I am sitting with my mother's and father's diaries in front of me.

They don't tell much from the wedding itself. But the depiction of the honeymoon contains both humour and many interesting details from a China from almost 70 years ago.

Now it is Mother Inger who speaks, and she tells from Thursday 10 November 1938: "After waiting in Sian for eight weeks, there was finally a prospect that we could get a car. The price was terribly high, because we had a lot of luggage. Besides our own, we were to bring 10-12 boxes from the Red Cross to Paoteh. There was a lot of luggage and a high price, but we decided to take this car. According to the plan, it was supposed to go on Sunday morning, but no, they didn't finish it. So it had to be Monday, then. Yes-yes, we were ready to go and went and waited and waited. Yes, in the morning they finally came for the luggage. But that was all that happened that day. "We're not going to come back so soon!"

But finally on Tuesday morning it got serious. There was a phone message that we should come over to the car. We gathered our daypack and went away in a rickshaw.

Gerhard stopped on the road to visit a watchmaker. I just kept going; he would soon reach me again. But suddenly people went wild. The sound of a terrible siren cut through the air. Chingpao— fly en route — panic!

The man who drove me wouldn't go any further. He wanted to run and hide. I had the greatest difficulty in getting him to continue, all the while almost craning my neck to see if Gerhard was coming. Yes, finally, there I saw him. He was probably in a hurry to reach me again.

We arrived at the car park, where we stayed in a small room during the air raid. There we were without the protection of foreign flags, it was exciting. This was the only time there was such a visit in Sian during our stay there.

They must have given us the attack as a final farewell!

When it was all over, we had to go out and look at the car. It was overflowing with luggage, and 14 adults plus a number of children were supposed to sit on top. Fifty dollars per space, please!

Since I was such an important person, I got the seat next to the driver. It was terribly cramped there, because the car was equipped to run on charcoal. This had taken up part of the space in the wheelhouse. So when I had sat down, I had to sit still and could neither move here nor there, and still I was almost in the way. But I was still happy to sit there, because it was terribly cold.

The first day we travelled to San-yen, only 80 li from Sian (a li is about half a kilometre). We arrived just as they had sent out the flight alert, and so we had to wait outside the city until the go-ahead signal went off.

Here, Inger was to make the acquaintance of a Chinese guest house. We got a room to ourselves, and it's great! The room was also really nice, it had a kind of window high up on the wall with a view to the bathroom. Window means a small hole pasted over with thin paper.

Furniture was the kang (the heated sleeping bench) which took up two thirds of the room. That was all. The walls and ceiling were wallpapered with desk paper, so you could lie on your back and read signs on the ceiling!

Mother dressed in Chinese work clothes.

We went out for dinner, visited the mission station and went to bed early.

The second day we travelled a long way, we only stopped to eat at eleven o'clock and then drove without incident until six o'clock in the evening.

Up, up, the last climb, we walked uphill for two hours, occasionally interrupted by a small downhill, but it was sort of just to make a bet for the next hill which was even steeper uphill. Finally, we were so high that we could see for miles into the mountains on all sides. Up here there was a small town where we stopped for the night. Here we also got a room by ourselves, but it was not as nice as the previous one.

We were about to be smoked alive, for in the next room they had the heat on the bare floor, without any kind of chimney, and the door into us consisted only of a small rag which barely covered the opening.

That night I didn't sleep much, because some robbers were about to eat me up. Such parasites just like me!

I was a sight in the morning — with two large balls on my forehead. At half past six the next morning we were up. The breakfast tasted good from our packed lunch. It consisted of bread with butter and tongue and jam and boiled water.

But the car was not as cheerful today as yesterday. We drove for an hour, then something broke inside the rear wheel, and there we were. Fortunately, they had spare parts with them, but it took 3-4 hours to repair. At that time we walked back and forth on the country road and waited.

