Sunday, October 19, 2008

Escaping Mongolia

From Susan 10/17/08

We’re going back to China! SPOT was a dud in Mongolia, perhaps due to the dearth of commercial low elevation satellites. I dashed off a few text messages before losing a cell phone signal. It’s snowing; so glad I got away being the hothouse flower that I am. Visibility limits landscape photography. We saw our art dealer friend from the inbound train and shared our nature pictures. Americans living in China must leave the country and secure a new visa every 60 days, so it’s a good excuse for a mini holiday.

This is a Chinese staffed train with Russian interior markings.. Nicer paneling, macadassers, fleur de lis carpet, no cool magazine. Oddly we share a shower with the adjacent compartment. The toilet is at the end of the carriage, more like a ship’s head. Kindly, toilet paper is provided, but we’ll see how long that lasts ( 10 hr). The porters are young men and they don’t futz with us. I told them we are getting off at Datong. They try to tell me my ticket is to Beijing, but seem to be impressed that we want to de-train. Chinese know about the 400 years of history there, but Brits and Americans blank; if it's not in the Lonely Planet guide,they don't plan to visit. We fill our own hot water flask from an archaic boiler.

I buy another rock in Choir and discuss George Bush with some Brits. Train food is appreciably better than the northern train, lettuce salad, beets, corn schnitzel cheese, both potatoes and rice.

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