Day -1

I landed in Beijing at 4:50 this morning, waited forever in immigration, and hopped on the express train out of the airport. Most people immediately get a taxi, but Rui instructed me to get the train because it was cheaper and for the "experience". The local Chinese looked rather surprised to find a "round eye" on the train and gave me rather long looks; otherwise, it was a perfectly normal light-rail train. The taxi from the train station to the hotel was uneventful, but long in the morning traffic.

The Shangri-La hotel is a legit 5-star hotel that is beautiful. It serves as the home base for the rally for the first few days before we get started. I was directed to the big ballroom where breakfast was being served where I found my dad's navigator, Gernald. After an hour, my navigator, Robert, came in, shortly followed by my dad. We mingled with the other participants before moving off and dealing with hotel rooms. We were all discovering neat little tidbits of China like how google.com and blogspot.com were censored!

At noon, all of the participants met in a different ballroom for a briefing by a traffic officer regarding driving in China. It was a fluff piece that pushed the ideals of "harmonious traffic flow". Then we got our Chinese driver's licenses and were herded on to buses to go pick up our cars. Of course, the bus driver got lost but a bus-load of navigators armed with GPS devices set him in the correct direction. We were taken down to some warehouses and found our cars packed in like sardines. Once reunited with our beloved cars, smiles were shared by all around. My car started up instantly and we started our first test of navigation: getting back to the hotel. But first we had to fill up the gas tank. It was a hilarious mob scene at the first gas station as countless vintage cars jammed up the place. The local attendants worked furiously to service everyone as fast as possible.

Dad and Gernald followed us as Robert navigated our way back to the hotel without incident. As we drove through the streets, the locals were watching in awe; often with cameras. All of the cars were directed into numbered parking spaces and everyone began inspecting their cars. Most everyone seemed pleased and an easy camaraderie spread among the participants. I checked the tire pressure, oil blow-by filter, oil level, and everything was correct. Everyone was milling about for a time enjoying the tell of their cars' stories. This was when people started having fun.

After a few drinks, dad suggested we find some taxis and get genuine Peking Duck at a fine restaurant across town. I was very excited to have real duck in Beijing and I was not disappointed. This stuff was legit. In China, duck is important enough that each duck carries a unique serial number that is delivered to the customer in the form of a Commemoration Card". This serial number can be used to trace the life of that particular duck. The skin was incredibly light and slightly crispy. The meat was eaten mushu style. I stuffed myself silly along with some veggies and Chinese beer.

Tomorrow is the all-important "scrutineering" where our cars are inspected against the regulations. Any infractions must be corrected or the car will not be allowed to run.