Monday 1st September.
We say bye to kathrine and Regina - they are also checking out today and grab a take out from the Chinese from last night for the journey today.
We check the train station as there's 5 in bejing and it's the closest one which is good. We get to the train station with lots of spare time so book our datong - xi'an, xi'an to chengdu sleeper trains. We find the platform and stuff easily and take he 6 hour - hard seat train to datong. It's uncomfortable and there's no way we could do this journey any longer without a soft seat or a sleeper. You sit in a tiny seat - obviously made for aisians not westerners. The seats are 5 around a table so we have to endure 6 hours of being gawped at. Things really get iterating for the locals when we eat our dinner with forks.
We arrive in datong around 10.30pm, ignore the illegal taxi men and hail one down from a junction just up from the station. It costs 19rmb to the hostel. The hostel is more like an apartment or hotel, on the 22nd floor of an apartment block, it overlooks datong city. It has backpackers and local renters living there. The bathrooms and showers are amazing and the dorm rooms are huge! Tea coffe, snacks, hot water all provided for a small charge and an honesty basket for payment. Huge living area, free computers etc.