5 October

Yet another very interesting day.
After setting the alarm for 0630, I finally got up after 0700 and was down for breakfast about 0745. Here the table I chose to sit at was occupied by a couple from near Stoke-on-Trent, a place I visited when in England in 1980 (there is a canal museum near there). We chatted about travel (mainly with them interrogating me firstly about my trip and then what to see in Australia – because of the detailed description I gave them, they thought I must be a travel writer) and then they left. Another family came in and sat at the next table (with Australian accents) and they were from Yackandandah – the husband thought he recognised me but we couldn’t find any points in common.
I left ant then packed slowly, making sure I missed nothing and not heading out too early (mistake!). After clearing the room I went down and checked out, leaving the laptop, backpack and camera bag at the desk, so I wouldn’t have to carry them (good move) – I also left the vest with all the additional material as well (very good move!).
I headed out and found an ATM very close to the hotel and got the money out that I needed. Then I headed north along a main road, looking at all around me (so there is the odd photo as I walked along). The information signs didn’t help at all, so it wasn’t until I crossed the moat that I was sure where I was. Then I looked for landmarks but couldn’t see any, so headed in the direction I knew I should be going through alleys. Here some parents sitting outside sent their daughter up to say hello to me, she asked my name and told me hers was Gogo. There must be something about repeating names of Chinese for Europeans to understand as my guide here is Lulu. So after a bit of laughter and gesticulation I was off. At the corner, a mother with a young child (bare-bottomed, as seems to be the custom) tried to get him to wave to me, but he went all shy and turned his face away.
My path then took me along other small streets where people were out in force (it’s Sunday morning, but of little significance to them) and I eventually ended up first in the fruit and veg market, then the meat market and finally the fish market. The number of crab escapees was enormous, as flattened bodies on the pathway attested. I ended up coming out of there into a park, where I ran into a New Zealand couple (just about to fly out) who topped my stories by being an English assignment for a whole class on the beachside. They headed off and so did I, eventually finding my way to the Bell Tower and going up to have a look at it, the display inside and the vie from each level. Then I headed off to the Drum Tower, where again I got grabbed to be photographed with a girl by her boyfriend. I returned this by getting the three of them together. Then I headed diagonally opposite to have some lunch (about 1500 by now) and then headed south. I found my way to the Little Wild Goose Pagoda, which is inside a museum, so I had to enter the museum grounds to get there. Then there were 15 flights of steps (which fortunately got fewer the higher I went) but it was still hot work. By the time I finished there, it was 1630, I was very warm and I walked back to the hotel. I relied on the GPS but was very tempted to get a motorbike taxi back – but seeing life around me was too good to miss out on.
I found myself back in the Square, but while climbing the stairs out of the underpass an young couple interrogated me on how old I was, and then the boy offered me a cigarette, which naturally I declined. By this time I was too out of breath anyway. Then in the park, while walking past the water fountain area (they only run for the displays) I got grabbed by another lot (three boys this time) to pose with each. I got back to the hotel by 1800, well before the 1830 rendezvous time. By the time I had been to the toilet (for some reason, squats don’t appeal to me), got my laptop and was on the way to getting the rest, Lulu had arrived (with my train ticket). Within a few minutes we were off, but because we were early, we detoured via a South Lake park (not South Park Lake – no Kenny here!) and saw the lake and the market around it – mainly stones and gems. Then it was off to the station, saying goodbye to the driver at the car and Lulu at the entry to the “soft lounge”. Inside there, almost immediately a tour guide with a group said the train was boarding. After getting a drink I headed off to Carriage 1, as on the ticket. No, said the attendant, you must go to Carriage 15. Down to the other end of the train I dutifully went, to the amazement of the train supervisor who had sent me to the front. No, said the attendant, you must go to Carriage 7. By this time the eyes on the supervisor were out on stalks. I got to Carriage 7 – yes, said the attendant, you are in Carriage 8! Down I went to Berth 1 and went to settle in, only to find the woman who I would have been sharing with had a husband who was down in Berth 12. I swapped with him, carried all my stuff down (including the power board charging the camera batteries). I settled in there, wondering who would be my companion for the night. I had a brief chat with someone who worked for a US company in Xi’an and Beijing, and then along came a fellow who settled into Berth 11. He lives in Xi’an and is off to Beijing, but speaks no English. After I had copied and processed my photos for today, I showed him the video I had made last night (I can’t post that, it’s too large, so that will most likely come on a Christmas DVD) and then some pictures of Australia. After that, he had his dinner, I wrote my blog, he watched TV (there are TVs for each berth, plus a full-sized aircraft-type toilet in each double compartment (haven’t seen a shower yet), I charged the laptop and swapped the batteries and then changed for bed. I put the electrical equipment away before I went to bed (too busy in the morning otherwise).