Hello from Nanjing!

I have only been in China for 2 days and yet I feel like I have seen and eaten so much! Unfortunately I used my little camera to take pictures of the first couple of meals I ate and it has decided to die after a marathon drinking session last night with some of my brother's Japanese friends- Chinese bars have dice on all the tables which you use to play some deadly drinking games!

I eased myself into the eating experience with some dumplings...these are massive in this area in China- the staple. Little rice, little noodles seem to be eaten in Nanjing...dumplings is where it's at! Filled with coriander and pork, or just beef, or cabbage and dipped in vinegar (not soy!) they were magnificent! Finished off with a chicken gizzard soup I was left with a smile and a bloated stomach of satisfaction.

The next couple of meals have been quite similar. Plates of beef fillet with chilli, mutton in a spicy broth, garlic broccoli, vermicelli-like noodles. All served in the centre of the table for all to share. I was quite suprised to find that all meat here is served on the bone...quite tricky when you get a mouthful of sharp splinters! Once you have chewed the meat off the bone you spit it out onto the plastic tablecloths! Quite suprised by this but think I'm starting to get used to it (a worrying development for when I get back to London!)

I also had some street food last night. Sitting out on the side of the road eating barbequed chicken liver with my brother's chinese friends was a real treat. They put some strange seasoning on it that makes it taste incredible...salty and yet very moreish! I almost forgot about the sweltering heat, beggars, and insane taxi drivers!

Sorry for the all over the place approach to this...gonna have to get more organised and write some notes for the next posts! Tonight, I'm going to a revolving restaurant on the top floor of our hotel. Promises to be an absolute treat.

Until next time my friends!