Start at the post below this!!

I saved a post I started a month ago, but I couldn't figure out how to edit it (I also had to sign in in Russian today-- censorship blockers have their glitches) so this is the continuation of the below. Sorry again for the lame postage. I've been busy! I'm thinking about continuing this after I get back and we'll all just pretend I'm still in China. But with, you know, better toilets.

Hmmph. I also just realized that my picture doohickey isn't working. OK, well, quick summary of the rest of Wulongtan. If the censors let me post pics again at sometime in the future, I will post a montage. maybe with accompanying perky music.

So we, along with 8000 of our closest Chinese friends, climbed up the many steps to the almost top. Along the way, we crossed a suspension bridge that everyone thought would be hysterical to jump up and down on. This involved a lot of lurching and a 4 foot tall Chinese grandmother grabbing my chest in an attempt to stay upright. We also stopped to eat our KFC at a little pavilion where a man sold tea and sodas. There was a dog there, and they were going to throw him the bones--when I said Chicken bones were bad for dogs and explained why, they listened seriously and said, "well those are American dogs. Chinese dogs are tougher."

BTW, a few people had asked me about the KFC quality here. In general, it pretty much tastes like KFC (i.e., it's no Bojangles) and I haven't seen any biscuits, but they have AWESOME fried Chicken wings. Also, they offer a side of the most disgusting corn, pepper and carrot chunks bathed in mayonaise. I know this b/c when Tony was here we ate at KFC (and McD's and Burger King)and got the delicious corn-aise. Also, completely not what we thought we ordered. Somehow we ended up with one chicken sandwich, one corn-aise, one chicken leg and a bright orange drink. Since we were pointing at pictures, I'm not sure how that happened. Also, speaking of mayo, the Chinese are oddly fond of it. They'll make salads with just mayo on them (the Chinese don't really get the concept of salad--eating raw veggies is kind of gross to them) and I would swear that sometimes the cafeteria serves seafood with a heaping side of mayo)

We were going to go all the way to the top and see the "ancient temple," but somehow we got turned around and started down the pah. But Jane and I really wanted to go to the top, so we left Nina and Professor Wang (he's an older guy who they are friends with. He's really interesting: he was a championship runner and ballet dancer during the cultural revolution and has taught english and gym for many years. Oh, he also now has a labrador puppy (dor-dor) who is the cutest thing ever)and booked back up the path we had just gone down and up, up, up to the ancient temple. Which was a big pillar made of concrete. Yeah. Apparently it had been restored about 7 years ago. It was still pretty neat, though. There was a big candle holder set up in front of it for prayers/messages to the gods and the usual cushions set up in front for kowtowing. There was also a great view of the surrounding mountains, all terraced for farming, and down into the valley of the river. Pictures would be exciting here, wouldn't they?