China Day 4

We had a free morning today before catching a train to Datong so we spent most of the time walking the streets of Beijing taking in the culture and shopping for a few souvenirs. First Dad and I went out to the Starbucks for coffee mugs (we collect them) then we went to a Chinese pharmacy for something for Mom’s stomach (and she didn’t even try the scorpion!). That was a neat experience, down the stairs, duck through the doorway to a subterranean room filled with herbal medicines. (In boxes, not like a witch doctor!) Then we went to a tea shop to buy some real Chinese tea. Then we picked up the kids and Stevie before heading down to the pedestrian-only shopping street full of pricey stores, McDonalds and craft markets. I found an awesome bookstore full of English books, but was dragged away for fear we’d be late for the train.

The Chinese department store opening in the morning.  The workers in their uniforms bowing to the customers!  Let's see Macy's do that!

Walk up window at the McDonald's for coffee.

Parking lot for bikes!

Going down to the pharmacy...

Selecting tea at the tea shop.

The train. There’s an interesting story. All of a sudden our 4-star vacation turned 1-star, but only because Chinese railroad cars are old and small and smokey smelling. But we quickly discovered that the “soft sleeper” cabins that we were in were the height of luxury compared to the hard sleepers (looked like submarine bunks stacked together like sardines) or the soft seats (squeezed together like a fat lady in a girdle) or the hard seats (where the people traveled with their chickens). So we sat back and enjoyed the ride and supped on gin and green tea (left over from the night before’s cocktail hour!)

In our one of our soft sleeper cars!

Medicating with gin and green tea (our only mixer).

 There is some beautiful land just west of Beijing with stunning mountains and rivers and that was a treat to see pass by our windows.

Beautiful landscape captured from inside a very dirty, fast moving train.

When the light faded outside, I enjoyed a pleasant conversation in French with our bunk-mate who was from Toulouse. Haven’t done that in 20 years! Fancy that, an American living in Japan speaking French in China to a Vietnamese woman who lives in France. We arrived in Datong about 9:45 at night and was picked up by our guide and taken to the hotel. The only part of Datong we were really able to see was the city wall, recently restored and beautifully lit up at night. Unfortunately the pictures were taken from inside a moving van so don’t do it justice!



The Datong city wall (from inside the van).