I’m self conscious that I start every one of these posts with a description of our breakfast. So I’ll skip that and say that as soon as we finished, Millie and I jumped into the hotel pool. It was already about 90 degrees here and humid. We swam while Nick worked out our next few days.

The heat, while oppressive, feels so tropical. I loved it.

We persuaded Millie to leave the pool by promising that I’d swim with her again before bed. We showered and started the 20 minute walk into town.

While we were walking Nick and I discussed how nice it was to be out of the city and away from the big crowds. 5 minutes later we entered town and into endless tour groups and masses of people.

We continued walking and found a path that was less packed. We got down to the riverside and walked past lots of women dressed up in traditional outfits doing photoshoots on traditional riverboats, complete with a bird on each. Every place we’ve been so far there have been women in traditional outfits having photoshoots.

We finally reached the boat dock. A woman came up to us selling boat tickets. Our immediate reaction to people like this is to say “no thank you” and to find the “official” ticket sellers. It is so common for people to immediately spot us as outsiders and then try to overcharge us. After some back and forth we realized that she was working with the official guides, and we bought our tickets. This is something I have loved about China; prices are signposted and we rarely feel like we are being scammed.

We got on the boat and were sat next across from a family with the world’s cutest baby. Millie learned she could make him laugh by shaking her gum container and he belly laughed for a full 10 minutes.

The boat took us up the river to see the pretty views. Nick and I took turns going to the top of the boat to see them. Millie could not have cared less and drew on her drawing pad.

While I was up there a 9-year-old boy came up to me and held his phone up to my face. It recited the predictable “your daughter is very beautiful, can I take a photo with her?” question. I replied with my translation app:

She was below deck with Nick so I texted him to give him the heads up that a kid was coming to ask Millie for a photo. As predicted she declined. The boy then came back up and then asked me to take a photo. He didn’t preface his request with “you are very beautiful” which I did take quite personally.

We later asked Millie why she never wants to take photos. She replied “well if other people see me taking a photo, then they’ll want one, and then I’ll have to take a photo with everyone on this whole boat.” So maybe she does understand fame more than we thought.

After the boat ride we visited a nearby temple. Millie was getting grumpy and we were hot. We decided against climbing one of these big hills.

Once again we had to drag her away from drawing. I will be so interested to see if her drawing obsession sticks long term, since I have the documentation of it starting via this blog.

We walked past a dress merchant and agreed to buy her a new dress she has been wanting. This blue & white tie-dye style is all over China. She tried on a bunch and we took photos so she could see them and decide which she wanted.

This one won and she changed into it immediately.

On our way back to the hotel we stumbled upon a craft beer bar. We ate dinner here with our IPAs. A veggie burger, pasta with pesto, and a pizza. After eating only local food, it felt great to eat bland western food. But we did feel like stereotypical westerners.

We walked back as the sun was setting. By now the crowds were completely gone (where do they all go?!). It was idyllic.

When we got back to the hotel it was dark, but a deal is a deal, so I took Millie night swimming. This was just about the coolest thing ever, according to her.

She has spent so much time with us that she has picked up our language. Most of the time this is cute and she sounds like a little adult, but tonight she kept saying “Jesus Christ!” The funniest part was she pronounces it “Jesus Creased”. I will never ever correct her.