Rewi Alley/George Hogg trip 18.7.17

I really need to know who came up with this itinerary. It is, quite frankly, brutal. If we are not travelling we are arriving at hotels so late and having to rise so early you either turn in immediately or if like me you are conscientious about reporting, make do with five hours sleep because you struggle to find time. Add that to hideous problems with hotel internet and, well.......

So this morning we were treated to an odd-looking art museum. With all the walking of late, my “good” hip – the one I never broke – packed in so I never made the complete tour. After the museum we were taken I know not where but it was clearly an old shopping district. We were only allowed to go into a small supermarket to shop for snacks, any attempt by anyone to buy souvenirs immediately brought forth injunctions to stay with the group.

Leanne throughout this trip has constantly called out to me to stay with the group. Quite clearly, at 61 years of age and having travelled the world I am no utterly incapable of looking after myself. But all chickens eventually come home to roost and my time is now.

We left Shanghai mid-afternoon to embark on a 6 hour train ride to Wuhan. I am fed up with trains now. We arrived in Wuhan around 2100 and our coach took us to a restaurant for a late dinner. I think we got to our hotel at around 2300 and we leave at 0800.

However, en route the bus stopped. I have no idea why but one of the leaders and sadly Song (who has been my luggage bearer throughout, bless him) got off. The coach doors promptly closed and we continued on our journey to the hotel leaving them stranded! I assume they are here now (it is 0100) but I shall not let it be forgotten that it was not the silly old foreigner that became separated but one of the Chinese staff! I am not usually one to revel in schaadenfreud but trust me, I am tonight.