a veg life

(posted by Emily)  20 December 2014 Beijing, China and Tokyo, Japan Step Count: 18,468 We arrived in Beijing early Saturday morning, around 5 am. First up was Chinese customs and a security screening, then a stop in the Air China First Class lounge.  We made it to China selfie I wish this wasn't so blurry! A sign with special instructions for West African traveler--gotta be careful about that Ebola! At security, officials went through our bags and ended up confiscating an extra rechargeable battery pack I had in a special wallet, which we use to charge our phones on trips like this. Never had any troubles with it in Europe or Mexico, but because it was not labeled with specific specs about the battery's capacity, it is not allowed in China. Just an FYI for anyone bringing extra batteries with them! The airport in Beijing is huge and modern--lots of metal and glass. We headed up to the lounge and grabbed a quick breakfast, including some veggie di...

(posted by Emily) Sunday 20 July Daily Step Count: 13,041 After a great night's sleep at the Hilton London Gatwick (for the record--the largest Hilton both Rick and I have ever seen), I was so ready for breakfast. We were able to eat in the hotel's restaurant, at their buffet.  We were both tickled to find so many options for us--fruit, salad bar, hash browns, vegetarian sausages, OJ, cranberry juice, tomato juice, and even soya milk for our coffee! I was one happy camper!! We did a quick bit of research about how best to get into the city, and then hopped on the train. We rode into Statford, and had time to pick up a few groceries at M&S before our train to Roydon.  When we got back to the boat, we sorted out all of our dirty laundry and got the loads started. Beds were made, things put away, and we put together a pitcher of Pimms. #priorities  As we were cleaning out our bags, I realized that other than clothes/s...