Traffic Jams and Crazy Driving!

Jeff in our first Chinese Traffic Jam! (more pictures to come when I steal them from Jeff)
But somethings to know about Chinese Traffic Jams:
1. all men must get out of their cars, walk around, talk, and grumble
2. they last FOREVER
3. it is perfectly acceptable to stop your car anywhere on the road, one need not be in a lane!
4. scary sworms of bees flock to big scary trucks so beware (we thought at first they were mosquitos, then flies, then we realized they were bees!)


Now this picture does not truly do chinese driving justice...i did not zoom for this picture but what i was trying to capture was the unbelievable closeness of this honking truck! Also...we were driving in the breakdown lane probably going like 50mph...totally acceptable when driving on the chinese interstate. also acceptable:
1. weaving in and out without using your turning signal, all that is needed is constant beeping
2. driving in blocked off construction lanes
3. making your own lane between two vehicles driving in two lanes (even when those vehicles are huge trucks
4. driving in breakdown lane/construction area in order to cut off a huge line of backed up traffic waiting for a toll booth.

Also, a little info on the "Chinese Truck Stop"....
1. it looks like an American truck stop
2. instead of McDs or Burger King they have Dim Sum
3. Dim Sum sounds like fun but really it is HELL! haha
4. think buffet line but with no rhyme or reason to the line! people just push and cut and there are like 5 spoons that no one will share with you! it was completely scary and i am not aggressive enough for it! but in th end i sucked it up, grabbed a spoon and managed to get enough food...what food? i have no idea but it actually wasn't that bad, and my tummy didn't object later so that's all that matters!

In short: the drive from Beijing to Qufu was probably one of the scariest events of my life...but also pretty interesting! and we made it fine, so it's all good! what an introduction to China!!!