Update from China

We are in China and we have our new baby daughter. She is wonderful and we are enjoying getting to know each other.

Lots of coffee shops in China. I saw three Starbucks and many others in one area of Beijing. I tried a Cafe Americano at a starbucks and it was better that I have had at Starbucks in America. Many hotels and restaurants have espresso machines and if you order American coffee they pull a shot of espresso and add a little water, just as you would expect.

I am now in Xi'an, a city of 2+ million about 600 miles from Beijing. It is cold and very dry here. Everything is coated with a layer of dust, and it has been so foggy since we arrived on Tuesday that at times you cannot see the buildings across the street. We were not allowed to see the Terracotta warriors because the highway was closed due to the fog. The fog is part fog, part pollution, and many Chinese wear masks when walking.

I went to a beautiful coffee bar across the street from my hotel (Sheraton). I had a cup of Mandeling that they brewed with a siphon. It was delicious. I brought my own beans, grinder, press pot, and tea kettle, so we are able to enjoy good coffee in our room.

The Chinese people have been so nice and friendly. This has been the best trip of my life and I hope to come back so I can spend more time seeing the country. We were able to see many great sites in the Beijing area. Beijing is very crowded (12 million) and the traffic is scary, but everywhere is very clean. Hardly any litter and we saw no graffiti. Friendly people, so I was able to practice the 20 words of Chinese I know.

Robert