Driving back

Here are some great photos of countryside life, on our way back:

Mother and son, on the way home from school

 These clothes are typically worn by farmers, although I may guess that these "overclothing" can be worn as an extra layer against the cold.

 A group surveys some fish for sale in the back of this small scooter-truck

 A wonderful village scene: The grandparents taking care of the little ones.

 I don't know what species this is, but definitely a mom and a calf!

 A couple of dogs not too concerned about cars!

 A typical scene of families on scooters.  These folks were more hearty than most, with others taking precautions and shielding against the wind.

 Not too many sidewalks here, and folks don't seem to be too worried about traffic.

 This scene caused us to chuckle.  I'm not sure why these folks couldn't just move about 10 feet more to the side of the road, and therefore improve their chances of NOT getting killed by highway traffic by about 1000%.

 Was the boy above cherishing an age old Chinese artifact given to him by his ancestors?  Nope... smartphone....

 A better view of that same restaurant opening celebration, on the way back.

As we made our way closer to downtown Bengbu, we saw the familiar sights and the national symbol of China.  The construction boom and bamboo scaffolding.  It was accompanied similarly by the national anthem of China - the jackhammer.  Construction was everywhere.

 As darkness fell on our way back to the hotel, the skyline appeared before me, again, nonexistent 10 years ago.




Thoroughly exhausted from our long day in Bengbu, we all decided to eat dinner in a mall beside the Wanda Realm.  Again, I was totally blown away by the ultramodern mall, which rivaled those in Shanghai.  Dinner was delicious, although by this time Emma and her mother looked to be growing tired of my penchant for spicy Chinese food.   Emma and her mother turned in, while I stayed with my family and had a bit of fun dancing with the fun Bengbu locals on this chilly December night

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You can see the video here.