Strange-taste horsebeans

Today I am 34 years old. Yesterday I wan't quite 34 years old yet and we spent the day biking and hiking on Tea Mountain.

Tea Mountain ridge

Some of the locals

Among the bamboo

A tourist climbing some stairs

After a disastrous lunch-ordering experience which ended up with us facing two plates of expensive entrails, we returned to Yongchuan motivated to do better. After some practice runs on the way to the restaurant I managed to order XiHongShiChaoJiDan and fried eggplant without a hitch... which was both a tasty meal and an encouragement that we may one day be able to survive in China without having to eat entrails. Speaking of entrails, we today discovered an alley by the river in Yongchuan where Chinese life in it's realest form was in full swing. We walked past tiny storefronts with sleeping lofts built in above each one, tables crammed with people playing cards and mahjong, live poultry ready for the chopping block, the chopping block, and a lady in the early stages of preparing a dog for dinner.

Yohchuan riverfront... the upscale section just before dead dog alley

And finally... here are my latest favorites from our never-ending supply of peculiar English slogans:

My new mug - "You are all evil, I'm the only angel"

Wherever you go, take pirate beer. Sound advice I think.

Yes, this is a real pen.

I have yet to confirm how strange these horsebeans taste