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2025-12-23 Hobart

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  It's a long way home... The alarm went off at 0500 to give us time to pack for the travel back to Australia.  We were down at the breakfast buffet bright and early just before 0700 for our final breakfast - too early on a Monday morning for the staff to be really set up, but as we were the only guests it didn't matter too much. We checked out at 0750, just as Chen Ping turned up, so he had time to rush a cigarette before taking us through the morning Yanping traffic to the railway station. It was school drop off time, so at every change in the traffic lights there was a wave of scooters, each with mum and one or two children on board weaving among the cars and trucks.  Also lots of kids walking and riding to school.  We had plenty of time, so Chen Ping was a little more patient than usual, but that didn't apply to other drivers, and as with every car trip we have been on there were close calls as car and scooters cut each other off and vied to get ahead at each cor...
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2025-12-21 Yanping

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 Last day in Yanping... A quiet Sunday was had today - a drive out to a spot on the Min River downstream from Yanping to a small village, with lots of murals, and a beach and sheltered spot where we hired a pedal boat for a stint on the harbour next to the river.  Even though it was a short paddle, it was enough to remind me that going back to gym in a few days is going to hurt! We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beach, and as usual there was too much to eat - so many dishes! A drive back to the hotel, where I went for a walkback into town to stretch my legs and work off some of the lunch. In the centre of town the shops were open and the riverbank was crowded with families and old people out and about, with the dancing groups and karaoke going full bore.  At one of the plaza arears in front of a shopping mall a stage was set up, and I caught the end of a ladies group doing a kind of butterfly dance, and saw the start of the next set of ladies doing a marching a...
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2025-12-20 Yanping

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 Last hours in Taining, a visit to an ancient village on the way to Nanping. Off to Nanping today for the last few days in China, but first we re-visited the old city core of Taining after a lovely breakhast at our guest house and many profuse goodbyes and thankyous to our hosts over the past couple of days.   Our host at the guest house is an avid collector of rocks, and this seems to be a tradition in Taining. Pippa particularly wanted to see Shangshudi: "Shangshudi (尚书第) in Taining, China, refers to a well-preserved Ming Dynasty mansion complex, a major historical attraction showcasing traditional Jiangnan architecture, once home to a high-ranking official, featuring intricate layouts, courtyards, and now a cultural site with Meilin Opera performances, located within the charming Taining Ancient City, near other sites like Shide Hall and Li's Ancestral Hall, with nearby accommodation like the Shangshudi Hotel for visitors.  What it is: An Ancient Mansion: Shangshu...
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