4 seasons at Mount Tai

Mount Tai, China's most famous mountain, has become a kind of retreat for me. I've climbed it in all 4 seasons, and my travels there have taken on a sort of pattern. First, is the lineup at Beijing South train station.

Next, I try to snap a few train photos before departure. In this photo you can see the conductor -- I often wonder what that job's like, hurtling along at speeds as fast as 217 mph.

After the train ride, time to check into the hotel and unpack.

In the evening before dinner I visit Dai miao, the region's largest and most famous temple. Above 2 photos.

The next morning after breakfast I climb Mount Tai (this takes around 3 hours before reaching the cable car station).

There are several mountain temples to explore along the way.

Not sure why they don't take the cable car down. Maybe the 100 yuan ticket (about $12) is too steep a price to pay.

Plenty of snacks along the way.

Nice weather so lots of people at the top.

At the top is the colorful and busy Heaven Street.

Going down, I take a cable car, a bus, a taxi. Then it's time to relax at the hotel before dinner.

The moon worshipping festival

 China's Mid Autumn Festival historically was to worship the fall full moon. Nowadays the Chinese have family get-togethers and eat moon cakes. Every year our housing management delivers a bottle of wine and moon cakes to our door.

 Boat traffic jams at Beijing's Hou Lakes during the festival.

 ...and of course crowds on the streets.

 I'm pretty sure electric bikes aren't allowed on the Beijing subway.

 I don't see many of these around anymore.

 Like some cat company along with your coffee?

 The home of an introvert?

 I love our rental house, but several times a year it invariably springs a leak. Just the other morning I woke up and found a puddle of water on the downstairs floor.

 Wooden flying pig from Bali. This is one of my favorite knickknacks because it makes me think of the song "Pigs on the Wing"  from Pink Floyd's Animals album

I forgot to post this last time with the Shenyang, north China photos. A hotel robot hard at work greeting breakfast customers.

Shenyang, north China

 Shenyang is about 4 hours north of Beijing via bullet train.

 Above 3 photos, various vehicles of Shenyang.

 Above 11 photos, Beiling Park is one of my favorite parks in China -- often a lot going on there.

 Colorful noodles at a Shenyang food court.

Shenyang Train Station --time to head home to Beijing.

Fujiazhuang -- the world's busiest beach

 Dalian is a beach town in northeastern China. Every summer the city hosts a huge beer festival, so after checking into my hotel I headed straight for that. Above photo, nice idea to include a consulting service for the uninitiated like myself.

 What do the female Chinese employees wear at the beer festival? Bavarian dresses of course!

 Along with thousands of gallons of beer, street food was also readily available.

The next morning I headed out to Fujiazhuang Beach. That entailed a 45 minute taxi ride during rush hour but hey, how often to you get a chance to visit the most crowded beach in the world?

 As a seaside town, the main tourist activities seem to be eating seafood, drinking beer, and going to the beach.

 I recently saw these in Busan, South Korea, as well. Urechis unicintus, a type of marine spoon worm, is often referred to as the penis fish. Not sure how these are prepared -- being a vegan, I didn't try any.

 For westerners who prefer something a little less exotic.

 As for myself, I opted for the veggie platter at the hotel restaurant. For 29 yuan, or about $4, I got a delicious meal cooked right at my table.

 Spotted this person in downtown Dalian selling knock-off goods out of a van.

 A 6-syllable name. I don't know a lot of 6-syllable words, though one does come to mind: nonpossibilities.

 Above photo and below: Not a whole lot to do in Dalian, though I liked Labor Park so much I went there twice.

 Dalian North Train Station: time to head home to Beijing. Lots of other people heading there as well.

Long ride home. The train ride took 8.5 hours instead of the normal 6.5, and at one station we sat for an hour. This wouldn't have been that bad if  I could've gotten out and stretched, but for some reason we were not allowed out on the platform and the train doors were kept locked.