Wire Mania

Does anyone want me to wire them some money? I feel like I am sending dollars to nowhere and no one as I just completed a wire transfer to "Chen Hong" at the "Bank of China" for our tickets on the Trans-Siberian portion of the trip (Beijing to Moscow). Evidently we cannot actually buy tickets online without paying a huge surcharge to a travel agency. If we want to buy them directly from the Chinese government, good old fashioned wire transfer is the only way to go. I considered using my stable of pony express horses to deliver my hard to currency to the good leaders of China instead, but they balked at the prospect of such an extensive swim.

I will just place my faith in the bureaucratic efficiency of the Communist Party of China and hope that somehow my funds make it to the right person and that we are actually able to board the train in Beijing on the morning of July 11. I guess I should draw hope from our positive experience with the Chinese visa people.

OK, we are off to Kyoto in the morning. I have asked that the students be at the airport by 500am for a 720am departure, but I'll let you know how that works out for me. I may have to lay down the law right from the start as I will have to get used to playing "authority figure" for 10 University of Georgia undergrads. Wish me luck and I'll write more from Japan!

Brock