day 124: [北京 (Beijing)] = 0km

I got a ticket to fly back to 咸阳 (xianyang) tomorrow.

Wanna know all the boring details about my passport problem?

So here it is:

This passport was going to expire in October 2009. All the while, I had been trying to make myself believe that I could walk all the way home with this.

Anyways, there is a Chinese visa in it that is valid until the end of August this year. I can theoretically transfer that visa to my new passport when I pick it up in two months, so that won’t be that big of a problem.

But now I’m thinking: I am too slow! I am almost sure I won’t be able to make it to the border by August. So I’m going to need a new visa before then. BUT, with the Olympics coming up, the authorities seem rather tight-fisted about issuing new visa.

So that’s a bit of a head-ache.

My other headache is this:

I promised you a picture of my foot after the treatment.

Well sorry, it’s not nice, but here it is:

The 脚癣一次净 (”instant cure to athlete’s foot”) has killed most of the skin on my foot (March 9th 2008), so I am really hoping that it might have succeeded in getting rid of the infection as well.

No guts no glory.

No pain no gain.

No disgust…?

Anyways, my friend 小黑 (xiaohei) has been taken good care of me, mainly by providing food and entertainment:

On one of the occasions, I learned the thing with the Chairman’s smile/frown on the 100rmb:

Lovely.

We went to the Olympic Stadium later that night, 鸟巢 (”bird’s nest”) is what they call it:

I was going to take THE most awesome wide-angle night shot to show off here, but when I got there the guards wouldn’t let me anywhere near the thing.

Which was regrettable as well as understandable.

…

Then, late after this, 小黑 decided it was time we went out clubbing. I mean WTF, me with my hair and my beard, in my blue slippers with my blue socks and my disgusting foot - disco dancing?

But it really happened.

Soundtrack: New Order - “Confusion”

—total: 1594,3km