trip to Zhengzhou

Today, I went with the Ben, Ben and Malory to Zhenzhou- The provincial capital and biggest city. The purpose of our venture was to find a foreign food import store and pick up a few comforts of home. We found three (3) such stores but didn't end up buying too much... We went to the city without a shopping list and we came back with only: Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, BBQ sauce and lime juice... I had wanted to buy a big jar of peanut butter and the Ben and Mal wanted to buy some cereal... I was unable to find the peanut butter and the cereal was grossly overpriced at about 36 RMB (about 6 USD) (mind you we get a hot egg breakfast for 3 RMB) So they decided that they would just live without the cereal. As for me and the peanut butter, I think I can wait til Santa sends me a present this year (hint hint mother)!
Although the trip in itself was not incredibly successful and quite long (we left campus as 7:30 AM and didn't get back til about 6:30), I did manage to bring the iPod along and snap a few pictures for the enjoyment of my followers... Here they are:

A large banking building near the bus stop at arrival

One of countless apartment grids in the massive city.. Both Zhengzhou and Kaifeng are building rapidly as money starts to come into central provinces...

A nifty drum statue in a park near the bus station

River/ Canal running through the outskirts of the city

A closer view of the apartment grid: I counted 31 stories on the highest one

A park inside a Zhengzhou Campus

Spelled wrong: Olive tree RENTASRANT

and spelled wrong DIFFERENTLY!!: RESTAURAUT  

a SMALL bike and moped parking lot near the center of town

Inside the McDonald's in the center of town. (I tried a bacon chicken burger... Chicken good, Bacon bad)

freshly minted SEQUENTIAL bills!!! (given as change at Mc D's) ever seen this before?

square in front of Mc'D's

again

a large park near the city center