Last Dance With China

It’s our last night here at the China Hotel in Guangzhou. We leave extra early tomorrow morning to board our flight(s) home.

Though I will surely miss the daily visits from housekeeping that miraculously left the beds perfectly re-made and towels replenished, our family is eager to get home. Even the nicest of hotels get old after a while.

Exhibit A, the breakfast buffet: On day one we were enthralled by the bountiful spread before us, making several trips through the labyrinth of brunch fare to be sure and sample a taste of nearly every delectable option. Day two was much of the same. Days three and four we efficiently loaded a mere single plate with the tried and true dependable selections we had grown fond of. By day five, I sat at the table with just a cup of coffee, unamused, with a glass of juice and a piece of toast on the side. I was over it. Today was day six.

In fact, it seems like every time we turn around we are strategizing what to scrounge up to feed our family here. Many options require navigating through suckling pigs, goose offal and chicken feet on their respective menus. It sure makes me appreciate having a fridge, freezer and pantry back home and consider in earnest the billions of people, worldwide, who literally don’t know where their next meal will come from. At least we have options, and funds with which to purchase them.

We swam at the hotel pool again today. Though it seems to be unheated and unchlorinated, it was a welcome respite from the oppressive, muggy heat that feels much like the inside of an old rubber mask on Halloween, and worth the gamble of infectious disease. (Kidding. Please, Lord, no…)

We took another walk through the neighborhood, and this time caught sight of school children doing their morning tai chi inside the school grounds. Such a treat.