china 5 - datong (6/16)

after spending two night in pingyao i was off to datong on sunday morning. i took a car back to taiyuan and then another long distance bus to datong. i was smart this time tho. rather than get yelled at again, when a gypsy bus person asked if i was going to datong i said sure. i figured that it was probably like what happens in south america where most people get on the bus outside the station, so they get discount "tickets." (honestly, it wasn't so that i wouldn't get yelled at, but by now i already knew that i was seriously short on cash).

creeper photo i took on the bus

my datong lodging was not spectacular. i was in a crummy room with two other beds (but no one else ever showed up) and the shared bathroom was on the floor below mine. two floors shared two squat toilets and a shower. i squat pooped for the first time in my adult life (i went camping a lot as a kid). and did i mention that this hostel was right next to a train station? good thing i had brought ear plugs!

lining up for fresh soy milk

after finding out how much the train was going to cost and hearing that i couldn't charge anything (hotel or train ticket) i was worried. i couldn't find my atm card which i couldn't remember if i'd actually packed or not (harry unexpectedly came over the morning i was packing / leaving for china and i got distracted cause i hadn't finished with my stuff yet). in any case, rip gallantly offered to wire me money via moneygram. i said no because i was pretty sure i would be okay once i made it to beijing (i had already paid for my lodging in advance). but rip made a pretty good case for it and the bank was pretty close so off i went with high hopes.

veggies on the ground. the ground!

...and got totally rejected. the bank people had absolutely no idea what i was talking about (wiring money is apparently not really a thing here?). after a lot of back and forth with the bank people, rip, and money gram reps, i got the address of the central bank located in middle of town. but by now the banks were closed for the day, i was leaving datong the next night, and i had pretty much a full day tour already booked. i had one hour to get money from the bank in the center of town and get back for my tour. i asked the hotel lobby person and she said the bus took 45 minutes from center of town back. not including walking time. didn't want to risk the cab money, of course. rip and i figured i figured an alternate plan and i kept my fingers crossed for the next day.

cat tied to a branch =\