DATELINE: Guangzhou, China 

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Author: Lauren Cohen

The rest of my train ride was relaxing and enjoyable. I talked to the mother and son in my compartment a little because she spoke some English and explained that her 8-year-old son was learning English in an after-school program. She even asked if I work for Wal-Mart because she recognize the Sam Walton button on my bag (thanks Andy!). When I wasn't reading, I entertained myself by helping Daniel (the kid's English name) practice his phrases, much to his mom's delight. For dinner I grabbed one of the rice boxes from the ladies who came around with carts. In addition to white rice, it contained (in descending order of deliciousness): breaded pork on a stick, ground pork with pickled hot peppers, marinated mushrooms, a cold and tasteless omelet, and rubbery bean curd. When I didn't finish, Daniel became concerned that I don't like Chinese food. I tried my best to explain that the food on trains isn't very good in America either. Sleeping on the train was just heavenly. The motion of the train was soothing and felt directionless when I closed my eyes. I need to do this train thing more often (Trans-Siberian sometime in the future perhaps? I met some travelers who had been on it). I slept soundly all night, then fell back to sleep in the morning after brushing my teeth and all that. Guangzhou is hot and busy. It took awhile to get my room because the hotel couldn't find my online reservation (the hotel in Kunming also had this problem, yet none of the cheap backpacker hostels did. Curious). My hotel is right on the Pearl River, which should provide some nice walking this evening. Then I was off to find a Cantonese restaurant recommended to me by the acquaintance I made in Kunming. I showed the address in Chinese to the cabbie and he said OK, but he turned clueless soon after and I somehow ended up in the electronics district. At least there was a McDonalds so I could get some fries as a snack (whenever a Chinese person makes me mad, I get an insatiable craving for American fast food. It's like my own personal patriotic rebellion) and a Starbucks so I could use free wi-fi and pick up a copy of the local English-language magazine with restaurant and bar listings. Roast pork awaits!