This episode of Whistlestop travels back to February 1972, when President Nixon abandoned a much-needed shower in order to rush off and meet Chairman Mao for the first time.Whistlestop is Slate's podcast about presidential history. Hosted by Political Gabfest host John Dickerson, each installment will revisit memorable moments from America's presidential carnival.Love Slate podcasts? Listen longer with Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, ad-free versions, exclusive podcasts and more. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/podcastplus. Email: [email protected] production by Jocelyn Frank. Research by Brian Rosenwald.