Pingyao continued

Day 8

Another storming day. A good breakfast of 'zhou', (pronounced 'jo', now know how to spell it), and egg. A walk through the back streets,  many glimpses into people's lives and backyards. A visit to a temple with two massive angry guardians, wooden, with grimaces and stormy glares. An incense experience, a chat with a Daoist priest, fortune told and apparently something I really want is going to happen.

A visit to the Yamen, the local court and county offices, including the old gaol, and chambers full of torture instruments and gory pictures from which Tim protected me. How life was lived than, and even now...

After a snack of a stone baked crispy bread, we sought the grottiest place, and had the best lunch. Potato strips with garlic, bean curd with tomato and green pepper, and dumplings with pork, dipped in soy sauce and chilli. It was very, very good.

Then a choice, and ended up going out in a taxi to the massive Cao Jia Yuan family courtyard house where 'Raise the Red Lantern' was filmed. There were indeed red lanterns, as well as Ming vases, mirrors, calligraphy, cupboards, and a whole lot more. Spectacular view from the roof of the middle tower towards the mountains, hot, sunny and clear again; learned about Mao, calligraphy, and a whole lot of other things. The courtyard house in three sections, for longevity, more children and good luck, home of wealthy traders from late Ming times until 1937.

On the way back passed a brand new massive power station, which had not been connected to the grid, paperwork hadn't been completed, licence never given, and which is likely to be pulled down. Probably bigger than any in the UK. Extraordinary, but apparently this sort of thing happening all over China.

Back for another wander, and some shopping.

Tim chose and then negotiated the price of a beautiful circular wooden fretwork item, 'good luck' (or if upturned, 'good luck received'), down to £20; I bought this, and 7 beautiful papier mâché lanterns for the princely sum of £1 each, and some little shoes and an animal mobile for Gar and Megan; and we each bought some canvas shoes, Tim's black, and mine adorned with red roses (approx £5 a pair).

Time then to repair to the International Financiers Club for some more beer, and another meal in another 'grotty' place - open steamed 'pasta' tubes with a very hot dip; a mountain medicine dish, and a hot chopped chicken with bones dish, again excellent, tasty.

And then tea back at the hotel, and now once again back in the bed of beds, writing my diary.

Just so lucky to be here, to see all this, and even in this extraordinary place, to see beyond what is immediately obvious, and to have the guide of guides!