Back in China

I'm remembering all those reasons I had for never wanting to return to china. People smoking in resturants. Disgusting squat toilets. People spitting everywhere. People smoking on trains. MSG in everything. People smoking on busses. Always being charged foreigner prices. People smoking in Internet bars. No soap and water to wash after using the disguting squat toilets. And did I mention the smoking?

Well I'm surviving somehow and I am benefitting from all the chinese language I learned the last time I was here. It was actually nice to come back to somewhere where I knew the currency, how much things should cost, how to buy a bus ticket, etc. and I was somewhat prepared for the cultural differences.

Tomorrow evening I get on the train to Lhasa- the train they said couldn't be built because it goes over permafrost and a 5204 m pass. The train has oxygen on it to help with the altitude. It will be wicked.