Getting SaaSy

I’m in the final stages of launching my first SaaS (software-as-a-service) business and I’m pretty psyched about it.

It’s been 5 years since I started Patent Earth, my e-commerce business selling wall art & t-shirts based on patent art illustrations, and it’s been a wild ride.  I use POD (print on demand) services to fill a lot of my orders, which are printing companies that also handle shipping.

Print on demand e-commerce is a fairly new business model (Printful got started in 2013), and I’m a big fan of it because it lowers the barrier to entry for selling printed products online damn near to the floor.  That creates a lot of opportunity for people with plenty of motivation but little money to invest – which is exactly why I got into it in the first place.

But it’s far from perfect.  In this business, to have the full sweep of products you want to offer, at the prices you want to offer, you will often need to work with multiple POD services.  And to get as much market exposure as possible, you will often need to operate multiple channels (meaning you build a website, but also sell on Ebay, and Amazon, etc).  It becomes a lot to manage.

So I built some in-house tools to make my life easier.  Tools to keep track of what I was spending and making, how fast my orders were shipping, and to let me monitor all my orders in one place.  And I figured other POD sellers would probably love to have these tools as well.  So when the pandemic struck in 2020 and drove us all into quarantine, I used the newfound abundance of free time to build my custom tools into a fully developed web app.

Which brings to my new SaaS business: Printalytics, the world’s first multi-channel and multi-platform analytics app for POD E-commerce shops.

Last Monday (Memorial Day), I made the website public.  It’s not really a launch – I’ve still got a couple of things to iron out before I actually start accepting new users.  But it’s still a big step, took a lot of work to make it that far.  And I’m only days away from inviting the first users in.

I have no idea how this is going to go, but I’m excited & optimistic.  I feel like I’ve managed to be first to market with something that could be <cliche>a game changer</cliche> for POD sellers.  Hopefully the results will bear that out – I’ll find out soon enough.

Wish me luck!

Winter Wonderlands & Frozen Hellscapes

It’s about 10:30pm as I sit down in my home office in Austin to write this post.  The temperature outside has just dropped back below freezing, on it’s way the low 20’s (fahrenheit).  It is the final freeze of what has turned out to be a nearly week long arctic storm, and the worst natural disaster that I have lived through so far.

While this storm blanketed most of America, it has been nightmare for southern states that aren’t used to such intensely cold weather.  This is especially true for Texas.  It’s is a big state and some of it (the panhandle, where I was born) is used to cold weather.  But most of it, like Austin where I now live, is not.

My back yard smothered in snow
My back yard smothered in snow

The storm was initially forecast to last about 2 days.  On Sunday night, things began freezing over as expected.  That night it snowed (6 to 8 inches worth, not the typical Texas hint-of-snow), and on Monday morning Austin was, like much of America, blanketed in beautiful bright snow.

But there were widespread power outages.  And people’s water stopped running.  This was not really a surprise, as ice was bringing down tree branches left and right, and our plumbing isn’t designed to withstand heavy freezing.  The city of Austin began asking citizens to limit their electricity use.  I turned off most of the stuff in my house in and dropped my thermostat to 66 degrees.

Then we got some bad news: the power outages were going to last longer than expected.  And some more bad news: so was the freezing weather.

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Our infrastructure, our homes and buildings, our city planning, and so on are built with high temperatures in mind.  Temperatures in the high 90’s, the 100’s, for weeks on end.  That’s what we’re used to.  It may dip below freezing a few times a year, and once every couple of years we might get a half an inch of snow that melts the moment it hits the ground.

So when a chunk of the polar vortex spun off and gave us a taste of the arctic, with highs in the 20s and single digit lows, we weren’t ready for it.  We tried to be ready for it, with the week or so notice we had, at the personal level.  I stocked some food and water, grabbed a bit of firewood, charged up all of my devices in case the power went out, got my faucets dripping.  All that jazz.

But those measures only get you so far when the power goes out, the water stops running, and travel is damn near impossible.  Temperatures in homes that were built to keep heat out rather than in sank into the 40s and for some people even the 30s.

