China Day Seven - Huangyan to Xiamen

We got up early in the morning for our road trip to XIAMEN. Jeff, our interpreter was not coming with us on our trip, so he gave our two drivers (who did not speak any english) directions and "shipping and handling" instructions. We piled our luggage and ourselves into a large white van that smelled like gasoline. Weary and wary, we were soon on our way. Sam dealt with our situation by practicing a bit of sensory deprivation:



Missy dealt with the situation by eating all the almonds and chocolate out of her trail mix:





Some funny road signs:





Fortunately, the drivers stopped at every major rest stop along our journey, so we were able to stretch, pee, and buy snacks and souvenirs on a regular basis:



Missy and Maxine look for a tasty snack...



In lieu of Gummi Bears and Cheetos, they came back out with a coconut...mmmmmm...





After 10 long hours, we FINALLY made it to the seaside town of XIAMEN...only to be stuck in the worst traffic imaginable. You know the traffic is bad when everyone turns off their engines and gets out of their cars to take a cigarette break...





We got to our hotel, the MARCO POLO, about 4 hours later than expected. We stayed there just long enough to get our luggage up to our rooms and to freshen up. We spent the rest of the evening playing catch-up, attending delayed meetings that had been re-scheduled...