Left the hotel at 06:00 and a 10 minute walk to the train station was – 10 C not too cold. Went through ticket check, security and then found our waiting room. Got on to the train and there was only 6 other people in our carriage with us. But we stopped numerous times on the way to Beijing and it filled up. The 5 hour plus journey, unfortunately, we passed by some coal powered electricity stations and did not see any clear skies just this haze, not good for the environment.
It appears a lot of the farmers do their hay making in winter time, it makes sense it is dry no rain. Again every city we pass through I wonder what is the major employers, so many restaurants do they all make a profit and do the small one man business how much do they make in a day or a week. Accommodation varies from luxurious to run down looking apartments, then there is the farmers little houses I wounder how warm are they to live in as they look very run down?
Got to Beijing have a 2 hour wait for the next train, I go and get my bag I left behind at the Howard Johnson Hotel. Meet up with Penny and she has some KFC before we go through the process of getting the next train. The platform we are departing from waiting room is packed and most people queue but when it is time to proceed it is more like a stampede. Found our carriage and we have a 4 berth soft sleeper Penny given the bottom bunk and me the top on and 2 young Chinese guys in the other bunks and they speak a little English. It is a slow train to Datong going through a lot of tunnels and 5 stop offs on the way. I got speaking to a young Chinese guy he went to college in Adelaide and now is at Melbourne university in Australia, he was home for Xmas holidays. He said he could not live in China after spending so much time in Aust. But he did not know what the future holds for him in Aust.
Get to Datong find the taxi rank and it is like a cowboy town where you want to go too, show them the address and then offered 40-50 yuan and I say too much use the meter which they probably don’t understand. After 15 offers a guy said he will do it for 20 yuan which is still high, but he did not have a meter any way. Found the hotel very quirky walking in to it it is like a museum with artifacts every where, very interesting. Lady receptionist speaks English which makes life so much easier. A compact room the toilet is an electric one Penny had to use it and it did everything for her, but you have to flush it manually. Been along day need a good sleep.
Maurice's Travel 