July 3rd
What a whirlwind start! Due to some unfortunate circumstances, Chloe and Ilyena had to stay back in New York for an additional day before joining the group in China. The trip went smoothly for the rest of us and we landed in China, exhausted.
This morning, students "slept in" until we met for breakfast in our hotel at 8am. It was a fun meal, and it was the first traditional Chinese breakfast for many of the students, complete with zhūgān (pig liver), jīdàn chǎofàn (egg fried rice), kǔcài (some bitter greens - I'm not sure of the English translation), fried eggs, noodles, etc. Of course, there was also some fruit and some steamed buns, and many of the students opted for these more familiar foods.
After breakfast, we walked around Cùihú, a beautiful lake and park where many people were practicing Taijiquan, dancing, exercising, and socializing, as many older folks do throughout China. Then it was back into our van to make the trip up to Dali, where we are relaxing for a few minutes before heading out for dinner and some exploration in the Old Town.
