In case you didn’t already know this, Jesse possesses some interesting qualities inherited directly from the people who spawned him…he makes new friends wherever we go, exactly like his Grandma Ellen on his mom’s side, and his Grandpa Coyne on his dad’s. These two have perfected the art of being interested in everyone, and finding something in common with people who live completely different lives.

During our travels Jesse has made friends with waitresses, people on buses, lost backpackers, strangers on the street, Irish lads in a hostel, cab drivers, Chinese tour guides and anyone who speaks English–even a little. Two days ago he helped a lost family of very tall blond people from Colorado on the streets of Xi’an and invited them to find Indian food with us. They happily agreed and together we discovered we had lots in common and shared a great dinner and evening traipsing through the city.

World Expo in Shanghai was crowded, hot, confusing, and a bit discouraging until Jesse went up to the guard at the VIP entrance of Finland’s building, and asked him to call a girl we’d casually met on a boat a few days before. We knew her first name only, and couldn’t locate her hastily scrawled phone number. In a few moments a charming girl who had only been told that a tall boy who looked like a Viking was asking for her came out to meet us. She took us on a private tour complete with interesting details and inside info.

There are countless more examples of how Jesse’s innate friendliness has made this trip more fun and further spread the truth that Americans are not ugly or egocentric, but helpful and interested in other’s lives. He asks questions, making them feel he genuinely wants to know about them–which he does. Take him with you if you are planning a trip. He reads maps, navigates new territory with his iPhone and carries bags too!

I thought I had tried every flavor of popsicle in my life, until today when I innocently picked out a rich brown wrapper which looked exactly like a tasty chocolate ice cream bar should look! But no, inside it was revealed to be bright green…not too bad so far. The first bite contained an unidentifiable mealy componant, and I was surprised to see actual red beans nestling in the center of the whole thing. These are not special Chinese beans, these are the same ones we buy…and it turns out the green is green tea flavor. Odd, interesting, and not too bad. I discovered that if you don’t like cooked veggies you can also get corn and peas in popsicles. Who knew? Who thought of this? I wonder how brocolli flavored frozen treats would go over in the US!

Eating is not only an essential part of every traveling day, but has been a consistent source of amazement, horror and enjoyment…sometimes at the same meal. Rachel is pretty tired of Chinese food, but it’s all new to us, so we are trying new things everyday. We have skipped the always-popular fried chicken feet (rumor has it that they come from the US, where we grow ‘em bigger!), the drunk duck, the deep fried octopus testicles, the scorpions, and evil-smelling unidentified meat, fouling the air with fumes making me hold my breath. Just wandering through the large fairly modern grocery store in Zhuhai is entertainment, until you get to the prepared food section where the unfamiliar cooking meat smells gagged me!

Street food is another thing though, and Jesse and Rachel have discovered some delicious dishes. We spent an evening wandering through many little stands where men and women were preparing food so you could watch, choosing just what looked safe and tasty. We ate wonderful bread, which is flat like nan, rolled out like pizza dough and seasoned with chopped scallions and some interesting spices. With that we had barbecued spicy eggplant, roasted corn on the cob painted with something spicy, toasted tofu, spicy green beans, and some interesting noodles…yummmm! My chopstick technique is pretty poor, but no longer laughable…most of the time! Randy, Jesse and Rachel are pros! Unlike in the US, rice isn’t automatically served with vegetable dishes, as its considered poor people’s food, and we have had very little of it since we arrived. We have had many kinds of noodles, from broad tough ones, to the skinny translucent rice variety, and every size between. Mmmmm…. must be time to eat again!

If its Tuesday it must be Macau! With Rachel as our fearless tour guide we braved a gray day with newly purchased umbrellas and crossed the border into Macau for a long day of enjoying its diversity. Macau looks different immediately, with very old buildings, faded once-bright plaster and a touch of European decoration in the doors, iron work, and details. Even on a Tuesday the streets were crowded, not only in obvious tourist locations, but everywhere! We rode city buses and I noticed the local people have flatter faces, and dress more like Europeans…with a twist. We visited churches, the lighthouse that eluded Rachel and Jesse on a previous trip, and stopped for feet-relief at their favorite cafe, the e Nata, where sandwiches, egg tarts and wonderful coffee restored our ability to trudge onward.

Jesse has previously written that Macau is the LasVegas of Asia,, with gambling being a main reason for travel there. What I didn’t realize is the enormity of the casinos, the crazy architecture, over-the-top illumination, the massive over decorated structures on an unbelievable scale. Some of huge hotels look directly into heartbreaking poverty and scary squalor….50 floors up. Like everywhere, a few are living in outrageous luxury, and many barely scraping by. We did see more motor bikes than anywhere outside of Italy, and maybe exceeding even the Romans! They zip in front of the buses and cars like annoying gnats, never making contact, but with inches to spare. Traffic here is mostly terrifying to me!

I highly recommend Rachel as your undaunted tour guide, with her Zen direction skills, and willingness to ask various people on the street –all giving her three different broken-English sets of directions–and the ability to find just the right bus, or street we need. She always has the exact change for buses, and knows when to get off. Such under valued skills! We tested out the umbrellas only once or twice, and maneuvered between brief showers. When finally we collapsed for a formal and lovely dinner at the Venetian we savored not just the gorgeous food, but the solicitous pampering of the staff, the calm after the chaos, and the satisfaction of good conversation. Jesse made the responsible choice, and spent the day at work, so we missed him, but the three of us sorted through the day’s memories, and counted our blessings.

The Macau experience isn’t really complete until you are enchanted by Cirque du Soleil’s Zaia. They create a magical world that is both amazing and believable, occupying every sense. The physical feats are impressive, but the charm lies in the characters and the story they tell. This was the highlight of our day! As soon as the house lights came up we made a mad dash for the border and the bus that often leaves early. Chinese tend to saunter, while Americans march. So with some tricky elbow work, and Rachel’s spot-on bus-catching knack, we made it to the bus with exactly 3 minutes to spare. We were sweaty to the core, but we were there, and I was glad someone else was at the wheel plowing through the dark night.