China on the move

Most of our time here in China so far has been spent in her large cities with their dense populations. And on top of the dense populations, we find ourselves time and again in the midst of throngs of Chinese tourists. I’m not sure that ‘throngs’ can evenly properly describe the immense quantities of tourists moving around their country, further crowding the cities. We have had very little luck getting train tickets as tickets disappear quickly during the summer months when much of China is vacationing. The lanes around the tourist sights are teeming with large tour groups turning the street into a sea of umbrellas as everyone tries to escape the brutal sun. (We have also become big advocates of the multi-purpose umbrellas, and often find ourselves hiding from the sun). It has been fascinating to witness just what a big business Chinese tourism is becoming, but it can make for an exhausting day exploring a site when you are being jostled around by sweaty bodies trying to keep up with their guide, whose voice is blaring through a megaphone.