Pingyao

The 11 hour train ride to Pingyao cost 39 yuan ($6.50). Soon I realised why - no attendants to mop the floor (they were too busy wrestling each other), no trays for rubbish, no air-con, half the lights and fans not working. But whatever. As usual, I got landed next to some smelly middle-aged men who weren't keen on a conversation. So I tried to sleep. After 6 hours of that exciting pastime, I moved to the adjacent carriage which had empty seats.

Dawn brought fields fogged over with pollution, a crimson sun and the occasional coal mine/power plant. The

train arrived on time. Some guy from a hotel found me, and after a little bargaining I got a bargain - 45 yuan for a single with shower, t.v. in a Ming-era guesthouse. Bunch of moron Americans staying there being moron Americans, an anorexic chain-smoking vegan British guy who's into really studying Chinese and is hating the "Teaching English" (tm) experience. Very friendly Chinese family running the place.

Pingyao is incredibly well-preserved. Ancient city walls, ancient houses and despite the masses of loaded Western and Chinese tourists, generally friendly, decent people. The little kids are the best, screaming 'hello,' or running away to the safety of their mothers' skirts and then screaming 'hello.' The centre of the city has some tourist streets, but the rest is a vibrant, if comparatively relaxed town. Streets are generally too narrow for cars, so this means that the traffic is limited. Outside the walls, there are still many old houses and this is where to get decent food at a local price, and internet.

I've spent the past two days doing little. Catching up on sleep, washing clothes, enjoying the courtyard of the guesthouse, reading, writing, walking around town, bargaining and buying souveneirs. It's very pleasant, before the rush of noise and pollution that Beijing will bring.