Then we drove another hour and stopped to eat. While we were eating, there was something else they were fixing. We walked around the car hour after hour. It was also cold. And as the hours went by, the courage waned. Finally, it was said: "Tomorrow we leave!"

Yes, then it was to get a room again, and take it easy.

And here I am now sitting and writing and writing, sitting on a deliciously warm kang.

This house is quite new, so it's really nice here. The terrain today was strange; the mountains lay in large terraces. Each terrace was cultivated, and in the walls between the terraces people lived in caves.

We also drove past one of China's five sacred forests. In several places the road crossed a narrow mountain ridge. It was no wider than the road, and on both sides an earthen wall half a meter high had been erected. Outside there it went straight down on both sides - several hundred metres deep. In other places, the rock wall was steep up on one side and precipitously down on the other.

Saturday 12 November

Yes, here I am sitting on the couch in a dark, cold little hole. Yes, I said king, but it's just some thick planks laid on top of two wooden trestles, so you can't even get it warm.

I sit inside the sleeping bag, and Gerhard alternately holds his hands and feet over our heat, which consists of burning charcoal in an old washing-up basin filled with ashes.

Yesterday, Friday, we started well. Drove all morning through strange terrain. The ferry crossed a river and was about to run out. We drove over two high mountains and up the third, where we are still. There were steep hills uphill and winding — palpitating ! At one o'clock we stopped and ate and then drove on.

We had only driven 20 kilometres when the rear wheel broke again. This time there was nothing to do, because they had no more spare parts!

We stopped at a small village. But we couldn't stay there, because there was no food to be had for us foreigners. We cannot live on what the Chinese can get by on. So our friend the Mandarin (one of the passengers), his wife and helper, Gerhard and I strolled back to town. We got donkeys to take the luggage we needed. I was actually going to ride, but shut the hell up! It was the worst thing I've ever been a part of. I sat with my life in my hands approx. 10-15 minutes and Gerhard walked by and laughed.

It must indeed have been a precious sight. I was dressed in overalls, anorak, gray coat, and on my head I had a black alpine hat, anorak hood and a large, white tropical helmet on top.

Horror was painted on my face.

When it started to go downhill, I said thank you.

I trusted my own legs more than the donkey's! It was very slippery, because it had snowed, and then the ground becomes a single sticky slush.

We went down a steep mountain and up an even steeper one, and then far, far beyond the plain. Finally, we were back in town. We were given this small room here, there is a small window out to the backyard and a doorway with a piece of cloth as a door. It probably hasn't been cleaned here in the last 20 years, and it looks like it's crawling both here and there. We can't go out either, because then we prevent people from doing their work! So the time will be quite long.

We don't have any reading material either. I tell Gerhard that we should have a game. He says it is possible to get a harmonica here! The part for the car cannot be obtained here. Therefore we have to wait until it can come from Sian. We spend three or four days here, at least. A message has been sent to Sian.

The "do" here is the worst: A small wall behind which you cannot hide! I have tried the pigpen in the dark, but it is not pleasant when the pigs start to stir! This is probably what I miss most of all, I think, a proper shower!

Sunday 13 November

We were in bed for a long time today, so it was 9.15 before we could start our breakfast. It takes quite a long time, because first the water has to boil. It is a sight to see Gerhard playing bellows to make the water boil faster on these embers of ours. Then we toast the bread over the heat as we eat. Breakfast consists of toast with butter, jam (apple jelly which is soon eaten), tongue and coffee, which is extra fine funnel coffee. We have coffee in the thermos bottle and pour boiling water on it, and leave it to rest a little.

So we sat in peace and quiet and ate and talked - suddenly the meal came to an abrupt end. First one man came running in and then another came running in with terror painted on his face as he shouted: Fei ch'i lai la, fei ch'i lai la!—the aeroplanes are coming! It was 10.30, so luckily we had eaten enough. For now it was just a matter of throwing on outerwear and jumping from everything as it was. Out in the country with us, and it was a sight. The whole town was empty of people.

