Chugga Chugga Chugga...CHOO CHOO

I made it successfully back to Beijing after a 7 hour train ride from Xinyang. Overall, it was a pleasant and uneventful trip - I had a window seat and was able to see enjoy the view of the countryside. Some of the scenes I witnessed were right out of a diorama - I couldn't even believe they were real. An ox peacefully munching on grass outside the front door of a cottage made of brick next to a lake where an old man fishes - unbelievable.

It is amazing how manners in different cultures can vary so widely. On the train - it is perfectly fine to spit or "farmer blow" onto the floor of the train. It is so odd to see nicely dressed, sophisticated looking women engage in these behaviors and think nothing of it. It is especially disconcerting when you are behind one of them walking and rolling your luggage through their mucous - awesome! No wonder SARS spread like wildfire here.

Anyway, I'm back in Beijing (but the orphanage is actually about a 45min drive from the city) and getting ready for more adventures here during my last week volunteering.

Here are some scenes from the train trip: