OVERNIGHT TRAIN, and SUZHOU

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011

Getting to and through the Beijing Railroad Station is always a chore, and last night was no exception.  Elaine later wished she'd had a video camera to record our single file "Long March" to the station.  Bryant had warned the group within an inch of their lives to pay attention, avoid distractions, guard their purses, and keep together while we made our way across the plaza from our bus to the main entrance to the station.  After going through security, we followed our guide and Bryant to the ticket taker wicket, and first down, then up escalators, lugging our backpacks, purses, and pulling our suitcases.  Once ensconced in our soft sleeper cabins, (we had 3, each in a different carriage) we checked in on the others, and settled down for the night.  Some of us slept, most didn't.  We arrived at the Suzhou RR Station to meet our guide, May, on the platform around 9:30 am.

Joyce and Ron on the overnight sleeper to Suzhou

Lighthouse group Suzhou

Silk worm cocoons, No. 1 Silk Factory

Pulling silk to make a silk quilt batt

Suzhou canal scene

Master of Nets Garden at dusk

Activites today included a walk to Panmen Gate, a stroll through the Master of Nets Garden, which was overrun by high school students, a cruise on the Grand Canal and smaller Suzhou Canals, a tour through the No. 1 Silk Factory, and some free time for shopping, ice cream etc.  We were all pretty exhausted when we crawled into a real bed at our hotel tonight.