Allowing the north-bound express to pass
We didn't get as far as Manzhouli (a small town on the border between Mongolia and NE China) but we did head a little way north up the track from Gubeikou. We opted to get off in the village of Ping Fang, which would give us a couple of hours to explore before catching the only train back. There were a number of other places we could have got off, but didn't. Pot luck really. Here's what Edie had to say in her 'write and draw' exercise today:
Yesterday we went to Ping Fang. It was a rubish dump. I didn't like it. There wer pooie napes [nappies] on the ground and the ground was totilae cuvered in rubish. it was horebou [horrible] but the trein gene [journey] was nice. I liked it. The trein gene took about 1 and a half [h]ours.
I have to say, she was right, but the neigbouring village had a charm about it (flowers, friendly locals, pets, well-stocked shop) and the villagers there seemed less inclined to live in, on and around garbage, even though the villages were only about 1km apart. On a positive note, Freda gave the station toilets a "two thumbs up" because they didn't smell. One squat had turned into a flower bed it was so unused and overgrown. The other was kept fresh by the low walls and crumbling roof. The station master was lovely and we learned that about 60 trains pass through every day. I asked Freda what was good about Ping Fang. She replied, "Well, leaving it was good." The girls are up for another train journey. Freda finished her writing exercise with: "I'd like to go on a train journey again, just not to Ping Fang." You win some, you lose some.
Yesterday we went to Ping Fang. It was a rubish dump. I didn't like it. There wer pooie napes [nappies] on the ground and the ground was totilae cuvered in rubish. it was horebou [horrible] but the trein gene [journey] was nice. I liked it. The trein gene took about 1 and a half [h]ours.
I have to say, she was right, but the neigbouring village had a charm about it (flowers, friendly locals, pets, well-stocked shop) and the villagers there seemed less inclined to live in, on and around garbage, even though the villages were only about 1km apart. On a positive note, Freda gave the station toilets a "two thumbs up" because they didn't smell. One squat had turned into a flower bed it was so unused and overgrown. The other was kept fresh by the low walls and crumbling roof. The station master was lovely and we learned that about 60 trains pass through every day. I asked Freda what was good about Ping Fang. She replied, "Well, leaving it was good." The girls are up for another train journey. Freda finished her writing exercise with: "I'd like to go on a train journey again, just not to Ping Fang." You win some, you lose some.
Two thumbs up for the station toilets
[Short video clip from train on More Videos page]
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