CHINA, AUGUST 2010

Date: 
15/08/2010
Country: 
CHINA

15 August 2010
I have just arrived at Shanghai on the way to Lanzhou to visit Dr Long and his students. Got my ticket upgraded to Business class for nothing. I was to board the plane to Lanzhou at 17:30 but it was very late; I felt sorry for the friends waiting for me at Lanzhou airport. Shanghai has a large airport. It is the biggest city in China. It is very hot, around 35 degrees Celsius. The plane eventually took off and I reached Lanzhou at 7 am and I went to the hotel and at around 10:30, long came to collect me at the hotel to go the Tibetan plateau to see how measurements of energy metabolism of yak cattle. This was done by measuring the heart beat and oxygen consumption.  Then we left Ganzu towards Pakistan on the old Silk Road, now a dual carriageway.

17 August 2010
Had a nice day and a very nice evening. We visited small farmers who were working with the University staff. Chickens were eating grasshoppers. Apparently grasshoppers reduced grass production for winter grazing so a few chicken to eat the grasshoppers increased the yield of grasses. It was about 15 chickens per hectare of land. Good idea. Hope all will be worth it to the farmers. Could be nice to show. Then we had four hours drive back to Lanzhou where we had a lovely Chinese dinner with Long and his friend’s wife.

20 August 2010
Time flies and now I left Lanzhou and am on my way again to Shanghai on the way to Taiwan. Trip back from the desert to Lanzhou was very nice. We got stuck in the sand but eventually got back. Ling Ling Ding is a very nice girl and so helpful. I lectured all day yesterday, Long was to come with me to Shanghai and Taiwan but had problems in getting the visa being a Chinese and I did not! So here I am travelling alone. Had to stay overnight to Shanghai and Long and Ling Ling Ding took me to the airport in Langzhou.

21 August 2010
Now I am in Shanghai. The room I stayed in was ok but no breakfast. I had a Carlsberg beer for breakfast! I do not think I have done that before. So now off to Taiwan. I think I stopped at the airport many years ago but really first time to Taiwan to attend AAAP meeting.