Finding decent and inexpensive lodgings in China can be challenging, especially since I can’t read the hotel reviews.  Google Translator keeps giving me translations like this:

“Even if the price is also reasonable for it, that parking should be charged, but also can not stop, allegedly because of rough pavement, and said only good things for a long time in the next underground stop. Restaurant breakfast 20 days did not change, two hot six cold dishes, milk, milk is water with a point, thin. Dinner waiter has been staring at you, like to see prisoners as they will from time to time whisper, Yunsi. They met over breakfast yesterday had the honor veterans, waiter shifts to his hold rice, and what a gracious. Check-out time is 14:00 another hotel, but they are 12:00.”

The big trip kicks off on Saturday, and there are only 109 hours to go before my flight to Xi’an.  Fortunately, I’ll have lots of time to plan how to get from the airport to my hotel during the three layovers over the course of the day and a half that it will take for me to get there.

Right now, I’m in the process of going over my packing list to make sure that I won’t be forgetting anything important. I just hope that I can find a way to carry the two bowling balls that I was hoping to bring as gifts.  Maybe I’ll have to pass on the live lobsters.