Chinese National Holiday

Well here we are, 2 days away from the Chinese National holiday. Talk about CHAOS around Shanghai! The Chinese National holiday is celebrated every year on October 1st. The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949. The Chinese await this day and flee everywhere around China for one of the few vacations they are allowed to take. As for me, I am heading on a 26 hour train ride with five friends to center China. We reserved a cabin for 6 "hardsleepers" (6 beds) all the way to Lanzhou. We plan to spend a few days in Lanzhou, then head to Qinghai, where China's largest salt water lake is found. Apparently once we reach Qinghai lake, the most reliable form of transportation is either by horse, yack or camel. After a few days there, we will head to Xining, and perhaps a little farther North where the restoration of the Great Wall ends. I really don't know what to expect on this trip, but I do await a few things. 1) Not being able to shower more than once every few days considering we only booked four hostels for the 11 days we will be there 2) Eating foods 10x more bizarre than I find in Shanghai (apparently Yack is pretty common there) and 3) Coming back with countless photos and stories to share. I come back October 11, so until then, goodbye!