July 28, 2009
My final goodbyes have been said and I have left my city for the last time. I hope to return someday to see all my friends again, but I have no way of knowing when and how that will happen. I was so thankful to have several friends come to my house to send me off to the train station on Sunday morning. We had breakfast together, played a silly game, emptied my apartment of all the remaining knickknacks and food, had a major drama fight with my landlord to get the money she owed me, piled into taxies, rushed to the train station, hired men to help carry my luggage to the right area and put it on the train for me, and said some quick last goodbyes. It was a bit hectic, but there was time for closure and fun, and it was another special day that I won't soon forget. Here are some pictures from my last few days with my friends, and at the train station before I left.
   
  

Before I left, many friends from my 2 years here wanted to give me small gifts for me or my family. One of the pictures above has me modeling a large silver bracelet a former teacher gave me. I received many gifts in a short time, and will only be able to catalog them all once I return home and unpack my over-stuffed bags. BinBin's family gave me some very expensive and special dried beef. It came in a nice box, but I had to unpack it to bring it home, so I took pictures to capture the quality of their gift to my parents.
   

I took several videos of friends before I left, so my pictures are really limited. I'm glad to have video to capture the fun moments we had before I left, and I'll look forward to sharing them with those of you who are interested, once I return to America. My train ride across the country to the nations capital was interesting and pleasant. I bought the most expensive ticket (about $100 US) so I was in a private cabin with 4 bunk beds, all with a soft mattress for comfort. I'm so glad I purchased this kind of ticket, as the other accommodations would have been uncomfortable and awkward. Because I'm carrying 3 large bags, 1 medium bag, a full backpack and computer bag, I needed the extra space to store my luggage. I ended up sleeping with my trunk on the foot of my bed, which didn't bother me much at all. In my small cabin, another single girl was on the bunk below me, and a married couple along with their two young children shared the bunks across from me. Their kids screamed and fought the entire train ride, which was kind of annoying but not too bad. I was so exhausted from a week of traveling and saying goodbye that I slept 3/4 of the 25 hour trip.
         
Above is what I saw at the foot of my bed, a small storage area where I crammed a couple of my bags, and the trunk on the end of my mattress. Below is the lower two bunks in our cabin and my suitcase wedged under the small table.
  
There was a dining car where I had dinner with a friend of Lisa's, who happened to be riding the same train as me. People crammed into the small booths to eat, so we got to meet some new friends sitting next to us at our table. The food wasn't bad, but it was overpriced. I arrived on time in the capital city, and after some unimportant mishaps, I met up with my friends at our cheap hostel, and we enjoyed dinner at Outback Steakhouse! It's nice to enjoy the luxuries of being in a big city, but I will definitely miss the beauty of the country I have left behind, and look forward to returning to see it, and my many friends who live there, again someday. Now two of my American friends and I will sightsee in this city for a couple of days before flying home. I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

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