Moving on

From Beijing, we traveled south to Jinan on a high speed train.

 It is in places like train stations that one sees the real China, the enormous numbers of people, the blend of modern technology and ancient practices.  This woman was carting her baby boy in a straw basket.

When we arrived, our hosts assumed we’d want lunch at the Chinese MacDonald’s, but we were more interested in seeing what people actually eat here, so we went to a crowded lunch spot, where we interacted with locals, and sat on backless stools eating rice.