Best Business Idea Ever

Jess decided to go check out the Summer Palace, a retreat for old emperors of China to the northwest of Beijing. He so enjoyed our scrape with no money the previous day he set out to the Silk Market, purchased a lot of goods to take back with him to Mongolia, leaving himself only 65 cents to make it back to my hotel. It can be done, but you have to be very careful which train ticket you buy, and I’m still mystified as to how he communicated that he wanted the combo ticket. Had he not, he would have been walking back to the hotel.

So now it’s Thursday night, and my brothers last night. He flies out in the morning, so we decided we needed to go out. He had been suggesting throughout the trip that he wanted to go eat American food. I kept scoffing at this, having only been here a few days and wanting to try all the Chinese food I could. I then started thinking that he had been away for almost a year, so I’d cut him some slack.

We went to an Outback steakhouse where he got to load up on so many American foods and drinks he had been missing. Chicken is very rare in Mongolia, as is cheese. We drank and ate good food (at American prices). The place was filled with foreigners too, not a single Chinese.

We drank plenty then moved on to what is probably the best business idea in the history of the world. I still am not doing it justice with that statement. Surrounded by bars is a bar / archery range, open till late (we got there after 11 and stayed for over an hour). We shot arrows at targets, and chatted. They sold beer and catered to the drunk crowds coming out of the bars. When I get back, (you still reading Robert ;) ?), I will have to quit Microsoft and open up my own bar / archery range. The only trick will be getting someone to insure it…

We shot arrows till about 12:30 then headed back. Wow was that fun. Drunken archery.

The next morning my brother left for Mongolia again. It was a very fun week with him around, and I can’t wait till I have time to go up to Mongolia to go visit him.