Well I am told that it wasn't a mushroom that I ate but something on the innards line.  I did think it looked reptilian, but it tasted mushroomy, very nice in fact. More amazing food today, we are being so well hosted that I think I will need treatment to clear accumulated damp. Our Acupuncture hospital gave us a lovely breakfast with little dumpling things and a rice porridge and a spectacular green tea. And then our sightseeing began. We visited a thought provoking excavation of the Second Nanyue King Zhao Mo's burial tomb. Which had his burial suit of jade in near perfect condition, and the belongings of his concubines who were also sent to his tomb on his death....... I think the tomb was finished 122bc

Then on to the Sun Yat-Sen memorial Auditorium, a lunch of Dim Sum, visit to The Chen Family Temple and Folk Museum and them on to the herbal market. Everything can be seen here from dried black goats tongues, dried lizards on a stick, live scorpions which are made into a soup, and all sorts of animal bits and pieces that i wouldn't want to mention here, as well as many different fungi and herbs. This is the main system of medication in China.

Tomorrow I begin my learning at the hospital, I hope to manage to get up in time. I managed to sleep through three people banging on my door and my alarm this morning.... I have put it on loudly..

I also hope to figure out how to put photos on the blog..

I left home at 2.00pm Friday and arrived at my hotel 8.00pm saturday, a full 24 hours travelling. The most strange sight so far was two women walking around Edinburgh airport wearing onesies. One dressed in pink the other as a leopard, they looked forlorn, I can only assume that they realised their fashion faux pas on arrival in the UK. Either that or they had lost their luggage and were stuck in nightwear. 

My travel companions are lovely and our hosts in China exceptional, we have just had an amazing banquet although I drew the line at goose foot. We had amazing mushrooms that looked reptilian and another that looked like a sponge, all very lovely though.

I really should go to bed, but I am of course wide awake.  This doesn't bode well as I am dozy at the best of times and am due up at 7.00am to go to the hospital for breakfast.

Any way I have managed to sort out the internet and am ready to absorb everything coming my way, more tomorrow. 

It is the eve of my trip, lists are made, packing started and nerves kicking in! Tomorrow Heathrow to Guangzhou, 12 hours later it all starts happening. Sunday will be spent visiting a temple or two and generally getting orientated for  my first week of acupuncture study in China. It can best be described as nervous apprehension, I must find those ear seeds to pop on Shen Men. Joigin and Juk neih hou wahn