13 October 2010 ~ Quig Wei

One of my modes of transportation to venture out into the "real" world is to take a taxi or ride my bike to the the Qing Wei (pronounced ching way) Station in JinShiTan and hop on a train westward toward KaiFaQu and Dalian City. KaiFaQu, the closest major town, is about a half hour's ride and a trip to Dalian is just about an hour.

This picture was taken a couple months ago on one of my first adventures on the Qing Wei with Claire and Nancy.

We had been experiencing a lot of gray, humid, stifling weather,

so to see this blue sky was a such a blessing!

Back in the day when I had pedicures and could wear flip flops...

(By the way, Aunt Deb, I love these Fit Flops! I wore them everywhere. Do they make fur-lined Fit Flops?)

The JinShiTan train bound for KaiFaQu.

This is the Xianglujiao Station in Dalian City. It's where I get off to go to the orthodontist, Ikea, and Metro, a Costco-like store.

Inside the Xian Glu Jiao Station in Dalian.

As long as it's not crowded, it's a pleasant journey. The trains are made to hold as many bodies as possible, so there is not a lot of seating, mostly standing room. I've heard stories that it can get pretty packed...literally. They have guards with long sticks that push the passengers like sardines into the cars. I haven't yet experienced this and will probably not put myself in a position to do so. One thing that's tough about riding the train is getting off when a lot of people are trying to get on. Seems like common sense to wait for the passengers to get off before you get on, but that is simply not the case. Those folks getting on force their way in before you get a chance to move out of their way, so you can find yourself being pushed back into the train if you're not forceful enough yourself. Living in China is a lesson in perseverance, brute strength, and courage!