An improvised shelter for an outside faucet that was freezing due to wind exposure
An improvised shelter for an outside faucet that was freezing due to wind exposure

I have been one of the lucky ones who’s power and water continued running throughout this ordeal.  I was able to take in my parents & sister, who spent the past 4 days without power.  Though I’m not quite out of the woods yet – I still need to get through this night, and then once everything thaws over the next couple of days I’ll get to find out if I’m one of the many thousands of other Austinites with burst water pipes.

But I have many friends who have been absolutely miserable the past few days.  Stuck in the cold, melting snow to keep the toilets flushing, living on cold peanut butter sandwiches because they can’t cook.  And even they are better off than those who’s homes are ruined from flooding and fires, those who were injured in accidents, those who lost family and friends.  This people of this city were left to fend for themselves, powerless and helpless, and many will be left traumatized from this ordeal.

It's cold outside
It’s cold outside

At this point, most people (my family included) seem to have gotten their power back.  Tomorrow the ice will melt and the roads will be clear again.  In a couple of days everybody’s electric and water should be restored.

But the damage will last a long time.  Property damage, and emotional damage.  This really could have been a wonderful, amazing, spectacular once-in-a-lifetime event for so many people.  If only the power had stayed on.  Without that, it became a nightmare.

I may write more about this later.  There is so much to say about it, so much to unpack… hell, I imagine there will be books written about the events of the past week.  So I’m not going to try to get it all out at once.

Instead, I’ll leave off with one more picture.  For all the bad things there are to be said about the past few days, I did manage to enjoy the downtime a bit.

Waiting out the storm with a fire, a book, and a pour of scotch.
Waiting out the storm with a fire, a book, and a pour of scotch.

Pura Vida – Pics from Costa Rica

In 2016 before I kinda forgot my blog existed, I promised pictures from my upcoming trip to Costa Rica. I’ve actually traveled to Costa Rica twice now, both trips hosted by my friend Rick. Both trips were a blast. White water rafting, skydiving, zip lining, riding horses on the beach and in the mountains, volcanic springs, black sand beaches… Costa Rica is simply wonderful. Maybe some day I’ll write about it in more detail. For now, here are some pics!

Having a drink on the beach in Jaco & rocking a newly hand-woven palm leaf hat.
Having a drink on the beach & rocking a newly hand-woven palm leaf hat.
Our first big adventure was white water rafting in the jungle.
Our first big adventure was white water rafting in the jungle.
Negotiating a bottle neck while rafting.
Negotiating a bottle neck while rafting.
Taking break from the rapids to have a relaxing float.
Taking break from the rapids to have a relaxing float.
Then we went skydiving. Pura Vida!
Then we went skydiving. Pura Vida!
View of Manuel Antonio from low altitude.
View of Manuel Antonio from low altitude.
The mixture of fear and excitement from the realization that one is about to exit an airplane at 7,500 ft altitude.
The mixture of fear and excitement from the realization that one is about to exit an airplane at 7,500 ft altitude.
Under canopy above Costa Rica, taking in the view.
Under canopy above Costa Rica, taking in the view.
We rode buggies up a mountain to reach this restaurant. It was shrouded in mist, definitely one of the coolest ambiances I've dined in.
We rode buggies up a mountain to reach this restaurant. It was shrouded in mist, definitely one of the coolest ambiances I’ve dined in.
Mountain top restaurant, surrounded by clouds.
Mountain top restaurant, surrounded by clouds.
View of the road we took up the mountain.
View of the road we took up the mountain.
The rusted remains of a failed hotel development outside of Jaco.
The rusted remains of a failed hotel development outside of Jaco.
A tour guide who took us from the beach into the jungle on horses. It was a scenic, leisurely ride.
A tour guide who took us from the beach into the jungle on horses. It was a scenic, leisurely ride.
View from a cafe in Manuel Antonio, I can't remember it's name.
View from a cafe in Manuel Antonio, I can’t remember it’s name.
Another horse ride, this time in the mountains (hence the headgear).
Another horse ride, this time in the mountains (hence the headgear).
A water fall in the mountains outside of La Fortuna.
A water fall in the mountains outside of La Fortuna.
Closer view of the waterfall. That was a fun swim!
Closer view of the waterfall. That was a fun swim!
Taking a stroll through La Fortuna.
Taking a stroll through La Fortuna.
Amazing artworks for sale in La Fortuna.
Amazing artworks for sale in La Fortuna.
Ryan and I with the Arenal volcano behind us.
Ryan and I with the Arenal volcano behind us.
Another shot of the Arenal volcano.
Another shot of the Arenal volcano.
The Florida Restaurant, a little spot tucked away in the mountains that offers great coffee and fresh sugar cane.
The Florida Restaurant, a little spot tucked away in the mountains that offers great coffee and fresh sugar cane.
The Florida Restaurant
The Florida Restaurant
Zip lining in the mountains, tons of fun!
Zip lining in the mountains, tons of fun!
Incredible views while zip lining.
Incredible views while zip lining.
Obligatory selfie while waiting my turn for the zip line.
Obligatory selfie while waiting my turn for the zip line.
The sun sets on a wonderful day and makes way for a fun night.
The sun sets on a wonderful day and makes way for a fun night.

