Sheep Penis

We've arrived in Shanghai, and what a city it is! It's fabulous, like an Asian NYC, but more modern. But that's another post. It's going to be easy living here for two weeks, even with the very challenging language barrier. I am stupidly, American-ly surprised at how little English they speak.

Our last day in Beijing we toured the Bird's Nest and Water Cube, from the 2008 Olympics, both very cool buildings. Apparently they are not in much use these days, such a shame. We then visited Lama Temple, the largest Buddhist Temple in Beijing, and one that I was very interested in seeing. Justin, Elle, and Liam were not, and all of us were thankful that we arrived right at closing time. I was happy that I got to see it, and they were happy that I didn't get to dawdle...

We ended our day at the night food market, one that Alex calls "crazy street". Crazy it definitely is, disgusting is another word I could use. Earlier in our trip I had dared Justin to eat a Scorpion on a stick, and there in front of us they lay skewered. He did in fact buy one and begin to eat it, let's just say it didn't end well... Also available for your culinary enjoyment: grasshoppers, cicadas, silkworm, starfish, baby shark, snake, seahorse, beetles, centipedes, innards of all sorts and yes, sheep penis. It was disturbing to say the least, but so outrageous that it was hard not to look.

We were sad to say goodbye to our guides (couldn't have done it without them) and Beijing, but were excited to move on to happening, cosmopolitan Shanghai. These two cities couldn't be more different and we can't wait to explore Shanghai.