Street Market

Patricia thought we couldn't leave Beijing without seeing the Street Market. You know, the place where they serve all the crazy and disgusting things on a stick...sea horses, silk worms, honey bees, centipedes, star fish, scorpions, etc. It's only open at night, so around 5:30 tonight, we headed down there. It is definitely NOT a place where pregnant people should go. The smell was just as bad as the sight of the food. I was very squeamish the entire time. Patricia was approached by a guy selling fried bananas. He convinced her it was good and she actually bought it. She bit into it, and there wasn't a banana, so we figure they must have mushed it all up and put it into the dough they fried. She said it was good and sweet.







Our tour guide, Lin, was actually the one who showed us where it was. It was on the same day we had gone to the silk factory and the factory guide was telling us all about how silk worms are a delicacy here. So I asked Lin if he'd ever tried silk worms, and his reply was "No, I'm just normal person." Hehe, I'm a normal person too! :)

Around the corner from the Street Market is a street that is closed off to cars and it's full of shops. Kind of like an outdoor mall. We were able to find a KFC for dinner...shocking I had an appetite at all after what I had just seen. We walked around for a bit and then also found a Haagen-Dazs. We were super happy. I have to say I have loved finding ice cream places here. I think I've had some sort of ice cream almost every day here. I don't know if it's because it's something familiar from home, or if I'm going to be craving it the rest of the pregnancy. Probably better that it's not a craving!

I really took it easy this morning. I've been sleeping a lot, which is surprising since my bed is harder than a rock (Kellie and Bill can confirm that) and my hips/back hurt so bad after lying down. But what else can I do...I'm SOOO looking forward to my nice big, soft bed.

Patricia and I went down to the spa this afternoon. All I wanted was a manicure and she wanted a pedicure. They took her in one room and me in another. My manicure ended up being a nightmare. I am already hesitant to go into manicure places in the USA because the girls are all oriental and I never know if they are going to understand what I want. Well, take that and now be in an oriental country! She really didn't have a clue what I wanted. After trying explain that I wanted a french manicure, to which she told me no, and then trying to pick a color from the very small selection, to her looking at my nails and me having to explain to take off the clear coating that was already on there...we finally got underway. It was a very basic manicure...and she had to redo a nail right at the end that smudged the instant I had to sign the receipt...oh well. It was something to do. Patricia on the other hand got a 60 minute foot massage with her pedicure. I was jealous.

Tomorrow we are headed home! We leave the hotel at 5:00pm and will hopefully be in the air for a 12 hour flight by 9:00pm. I finally let it hit me that I get to go home and started getting so homesick, especially to see my little boy. I haven't even been able to call home while I've been here because I knew it would be too hard on me emotionally. So I can't wait to be home and hold him. I'll see you soon, Bubba!