A Brief Visit to L.A.

When I traveled to China with my Grandfather in 2015, we first flew Los Angeles and spent a day there waiting for our flight overseas. We had a little bit of downtime, and my cousin Kenneth happened to be living in L.A. at the time so he took us to check out some of the obligatory tourist spots like Venice Beach and the Walk of Fame. We also stopped by Proud Bird, a restaurant near the airport adorned with vintage airplanes. It was a fun visit, we managed to pack in a lot in a few short hours. Here are a few pics!

Venice Beach, as good a starting point as any for a first time L.A. tourist.
Venice Beach, as good a starting point as any for a first time L.A. tourist.
A bit of graffiti art at Venice beach.
A bit of graffiti art at Venice beach.
Performers at Venice Beach.
Performers at Venice Beach.
Wall art at Venice Beach.
Wall art at Venice Beach.
Mel Brooks, what a joker.
Mel Brooks, what a joker.
Michael Jackson, he was larger than life when I was a kid.
Michael Jackson, he was larger than life when I was a kid.
The Marx Brothers!
The Marx Brothers!
Bruce Lee, the quintessential martial arts action star.
Bruce Lee, the quintessential martial arts action star.
And another quintessential action star who happens to be named Bruce.
And another quintessential action star who happens to be named Bruce.
Stopping by the Proud Bird to grab a bite and check out some airplanes.
Stopping by the Proud Bird to grab a bite and check out some airplanes.
Bell X-1 on display at Proud Bird, this was the first plane to break the sound barrier.
Bell X-1 on display at Proud Bird, this was the first plane to break the sound barrier.
Old school aircraft on display at Proud Bird, with the airport in the background.
Old school aircraft on display at Proud Bird, with the airport in the background.

Dusting Off the Ol’ Blog

Wow, it’s been nearly 4 years since I’ve posted to this blog! Never did follow up on my Costa Rica post. Oops! Got caught up dealing with life. It happens.

But I think it’s time to dust this blog off and give it some new purpose. I’ve got a few software projects in the works that I’m going to want to blog about, and I would also like shift to using something that belongs to me as my main personal outlet on the internet.

So I’m going to add a few categories, re-organize the posts, and start writing here more frequently. Also make some minor improvements like adding Recaptcha to the comment form – I’ve had a couple hundred spam comments pile up since I last checked in, lol.

Hopefully I’ll actually keep up with it this time around 🙂 Viva la blog!

Slacking on the Costa Rica Posts

I’m at the end of my 3rd day in Costa Rica and it’s been a blast. Too busy having fun to keep a running log, so I’ll probably just end up with one long blog post and a ton of pictures at the end of this trip 🙂

A quick recap, we spent 2 days in Manual Antonio. Went white water rafting, sky diving, got a nice massage, ate at some nice places and had a bit too much to drink (not in that order). It’s been great, here’s a random shot from the rafting adventure. I’m the white guy on the right who looks like he’s taking it too seriously – I was having fun, I swear!
rafting

Patent Art Prints & More Travel to Come!

