Hot Hot Heat

Blimey! It's hot in China. The temperature has been hovering in the mid-30s (Celsius) since we got here. Thank heavens they have air-con.

The first thing that hits you, apart from the heat, is the mad Chinese driving. The standard driving position is right down the middle of the road, until someone comes the other way, when you hoot the horn to let them know you aren't really prepared to move, playing chicken until the last possible moment - then you swing to the right and knock some poor watermelon seller off of his ubiquitous tricycle. As a passenger, it's great fun - not knowing if the current journey will be your last.

We went to a Korean restaurant yesterday. And, yes, there was DOG on the menu. I was up for trying it - but we were uncertain of the provenance of most of the dishes, so we went for the chicken instead. And, apart from the need to pick razor-sharp bones out of your cheeks every few minutes, it was absolutely delicious. Cooked on a hot-plate at the table, you pick up a lump of meat along with rice, sauces and whatever else is on the table, wrap it up in a lettuce leaf and munch it - a little like Beijing Duck. At the end, we were stuffed, and it all cost us Y80 - which is under six quid!

OK - well, I've hidden from the heat in the hotel's business centre for long enough - time to wander back to the chalet...