Saturday, 7/10/10 9:09 p.m. Home

Today will have been a 37 hours day by the time midnight rolls around.

I got up before 6 a.m. and showered so that we could go out for a walk before we had to leave for the airport.  We walked over to the Forbidden City but since they're now charging to get into the courtyard, we opted to head across the street to Tiananmen Square.  There was a barricade across the closest entrance so we walked a bit further.  At 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning, there were hordes of people already lining up to view Mao's body.

After wandering around the square for a bit, Suzannah headed back to the hotel around 7:15 a.m.  Since we weren't leaving until 9 and I was already pretty organized, I wandered some more, making my way down Qianmen Dajie where I bought myself two last pieces of fried dough for breakfast.

Back to the hotel to check out and catch a cab (more like a "car" a la New York or London, a black sedan with leather seats that the driver had to dress up in its taxi paraphenalia for the airport trip).  Luxury hotel to luxury cab to business class treatment at the airport doesn't suck.

Met up with Susie and had breakfast with her at Starbucks.  Headed through security where they felt the need to empty my purse (but I didn't have to take off my shoes) and on to the gate where we waited until boarding and then went our separate ways.

Business class was plush and the 11 hour flight went quickly what with all the video selections.  I watched The Bounty Hunter, Valentine's Day, The Last Song (in honor of Rachel), The Art of the Steal and an episode of Nurse Jackie.

3 meals and 11 hours later, we sped through passport control and customs.  They even had adequate agents although one guy did give Suzannah the third degree because it appeared that she didn't have any luggage.

Since Suzannah was trying to get on my flight from San Francisco to LA (the reason her luggage had been checked on my ticket and the customs agent grilled her), we headed down to the Arrival Lounge where we had a valet lead us to private shower . . .

(Ambien addled, I was totally unable to complete this journal entry)