Finally time to post something on here that isn’t about China 🙂 I’ll be going to Costa Rica in 2 weeks with a couple of friends and figure I might as well blog it up while I’m there. It’s going to be 8 days of adventure packed travel and debauchery! We’ve got sky diving, ziplining, white water rafting, horseback riding and more on the itinerary and there is bound to be a plenty of drinks and shenanigans in between. It’s gonna be great 😎

On an unrelated note, I’ve started a fun new business selling patent art! It’s called Patent Earth. So far I’ve got a modest but rapidly growing selection of awesome patent art prints, a lot of them from the 1800’s and early 1900’s, and each one is available as posters, framed prints, canvas prints and t-shirts. I’ve ordered several samples and they’re all awesome. Patent art is just plain cool, and it’s a lot of fun to just peruse patents looking for cool stuff. And I’ve managed to automate a lot of the work involved, so I’m pretty confident that within a few months I’ll have the biggest selection of patent art on the web! I’m pretty excited about it. Here’s a picture of me showing off one of my favorite prints:

Me with an 1800's bicycle patent art print from Patent Earth
Me with an 1800’s bicycle patent art print from Patent Earth

You can check out the website at https://www.patentearth.com/ and I’m also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest if you’re into any of those things.

That’s it for now. Tales from Costa Rica to come!

The Picture Post!

A picture is worth a thousand words, and I took at least a thousand pictures during my trip to China. Here are some of the good ones – more to come!

