We are now ensconsed in a very nice hotel in  Pinyao- a UNESCO World Heritage site that is a town preserved from the Ming and  Qing dynasties ( fifteenth to nineteeth centuries). It is absolutely beautiful
> and is the location of the first bank in China.  We are now trying to get a little rest before we do a little shopping,  have dinner and go to the Chinese opera. We all ” hit the wall” today actually on the wall of this ancient town, mostly because we took the overnight train to  get here last night, and although many of us slept, it still was not a lot. The 
train was truly an experience- we were six people to a berth, only two of us  from our group in each berth. The Chinese were very friendly and the scenery  before night fell was spectacular. Beijing is ringed by mountains, but because  of the smog, you can’t see the mountains from the city. We passed through many  tunnels as we made our way to Pingyao. And the countryside is very green- we  passed farmers with their donkeys and herds of goats.

 It is still very hot- not  a lot of shade and we’re all drinking water like crazy- and trying to practice  our Chinese. Our meals are always full of surprises too- breakfast ( marinated  eggs) and lunch ( fried bananas) so far today.