Finding Wal-Mart and McDonalds in China

Mom and I decided to try and find the nearest Wal-Mart to buy a stroller for Tate.  This is a big deal since we don't have our guide today and we can't just ask for directions.  Not to mention, most of the street signs in this city don't have the pinyin (chinese characters transcribed into the roman alphabet) on them, only characters.  So, I did some quick research online and drew myself a map.  We packed up Tate and struck out, brave and hopeful.

Good bye hotel!

I hope we see you again!

There's always something interesting to see on the streets in China.

Split pants.

You can buy food off a bicycle.

Wal-Mart!

Amazingly, we found it.  Easily.

These two ladies helped us find a stroller, helped us purchase it, and even put it together.  Now that's customer service!

Next, we browsed the food section.  This is where Wal-Mart gets so strange.  There are lots of open vats of food that is unrecognizable.

Frozen foods.  Couldn't tell what they were.

More open containers of meats and stuff.

I think these guys are tied up because they are still alive.

The deli.

A fabulous selection of sea weed.

And don't forget your seaweed flavored Pringles!

After Wal-Mart, we found a McDonalds.

We walked in and stared up at the menu.  "How are we going to order?" I said, looking at Mom.  The cashier dug out a laminated paper menu with pictures on it.  Oh good.  Hmmm... can't eat any of the sandwiches because we don't know how to ask them not to put lettuce on it.... (lettuce=poop, remember?) No chicken fingers on the menu....well, I guess we will have the roasted chicken wings and french fries.  Tate can have some nuggets (which are very similar to the compressed yucky things McDonalds offers stateside). We pointed and gestured.  It worked!

Tate got to eat his first American food.  If you can call it that.  The french fries had an odd sea weed after-taste. 

Sigh.

I'd say the outing was a success though.  We found Wal-Mart, got a stroller AND even made it back to the hotel.  Yay!  Go Us!