WENZHOU, ZHEJIANG, P. R. CHINA

Walking out of the train station we turned to the right but found the busses there were city busses.

	A À WANG HAN CASUAL DRESSING PLAZA

Reversing directions, to the other side of the train station, we found there were more buses. I'm not sure where they went.

Asking directions, we were told to cross the street. There we found the large bus depot with the long distant busses.

Within a few minutes we caught a bus to Taizhou. This cost us Y23 per person.

I was just talking to my Ex. It appears we actually paid Y27 per person.

After we had purchased the tickets we were given the option of taking a faster route, on toll freeways. This cost us an extra Y4.

If you go, tell them you want the cheaper route. I'll explain why later.

At Taizhou we transferred to a smaller bus which charged us Y10 for the seven of us.

The prices on these smaller busses, unlike the long distance busses, are negotiable.

Being the only white person in the group I hang back out of sight while the rest negotiate the price, this allows my family to get a lower price than if the person they are bargaining with knows there is a foreigner along.

One afternoon, we took a leisurely stroll along the road, from Yan Dang Village, past orange groves, to Taizhou. It took us an hour.

We were too tired to walk back so we took a small bus.

When leaving, for home, we took a small bus to Taizhou where we arranged for a bus to take us to Wenzhou. This time they asked us if we wanted to take the fast route or the slow route. We opted for the slow route. They charged us Y25 per person.

SIGN OUTSIDE TAIZHOU BUS DEPOT	MAP INSIDE TAIZHOU BUS DEPOT

Coming back, on the slow route, we were on the same toll ways as going out on the fast route.

FIELDS AND TERRACED HILLSIDES	THE TOLL WAY PASSES THROUGH FARM COUNTRY

MY WIFE TRIES TO IGNORE MY CAMERA	A FIELD OF GREENHOUSES WITHIN A HARVESTED FIELD OF WHEAT

Opting for the fast route is just a waste of money as they use the same road.

FIELDS AND TERRACED HILLSIDES	THE WATER LEVEL IS VERY LOW AT THIS TIME OF YEAR

Arriving in Wenzhou we turned right, as we came out of the bus depot, walked a few feet, to the intersection, and crossed the street.

Once across the street we could have turned left and walked a block to the train station but, as we had several hours to kill before our train, and it was raining, we opted to go round-a-round in the many stores.

Between the intersection and the train station is two large buildings. The first one is lined with shops selling shoes and jackets.

Wenzhou is the shoe manufacturing capital of the world. It is also famous for manufacturing sex toys.

The second building is actually part of the base of the Railroad Hotel. In this part you will find many shops of clothing. The second floor is a market of stalls selling teenage clothing.

Between the two buildings is a lane that will take you to a small courtyard.

On the other side of the court yard are two more buildings. The one on the left is actually a second base for the hotel, separated from the first by a lane way. The lane way will take you through to the train station.

In the middle of this second base is a large open space surrounded by shops selling men's wear. Above this is a floor selling ladies' wear and above that is a floor of children's wear.

An overhead walkway connects this section of building to the building on the other side of the lane. The second floor of this building is a market of ladies under garments.

The main floor of this section has shops along the lane and restaurants along the front, facing the courtyard.

CHAOXIA TOWER	HUZHUCUN RESTAURANT

The furthest restaurant is done in a tropical, almost Japanese, motif and is called `Huzhucun'.

WAITRESSES PREPARE OUR MEAL	JIN MEI SMILES FOR THE CAMERA

The food you order is served raw, on little dishes, a large bowl of very hot broth is brought and the waitress puts your food into the broth. The meal, much like Vietnamese `beef, with noodle, in soup' is eaten with chop stick and a small, long handled, wooden, spoon.

It was very delicious and only Y16 per person.

Just what the doctor ordered on a chilly, windy, rainy, day.

TAIZHOU TRAIN STATION ENTRANCE FOYER AND ESCALATORS TO DEPARTURE WAITING ROOMS

On the trip out the family learned a hard lesson.

When I suggested we get sleepers they said it was too expensive.

By the middle of the night they were realizing how hard it is to stay awake all night. (I do it 2 or 3 times a week, driving half way across the province so grocery stores will have fresh fruits and vegetables for their customers, first thing in the morning.)

I finally got through to them that when we got there, if we stayed up all night, we would be too tired to make like tourists. (At work I spend the day in a sleeper, before I drive back home.)

When we arrived in Wenzhou we booked our return tickets. We actually wanted to stay an extra day or two but, because it was the weekend, tickets were scarce. We were lucky to get Friday night.

On the way out, because we bought the beds on the train, we were scattered over three cars.

On the return trip, Yi Ming, and his wife, had the top two bunks in one compartment and, further down the car, the rest of us had 5 bunks.

I had a bottom bunk, Y181, and a lady from Shanghai had the one across from me.

My wife slept above me, slightly cheaper, and her eldest sister across from her, in the middle bunks.

My step son slept above my wife, the top bunks are the cheapest price, and his other aunt, my Ex-wife, slept across from him.