We started our day with a ½ hour cable ride from Zhangjiajie to Tianmen Mountain. The cableway is the longest one-way recycling passenger cableway in the world and has a length of 7,455 meters and a height of 1,279 meters. At the base of the cableway in the city, it is very hot and mucky, but at the top of the mountain it was breezy and refreshingly cool. The mountain has many sheer cliffs, and the walkway was constructed along the side of the cliffs much of the way. The pathway is not for the faint of heart or those with a fear of heights, but beautiful and dramatic views in every direction. Zhangjiajie is a popular tourist attraction for the Chinese but seldom visited by foreigners. We only saw three foreigners all day long, and it was not unusual for us to be asked for pictures along side of the other visitors. For more information you can Google Tianmen Mountain. You will find some YouTube videos as well. Tianmen Cave is a natural hole in the mountain, and you have to climb 999 steps to get to it. The younger three made it to the top and back while I waited at the bottom for their return.

When we returned to our rooms, none of keys worked so off we went to the front desk to try to communicate our problem. Fortunately, we did have a phone number for a local guide from the morning, and we got the lady behind the front desk to call him. Unfortunately, once I had explained the problem to him, and he asked to talk with her, she hung up the phone when I handed it back to her. So we started all over again. The second time worked like a charm, and we got back into our rooms.

This evening was the first free evening we have had in 2 ½ weeks, so we made good use of it. Taxi driver, please read our destination that we obtained in Chinese characters. And off we went to McDonalds! Unlike some American chains in China, McDonalds actually tasted like McDonalds, for better or worse. The young lady that helped us order was so pleased she was able to get us what we wanted. A table near the front window on a busy street assured us that we would be an item of curiosity, and indeed we were. The ladies also enjoyed an ice cream before we headed back to the hotel.

Gary