July 17-19 - Pingyao, Shanxi, China

The train ride from Huashan was absolute madness and overcrowded beyond belief.  I literally had to jump off the (slowly) moving train because the car conductor forgot to open the door at the normal time to let me off.   The small town of Pingyao was once one of the major centres of banking in China in the late 19th century.  It is still quite a quaint if somewhat over-touristed little place with a complete wall surrounding most of the town and a lot of interesting old buildings.  Unfortunately Shanxi province is the heart of China's coal production belt and the air is always heavy with the smell of sulphrous coal smoke.  Regardless Pingyao was a good place to relax for a couple of days and I found a very comfortable and quiet hostel to stay at.