7/11 Qufu

After an evening on the train, we were ready to get off at Qufu, the home of Confucius. Smiley, at the head of the pack, got stuck behind the crowd of people standing in the aisles and so we all missed the stop. So we ended getting off at Si shui, a town in the middle of nowhere. At the train station we were greeted by a mob of drivers who offered us a ride and we chose the one that had a blue van. Pulling out of the train station we passed some goats. The driver took us to a bus stop where we would be able to get to Qufu. Every single person stared at us - and by us I mean the white people I was with - wondering where these foreigners must have come from, as if Martian humanoids wearing neon spandex (from american apparel) had just landed at the station. We were just as surprised with the bathroom, which was probably one of the most atrocious we have ever experienced in China thus far, with a completely wet floor and troughs for both no.1 and no.2. After taking care of business we boarded the bus and went off to Qufu, our original destination.

At Qufu we saw the temple the forest and the mansion of Confucius. It was interesting, especially the forest, which was basically a cemetery in a forest. B (aka Poopmaster) took a dump and we have photographic proof of it so when he gets famous we will sell it to the tabloids. After the visit we went off to Taishan. We stayed in a hotel at the base of the mountain, in a large room with four single beds and a shower. What a luxury to have your own running water and a sit down toilet. That night I learned how to play poker, an interesting yet addicting game. Now I see how people can spend thousands a night at a casino. That night we had some good rest, a solid 12 hours of much needed sleep.