Street Shots in Central Beijing
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
Central Beijing before the Parade
CCTV building in Beijing
CCTV building in Beijing
Buildings in Beijing
Buildings in Beijing
Graffiti in Beijing
Graffiti in Beijing
Buildings in Beijing
Buildings in Beijing
Misc Beijing Photos
Buffet area in the Grand Hyatt
Buffet area in the Grand Hyatt
Dining area in the Grand Hyatt
Dining area in the Grand Hyatt
Preparing for the CCTV "Crossover" interview
Preparing for the CCTV “Crossover” interview
Crossover interview in progress.
Crossover interview in progress.
Crossover interview in progress.
Crossover interview in progress.
Group Photo after the Interview
Group Photo after the Interview
CCTV control room.
CCTV control room.
The Veterans receiving medals.
The Veterans receiving medals.
The view from my Grand Hyatt hotel room.
The view from my Grand Hyatt hotel room.
The view from my room at the Grand Hyatt on the morning of September 3rd.
The view from my room at the Grand Hyatt on the morning of September 3rd.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Forbidden City before the parade.
Stairway in the Forbidden City.
Stairway in the Forbidden City.
September 3rd Military Parade
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
View from Forbidden City before the parade.
View from Forbidden City before the parade.
Obligatory selfie before the parade.
Obligatory selfie before the parade.
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
View towards Tianenmen Square before the parade.
My Grandfather & I before the parade.
My Grandfather & I before the parade.
Having tea before the parade.
Having tea before the parade.
Units from different countries marching in the parade.
Units from different countries marching in the parade.
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September 3rd Anniversary Banquet
Banquet at the Great Hall of the People
Banquet at the Great Hall of the People
Banquet at the Great Hall of the People
Banquet at the Great Hall of the People
Super fancy ceiling in the Great Hall of the People
Super fancy ceiling in the Great Hall of the People
President Xi Jinping giving his speech
President Xi Jinping giving his speech
First Course at the Banquet.
First Course at the Banquet.
This is the closest I got to getting a photo of Presidents Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin
This is the closest I got to getting a photo of Presidents Xi Jinping & Vladimir Putin
Kunming
We were each given a Chinese bible during the church service.
We were each given a Chinese bible during the church service.
Church service in Kunming
Church service in Kunming
Church service in Kunming
Church service in Kunming
Another shot of the restaurant.
Another shot of the restaurant.
Dinner after the museum.
Dinner after the museum.
Press conference at the museum.
Press conference at the museum.
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A map showing the "hump" route.
A map showing the “hump” route.
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Flying Tigers patch
Flying Tigers patch
Original flying tigers jacket & uniform donated to the museum.
Original flying tigers jacket & uniform donated to the museum.
J.V. Vinyard posing next to his war time photo.
J.V. Vinyard posing next to his war time photo.
J.V. Vinyard's picture during WW2.
J.V. Vinyard’s picture during WW2.
Legend of the Flying Tigers.
Legend of the Flying Tigers.
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J.V. Vinyard signing t-shirts at the museum.
J.V. Vinyard signing t-shirts at the museum.
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A view from other side of the photo op
A view from other side of the photo op
Photo op at the museum
Photo op at the museum
Arriving at the Kunming Museum
Arriving at the Kunming Museum
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Tea Menu
Tea Menu
Heros Return
Heros Return
First event in Kuming
First event in Kuming
View from my hotel room in Kunming.
View from my hotel room in Kunming.
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There is no escaping Walmart
There is no escaping Walmart
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Banquet for the Honorary Citizenship ceremony.
Banquet for the Honorary Citizenship ceremony.
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New honorary citizens of Kunming
New honorary citizens of Kunming
One of the courses during the banquet
One of the courses during the banquet
One of the courses during the banquet
One of the courses during the banquet
One of the courses during the banquet
One of the courses during the banquet
Singing performance during the banquet
Singing performance during the banquet
Girls representing difference local ethnic groups.
Girls representing difference local ethnic groups.
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Green Lake as seen from the Green Lake Hotel
Green Lake as seen from the Green Lake Hotel
Baoshan, Mountain Country Side & The Huitong Bridge
A warm welcome at the airport in Baoshan
A warm welcome at the airport in Baoshan
A warm welcome at the airport in Baoshan
A warm welcome at the airport in Baoshan
Farms on the edge of Baoshan
Farms on the edge of Baoshan
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A small town on the way to the Huitong bridge
A small town on the way to the Huitong bridge
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Oxen grazing the country side
Oxen grazing the country side
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The Nuijang River.
The Nuijang River.
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Cell phone tower in the mountains
Cell phone tower in the mountains
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Curious locals
Curious locals
The Nuijang River
The Nuijang River
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Before the speeches at the Huitong Bridge
Before the speeches at the Huitong Bridge
Breaking ground at the new WW2 Museum at the Huitong Bridge
Breaking ground at the new WW2 Museum at the Huitong Bridge
Visiting Yo Wan
Visiting Yo Wan
Book Signin in Yo Wan
Book Signing in Yo Wan
Dali
On the road to Dali
On the road to Dali
On the road to Dali
On the road to Dali
At a rest stop on the road to Dali
At a rest stop on the road to Dali
Spiders abound at the rest stop
Spiders abound at the rest stop
On the road to Dali
On the road to Dali
A small shrine looking structure just before entering Dali
A small shrine looking structure just before entering Dali
Arriving in Dali
Arriving in Dali
Arriving in Dali
Arriving in Dali
A lot of the buildings in Old Dali are several hundred years old.
A lot of the buildings in Old Dali are several hundred years old.
History & layout of the Landscape Hotel in Old Dali
History & layout of the Landscape Hotel in Old Dali
Being welcomed by a member of the local government.
Being welcomed by a member of the local government.
The entrance to Foreigner Street
The entrance to Foreigner Street
Apparently they've had some confusion about this... spotted in a cafe in Old Dali
Apparently they’ve had some confusion about this… spotted in a cafe in Old Dali
The Landscape Hotel gets it's name from it's ornate landscaping. It was an awesome place to stay.
The Landscape Hotel gets it’s name from it’s ornate landscaping. It was an awesome place to stay.
The Lanscape Hotel also has a large library available to it's guests. Very cool.
The Lanscape Hotel also has a large library available to it’s guests. Very cool.
The Landscape Hotel's buildings are several hundred years old. The architecture was amazing.
The Landscape Hotel’s buildings are several hundred years old. The architecture was amazing.
Landscape Hotel.
Landscape Hotel.
Koi pond at the Landscape Hotel.
Koi pond at the Landscape Hotel.
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
Landscape Hotel
A random room with a bunch of Mao busts...
A random room with a bunch of Mao busts…
Touring a cigarette factory in Dali
Touring a cigarette factory in Dali
Machines working away at the cigarette factory
Machines working away at the cigarette factory
Another day, another banquet :)
Another day, another banquet 🙂
Giant vases in the lobby of the cigarette factory
Giant vases in the lobby of the cigarette factory
Touring a tea factory's museum in Dali
Touring a tea factory’s museum in Dali
Receiving a gift from the Tea Company
Receiving a gift from the Tea Company
A view of the mountains from the tea museum
A view of the mountains from the tea museum
Dali has big plans for the future
Dali has big plans for the future
The future city of Dali
The future city of Dali
The beautiful Erhai Lake in Dali
The beautiful Erhai Lake in Dali
A big ass boat on lake Erhai
A big ass boat on lake Erhai
Erhai Lake
Erhai Lake

