Train Travel, Chinese-style

There we were, soaking wet with sweat, crammed into a tiny compartment -- we just sat there stunned for a minute. But at least we were in air-conditioning and had a bathroom... AND we had some peace and quiet. We had to figure out how to stow these two huge American suitcases and decide who was going to climb into the top bunk. Easy - Leanne volunteered. What a trooper. Up she went and we tried to settle down and go to sleep.

But then we decided to blog the adventure and laughed so hard that we hurt. When we finished writing the blog, the clack-clack-clack of the train put Patti right to sleep. That, and the 2 Advil PM tablets she took.

The night was uneventful. We woke up when the train made a stop and couldn't go back to sleep, so we needed coffee. We saw people going by with food and thought there might be a dining car somewhere. It took Leanne two trips to the next car, but she finally located the kitchen. Getting breakfast and coffee was as easy as pointing at the food on the kitchen counter. Bad coffee. Really, really bad coffee. Way too strong instant coffee in a paper cup. Tasted like mud. But breakfast was good - boiled egg, vegetables and a steamed bun. Typical Chinese breakfast.

We were getting ready to get off the train in Beijing when a toothless guy looks in the window and points at our bags. After the fiasco the night before, we decided it would be wise to let him carry our bags. What we didn't realize was that he was going  to carry them at 50 miles an hour. Pushing one in front, and pulling one behind him, he took off through the train station -- walking so fast that even Leanne had a hard time keeping up. He took us to a taxi stand and we loaded up for the trip to the CNCC Grand Hotel.

It was a long taxi ride and when we got close, we realized the taxi driver wasn't sure where the hotel was. Two U-turns and one stop for directions later, we arrive at our hotel -- gorgeous hotel. Finally! After a week of travelling we could unpack our suitcases and put our clothes in drawers and send our laundry out. What they say about Chinese laundries is true - they did a great job.

We registered for the conference, ate a very civilized dinner in the hotel and collapsed for a  while.

Opening ceremony for ISME

Later that night, we went to the ISME opening ceremonies which were hosted by the Chinese and it was fabulous - 14 performing groups in a multimedia presentation that traced the music through several centuries along the Silk Road. Patti kept seeing a man that reminded her of one of her professors at UGA - an elderly man in a walker -- of course it couldn't possibly be him, but it was!

We left the concert and went back to our room and went to sleep.

After the first crazy week, this was a semi-normal, sane day. And it was pretty nice.