Wednesday 12th July, 2017                                      1700

I never got to go shopping today. I was chatting for so long with Janet 2.0 under the shade of a tree and it was so hot I decided to postpone until tomorrow.

First though I had to address the problem of two Miss Lius who also both happened to be called Janet. She decided it was too common and asked me to give her another name so I did! She is now Leanne. She also told me I was the only one who will not be sharing a room. My response was that it would be cruel and unusual punishment to inflict my snoring on anyone else.

She gave me a printout of the itinerary. What on earth have I let myself in for?

For starters the 10-11 days has now become 14-15 days. Some of us are travelling on Saturday as the advance party, the leaders as I predicted are flying on the Sunday when for 190y extra, even today, we could also have flown.

However it seems I have an unexpected free day in Shanghai on Sunday! Sadly Joanna is not able to meet me but after he has moved home on Saturday Capt Orange is hopefully going to come out to play.

Monday morning the Kiwis arrive. Six girls and one lad aged I believe 16-20. Boy are they going to be knackered - 14 hour flight, check in to the hotel and in the afternoon we are off to visit one of Rewi Alley’s old homes (and former site of the Bolshivik editorial dept) followed by a visit to Hongkou fire brigade where we can don breathing apparatus and fight mock fires. I shall decline, I did my firefighting course in Leith and it is one thing doing it at 18, quite another at 61. The fire brigade are also treating us to dinner, afterwards in the evening we are off to the Bund, Shiliupu Dock etc. I doubt we will go to the girlie district. Anyway, as the only western adult on the tour I am apparently expected to not only chronicle the events but also nursemaid the Kiwis. I just hope I get chance to nip in for a pint every now and again on this adventure.

Tuesday morning a trip to downtown Shanghai and in the afternoon we leave for Hangkou.

Wednesday sees us at the Hubei Provincial museum ( that will be gripping ) and some other famous building and in the afternoon we leave Wuhan for Xi’an. I assume Hangkou is close to Wuhan as that’s where we will sleep the night.

Thursday morning it is the Shaanxi history museum (too many museums in this for me!) then in the afternoon we take a coach to Baoji to visit a cave factory and a day car centre for the elderly. At this juncture we shall have dinner there and doubtless they will wish to leave me there permanently.

Friday we are off to Fengxian to visit another of Alley’s homes and a primary school. In the afternoon it is the China Bronzeware museum and in the evening another train to  Shandan.

Saturday another school founded by Alley and another museum and to see where George Hogg and Rewi Alley are buried. .

Sunday we go to Zhangye to do something I fail to understand but no doubt time will illuminate. In the afternoon it’s a train back to Lanzhou. At this point I can spend a night in my own bed and wash my clothes! If we don’t arrive at some ridiculous hour that is.

Monday the group will visit the area I live in and have lunch at the uni or with the university foreign affairs dept.  In the afternoon we take an overnight train to Beijing and on Tuesday we visit Bailie University, another of Alley’s schools.

Wednesday I shall be in Tiananmen Square and yes, the National Museum! That afternoon we visit the Chinese Peoples’ Association for Friendship With Foreign Countries and later have dinner with them.

Thursday and Friday I have free days in Beijing although I have a suspicion I will be required at Beijing airport to see off the Kiwis on Saturday morning for their 0105 flight. I assume on Saturday the rest of us will get another interminable train back here so I am guessing I could be home on Sunday 29th.

If I survive that lot, I will have two, possibly three days to get my act together for my own holiday!

And people say teachers do nothing in the summer???