It's a baby Great Wall. Ehhh, close enough!

After our trip, we stopped in Jinhua to go to a restaurant Jitka and Beth really like called The Bullfighter. It was located in a mall where I saw this gem. As an English teacher: facepalm.

I loved the restaurant because it tasted American, but was still Chinese enough that I felt like I wasn't cheating and eating American food. Also, they had seriously long straws... for me to use in my Coke apparently...

Here's what is so neat about this restaurant: You choose a steak, then a soup, an appetizer, a bread, a dessert, and a drink, and then you can have infinite amounts of refills on everything except the steak AND you can switch around and try different things. Heaveeeeen. They serve the steaks so hot, you have to guard yourself when then give it to you and then put sauce on it.

My steak. Delicious. I thought about my husband the whole time; Mike is a steak connoisseur. He would have gotten ribeye.

So glad they have these kinds of warnings for when I start feeling like parkour-ing in an elevator. Saw this JUST in time. Thanks, China. I really could've hurt myself and others. 

The drive home to Yongkang. Just stunning.

Is this road under construction, or is this where you go to feed Jabba the Hutt? Again, such a pity I don't read Chinese. 

Then, after dropping our things off at home, Pom Pom, Nigel (Pom Pom's friend who was given his English name by a British teacher) and I headed to a very cool place Yongkang is building. Because the Great Wall is so far away and to honor the country's heritage, the city is building what I call the Baby Great Wall. I really, really wanted to climb it, so Pom Pom made it happen.

Staircase #3 of probably about 12. I was really proud of myself for going up, up, up in 90 degree weather and 90% humidity. I was actually giving the boys a pep talk. I felt like my sisters Amanda and Kelly and my brother Moe who all run marathons. "We can do it! Only a little further!"

A view of where we were headed from the top of the third staircase. 

Getting closer and closer...

MADE IT! I took this panorama with my phone, and though it distorts the view a little bit, because it's actually if you turned all the way to the left and all the way to the right, but I do love this picture. GORGEOUS. Because the real Great Wall is 16 hours driving length from the real great wall, I thought Baby was just perfect for me. 

Yongkang.

So beautiful at twilight.

Me and Pom Pom, conquerors of the Wall!

Nigel and Pom Pom. They are so precious. They work their tails off to show me around, help me, and try to communicate with me. They are both going into their third year of college next year to become police officers. Nigel is studying to be a SWAT team member, and Pom Pom wants to be a sheriff. Nigel's spoken English is a littler better than Pom Pom's, but not for Pom's lack of trying to communicate. He makes me laugh when he communicates through feelings when he doesn't know the English term. For example, "I like being in university and going with my friends. Some nights I have a lot of fun... And I... Feel like I can fly. Like the flying feeling. Understand?" "The baby... stand up, falls down, up, down... Work hard. Understand?" Yes, Pom, hahaha. Just love his explanations. Since I have been in China so long and there are so many people who speak broken English, I am really good at varying degrees of difficult games of charades. 

Then the boys showed me the reservoir they love to swim in. I promised to swim with them, but I have to find a swimsuit. And in China I am a giant. So... Wish me luck!

Our second to last stop was the bakery where I get the breakfast foods I eat. They have a million things, but they also have cold things, like this case which made me drool. Sorry, Chinese bakery friends, I can't stop salivating and your delicious bakery yumminess. 

Chefs at work.

Last stop during The Evening Where Dreams Come True. Remember my first day in Yongkang when I walked around and walked by a bridge and said I wanted to visit? Well, I finally got to go! I am so impressed with the way they took a bridge which is over 300 years old and added modern light fixtures to make the bridge functional, historical, and beautiful. 

Walking on the bridge behind Pom. I told him this is what I imagined China to be like, but even better. Because of this...

So many elderly Chinese people and young people alike come each night to enjoy the breeze and the atmosphere. I had so many offers as I was walking to sit and listen to conversations and enjoy. I also saw some elderly Chinese people playing music. It was a little wild... See the video below... 

They kind of tried to offer me a microphone when I was listening, but I just nodded no. When I imitate what I would have tried to parrot the woman "EEEEOOO-WANNN-EEE", Betty laughs until she cries. Probably good I just let her sing her heart out.

A view from one side of the bridge. 

The opposite side. I love how you can see the curve of the bridge in this picture. I believe I told you the story  of how Wuyi and Yongkang competed to see which city could create a longer bridge. Well, Yongkang won, not because they had a wider river to cross, but because they curved the bridge so it would be longer. Tricky, tricky.

I loved the Baby Great Wall and seeing the Xijing Bridge at night, and I am so thankful Pom Pom and Nigel took me around the city. I'm also proud of myself. I could have stayed home, but I chose adventure. And every day is worth the adventure in China.