Bob and Ann in Elder Hostel China Odyssey 2004

The train was late but we were allowed to wait in a comfortable VIP lounge until boarding our hard sleeper car. Our car was sublet from the train crew who slept there at night and left the bunks/seats for our day trip. We shared a nook with Linda and Jon Perlmutter and except for Ann’s short nap on the bunk we gabbed most of our 12 hour ride which included lunch and dinner in the dining car. To reach the dining car we had to run the gauntlet through 6 hard sleeper cars full of Chinese families traveling and socializing in the aisles, followed by 2 first class soft sleepers. All were congenial and patient as we trekked back and forth. We breathed lovely fresh air and saw the stars as we left the train to find the Hotal Guo Tai which had hung a banner over the entrance welcoming Elder Hostel. Our small but clean room had a bowed window overlooking the street and offering hilly views of what we would see tomorrow.

Please visit today's slide show.