Well Sherlock cut out after 6 minutes so I had to delete and re-download it overnight. Instead I showed her “Sully” which, after having flown already, didn’t phase Alice. She ordered breakfast for the morning for her and some meat baozi for me for 1030 as I had suggested our sightseeing today wouldn’t take long so there was no need to wake early.
Indeed, we never rose until 0930 even though I reckon both of us were awake long before. When breakfast arrived I wasn’t hungry but I had no feelings of guilt over not eating when instead of what she had ordered arriving, they had sent the same order for two. The last thing I could ever face for breakfast is a bowl of noodles in water and a spicy boiled egg but there were two portions. The baozi? They weren’t meat-filled as requested, simply stuffed with some sort of grass that doubtless has a fancy name here in China for culinary purposes even though it is probably harvested at the roadside. Again I never broke my fast but I had fully expected such a result.
Not having to check out until one, we lazed around, me on the computer and she watching stupid “It’s a Knockout” type shows on the TV. At the appointed hour we checked out and went to wait for a taxi to the Big Buddha (Dafu) Temple.
Admittance was 40y each and if ever there were a waste of money, that was it. Even she voiced the same opinion. Certainly an old building but worth an absolute maximum of 10y admittance fee. I would advise anyone visiting Zhangye not to bother. At least the pagoda was in the middle of a square and was free to look at, with the added attraction of tame pigeons that people fed - see the photo of the girl with them eating from her hand. Tried to get Alice to do likewise by offering to buy a bag of food but she refused. I suspect she was too scared to have pigeons land on her arms.
With the day’s sightseeing done in a rather short space of time, we went for lunch. Another hotpot but this time we also got steamed rice. Alice swore that her stomach was playing havoc because it had been a week since she had ingested rice! In the north they prefer their noodles. I prefer potatoes!
We ended up back in the hotel lobby to wait for an hour for the hotel car to take us to the airport and then it was off on the journey home.
No problems this time with security but to my intense annoyance, no smoking room airside. Had I known I would have delayed going through and had a last cigar. No alcohol for sale either.
The aircraft (Embraer 195) was indeed a flying straw with a two + two seating configuration. Very new judging by the upholstery and carpet and quite cramped but for a 45 minute flight, who cares? The prat in the seat in front of Alice had his seat reclined even after the announcement to have it in the upright position. I told Alice that if the cabin crew didn’t come and check that I would bring it to their attention.
They did check and made him put his seat in the correct position but once the stewardess had gone he reclined it! An “OY!!” and a smack of my hand on his headrest saw him put it back immediately, thereafter he never adjusted his seat throughout the rest of the flight. It’s arseholes like these who think the rules are only for everyone else that spoil things for the rest and of course in general the Chinese won’t say anything. He was unfortunate on this occasion in being seated near me.
We actually took off early and landed likewise although there was no way on earth we could have bought tickets for and caught the 1955 train which would have been great were it possible. Instead I asked Alice to ask when the next bus left. It takes longer but we had an hour to wait for the next train anyway. It’s leaving very soon. Quick! Buy two tickets!!
In fact it was leaving so soon that by the time we had the tickets it had left. Next one in an hour. Great. I managed to find a shop selling lighters for four times the price (normally 1y) so I could smoke and I waited outside whilst Alice stayed in the relative warmth. After my smoke I also sought refuge from the cold, which must have been -15C at that time of night.
When the bus finally came it was late but to both our relief it stopped an 11y cab fare from home and in a place where we hailed a taxi in a short space of time. It was good to be home in the warmth, I rustled up some home made cheese and egg burgers and Alice is now in the land of nod.
I am slightly peeved in that she is going sightseeing here tomorrow (at my suggestion) with Suzy. I had planned to make what she requested for dinner, namely lasagne and apple pie, but oh no, we will eat some local food so you don’t need to cook! Can we have those things on Tuesday?
Yus, m’lady……….
Big Buddha Temple
The airport surrounds, Zhangye
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