Well, it had to happen. I managed to keep the stomach jibbies away since we left on the run June 1, all the way to China. After reaching China and a nice hotel for a short rest and great food, about 3 hours from Beijing, flu-like symptons hit me in the night.

Leading up to this, the team ate a splendid buffet type meal of an assortment of Chinese foods e.i, tofu, rice, vegetables, pork, beef, chicken, lamb, mystery something, something, on and on. I pigged out after having eaten only sparsely for two days. Not my typical mode of eating but boy did it taste scrumptious. Afterward, I indulged in a foot massage held in a place next door to our hotel
restaurant. The place was dimly lit in pink where I felt I was holed up in a bottle of Pepto Bismol. They even had lounge chairs for us to relax in and t.v. playing Chinese oldie goldies. The foot massager and I tried to converse as much as possible. I told him I was the old fart of the team and liked music and asked if he knew "You Don't Have To Be A Star To Be In My Show". He didn't so I sang some of the lyrics. He still didn't recognize the tune but seemed to enjoy my
singing.

The next morning after throwing my guts up all night I drearily walked out to board the van to get ready to run. My mind was willing but my body said, "nope"!!! No way Jose'. Gotcha, finally!! You thought you were gonna show everyone you wouldn't catch the crud just because others in the team had or at the least let it stop you from running. WRONG BREWER!!! Hey, the body knows when it is time to stop and it stopped me cold. Doc Kevin, a saint, told me in no certain terms that he would have to immediately begin i.v's in me and no running for two days. Hey, I was not going to argue this time. I had gotten my way one other time in this regard but on that occasion I did not feel like I had been run over by a Mack truck.

I am better now after the rest. I ran yesterday in a hot ( Purple ? ) rain, in mud and muck amid truck after truck beeping for me to get outta the way heading out of Beijing. I can honestly say I got a little paranoid running in thick smog, pollution, posion, call it what you want. No blue sky in these parts. The saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" was a stretch for me in these parts and maybe "looking beyond the eye of the beholder' is a better way of putting it in terms of what I observed during our short time in China. There were attractive and unattractive elements. The cities are amazingly modern and litter clean. Some of the outskirts are mudholes, especially as we finished our run close to the Yellow Sea. There was a smell, an obnoxious, sickening smell in the air that still reeks in my clothing.

I know their are wonderful, amazingly beautiful areas of China. I will just have to put that on my wish list...maybe. All in all, the people, our guides, everyone involved in getting us through, have been great and I mean that sincerely. It has been one of the more frustrating tasks in terms of, for me, getting sick, but getting "lost in translation" at times.

We are in the Beijing airport ready to board for the flight to Japan to begin anew our run around the world. Hey, we now have run across Europe, Asia and soon a return to the U.S.A. and the final leg.

Ok, no more i.v.'s for the old man. I hope!!!!!

Glad to be back with you and peace and blessings to you and yours.
Each day a gift.

Lansing