Getting ready for the mystery trip

After a tiring couple of weeks giving talks I'm down with a bit of a lurgy, but resting up, ready for my big trip starting tomorrow. In preparation today I went to the electronics district in search of some special camera equipment. I managed a great deal on a simple tripod, but the second thing I was looking for didn't seem to be around. I was looking for a very very strong neutral density filter, something which would cut incoming light by around 100,000 times. This, sadly, the shop assistants simply didn't understand, and told me that a regular grade neutral density filter would be fine for my purposes, though I had expressly told them what I needed it for. I was not impressed! I do at least know a few more Chinese photography words.

So, tomorrow afternoon I head off on the 15 hour train ride to Baoji, China's 25th biggest city with a puny population of only 3.7 million. Currently I then plan to make my way to Kongtong shan near Pingliang, a sacred daoist mountain in Gansu province, where my prize may await me.

I've got a stack load of papers to keep me going through the train ride there and back (some time around the 2nd or 3rd of August) and plenty of pen and paper calculations which need to be done.

If it's not clear already, I will probably give the game away tomorrow.

Blogger still playing up!

Blogger is still playing up here in China - I had expected everything to be smooth here before the Games, but apparently not. Wordpress is completely out and the netnanny rears her ugly face at regular, though seemingly arbitrary intervals.

Anyway, I've just given my last talk here at the KITPC, a two hour talk to the students which was fun, as always. Tomorrow I have one more at IHEP and then I'm done for talks in China. Pretty tired after a two hour enjoyable ad-lib today. While the students do ask very good questions here, I feel relaxed talking to them, which definitely gives me good practice.

Anyway, my clue today for my magical mystery tour next week is that my first stop is going to be a small city in Shaanxi called Baoli. It'll take around 15 hours to get there by train.

And a photo from this weekend, reminding me that China is so constantly photogenic. Taken at Houhai lake while tucking into some spicy duck neck and chicken feet - beautiful!