Home Sweet Home

I’ve been home for a couple of days now, and finally have gotten the lasts posts I’d started a few days ago finished and posted. I also put together a social website where members of our group can get together, discuss the trip and share their pictures & videos – that site can be found at http://vj70china.com

The flight from Beijing to Dallas wasn’t bad for a 13 hour trip. From there it was another 1 hour flight to Austin, where I arrived just after 9pm. I spent an hour or so visiting with my family (they live just down the road from me) before returning home.

Walking into my own house after 2 weeks away was interesting, it was almost as if I was seeing it for the first time. I guess those 2 weeks of being a stranger in a strange land just had me looking at everything as though it were new. I finally got to sleep at about 2:30am the next morning, I slept until 3pm. It’s taken me a couple of days to correct my sleep schedule.

Now that it’s all said and done, I’m very glad I went on this trip and I’m glad to be back home. I’ve been going through the 1000+ photos I took gradually and some time soon, I will post a whole lot of them here.

Homeward Bound

I woke up feeling ill in Dali. I think it was something I ate the night before; so traveling back to Kunming was not a great experience for me. First there was nearly an hour long bus ride to the airport in Kunming, then the actual flight back to Kunming. I was actually feeling better by the time I got on the plane and feeling better still when I got off the plane, but the bus ride to our hotel in Kunming brought all the nausea back and I rushed up to my room as soon as I got the key card.

There were some more activities and meals that night but I skipped on them, staying in my hotel room to recover. I finally felt better later in the evening and went downstairs to have some hot tea and wait for everyone to get back. A few others joined me who had also decided to skip out on the days activities, so we just sat around chatting for a bit.

At this point, a few Chinese walk up to us and ask if we know David Hayward who is one of the veterans. As it so happens, his granddaughter was among our little group. It turns out this one of the Chinese group’s father used to work directly with David Hayward during the war – they had seen him mentioned in the local news paper and came to the hotel in hopes of reaching him. It was really very cool, and made for a nice unexpected reunion when everybody else finally returned.

There was another unexpected surprise too – a rather unwelcome one. Due to a funding shortage, we had purchase our own airplane tickets back to Beijing. It was $168, pretty cheap as far as airfare goes but still a very unpleasant surprise. I hadn’t spent much money on the trip so I was able to cover it, but at that point I was looking forward to returning home with a couple hundred bucks left in my pocket and now that was reduced to about $30.

Oh well, shit happens. I paid, because it was either that or be stuck in Kunming, and the next night we woke up early again and headed to the airport to go back to Beijing.

Got a nice shot of Erhai Lake on the way out of Dali
Got a nice shot of Erhai Lake on the way out of Dali

This time we just stayed in a basic airport hotel in Beijing so that we wouldn’t have to deal with traffic on the way to catching the final flight. We still got to deal with tons of really bad traffic that night though when we headed out to dinner – it took us a solid 2 hours to get to the place, which supposedly has some of the best Peking Duck in all of Beijing. It was an upstairs restaurant with no elevator or handicap access, which was a problem with our group that included several guys in wheelchairs. They ended up moving a bunch of tables down to serve us, and finally we ate along with some guys from a local veterans group including some who apparently had a long history with the guys in our group.

It was a good meal – the duck was definitely good – but I think most of us would have settled for something less to not have to spend all that time on the bus. Oh well. We headed back to the hotel, got some sleep and the next morning went to the Beijing airport to fly back to America. It had been an amazing but exhausting journey across China, and we were all happy to be headed home.