdu and when I got off a bit groggy, the pocket that was velcro'd shut on the bus ride had, apparently, come open. Next thing I know, after getting my bags and hailing a taxi, I check my pocket and MY PASSPORT IS GONE. We checked the bus and all the bags etc. - passport gone. So, instead of the trip we planned up to Shanghai, we end up on a train for 37 HOURS back to Beijing to go to the Canadian Embassy for a replacement. They tell me 3 days and it costs me $150 CAD AGAIN! Do not fall asleep on the bus.

So, we have been in Beijing for 2 days now staying at the Red Lantern Inn. They told me last night that I would have to check out as I am in the country illegally and I'm like, ok, where the hell am I going to go??? We finally got them to relent and are here until I can get a replacement passport and China visa. As soon as this is accomplished, we are leaving China for Thailand. While we really like China, even with all it's attendant problems, it is getting too expensive, in more ways than one, and we just want to hit a beach and relax for a month or so. Stress? Oh ya. But, you just have to roll with the punches. It was a bit of a nightmare in Chengdu with the cops driving us all over the place and then I tried to get a copy of the police report and they wouldn't give me one, just a letter with a stamp, I figured I'd be in a pickle once we got here to Beijing, right I was. The Canadian Embassy told me I should have got a copy of the report whereupon I told them with the language barrier and much pleading to the cops, they still would not give me one. So, the Canadian Embassy has written a letter to the visa office here and hopefully I can get a visa tomorrow too and get the hell out of Dodge asap. So, that's the new scoop. Fun and games in China.

On another note, today we visited the body of Mao in a long snaking line which just kept moving at a clip past the glass encased cadaver. Actually, there are 2 Maos, one is the real body and one is a wax copy and you never know which one you are looking at as they pull the real one every now and then for maintenance. eeeeuuuww. Interesting though. We took our last walk around Tiannenmen Square and then went to STARBUCKS for a coffee and bought some PEANUT BUTTER at an upscale ex-pat market and now we are sated. Tonight we are going for wonton and tomorrow back to the bureaucratic nightmare that they call China. Our cab ride home tonite was during rush hour and the congestion was so thick that we both ended up with screaming headaches. The pollution is not to be believed. We do like Beijing though, as immense as it is. This city is the size of the country of Belgium and growing daily. Here is an interesting fact - China uses 60 percent of the world's cement - I believe it.

Hopefully, the next blog will be from sunny Thailand but we shall see.