Then we stood out there for an hour until the go-ahead signal went and we could go back. The rest of the day passed peacefully. We had a good Chinese dinner, and at eight o'clock we drank coffee and ate the rest of the biscuits! Our driver has completely disappeared. He hasn't shown up either yesterday or today.

Monday

Today we were up a little earlier in case the same thing happened as yesterday. But we were only halfway through breakfast when we heard: fei ch'i lai la! Then it was off again. We just had to leave the coffee and everything as it was.

But no one came today either. So after an hour we went back and finished breakfast. Today the rest of the tongue went. And the first butter jar. The runaway driver came back today. The one thing he sent for had come to Sian. But it wasn't the part that was used the most. So now he travelled downstairs to call Sian. We are preparing for three more days here.

Tuesday

Today we had breakfast in peace. We were outside the city walls with our friend the Mandarin and his wife, where we took some pictures.

Later we were inside their house. He always talks about us as his foreign friends.

We hadn't been home long before the mandarin's boy came running and said: "Pack up, we're going at once!"

What a surprise, I must say we got up to speed. On top of a full truck with both of us and the luggage, and off we went, without even dinner! Think, then the other part we were waiting for had come up with this car, and the driver had met it. We drove to where our car was.

But then it had to be repaired first, so we had to spend the night there. There was no food to be had, but we got some warm bread (buns) and some boiled eggs.

That night something happened! There was no guesthouse here, but we got a room in one of the homes. The wall into the next room was not that thick, because in one place there had been a window or an opening which was now pasted over with paper.

On the other side, there was someone who felt sorry for himself. Suddenly we heard one cry for help, and then it wasn't long before we heard some yells and some grunts from a new world citizen! Yes, here you get used to a bit of everything. Nothing is hidden here, everything is talked about as the most natural thing in the world.

Wednesday

We left early in the morning. The road crossed a river where we had to take a ferry. Most often, the road ends on one side of the river and starts again on the other side, and then you just drive straight on! And Inger sat with her heart in her throat until we were well over!

Then we drove down mountains and up mountains, very steep slopes. It looked like it went straight up. It's just a miracle that cars can do this.

In one place the road went with steep drops on one side and the rock face on the other. There were deep ruts in the road.

Suddenly the car came too close to the mountain, and a boy got his leg between the car and the mountain. It was a really bad wound.

Gerhard got out our medicine bag and took care of it as best he could. I sat inside the car and could do nothing.

Then we travelled on. We stopped in a town we passed through.

We had dinner there, and it tasted good, because we hadn't had solid food for a long time.

We drove for quite a while after it had got dark in the evening, because we wanted to pass Jenan, and we managed to do that too. But when we finally stopped, there were no houses to be had, everything was overcrowded. In the end we were allowed to stay in a home, Mandarins and we. There was a cave in the mountain, and there were 10 of us on the kang, men, women and children! We were like herring in a barrel and had to turn around in time. Gerhard was a doctor and looked after the boy's legs and otherwise gave good advice in East and West.

Thursday

We left, really early. But after 172 hours of driving, the rear wheel fell through the frozen road. With the help of all men, we soon got up again and could drive on.

We hadn't driven long before we had to cross a river and up a steep hill on the other side. The driver was blinded by the sun, so when we were almost up, he drove straight into the ditch!

We just drove until two o'clock and then stopped at an inn where we had good food.

Friday

We drove without any sights. At eleven o'clock the Mandarin left and went on, but he stood and beckoned to us with a will that Gerhard had given him. We only drove until two o'clock today too. We got a room alone with an old man, in the house next to the restaurant where everyone else lived. When we got in there a little later to eat, our driver was lying on the kang smoking opium. That was the reason why he had to stop so early. Of course, he could no longer do without drugs.

Saturday

We arrived at Suiteh, the end point of our road trip. There we stopped at a nice inn. It was refugees from Hupeh who had opened it. Two of the crates were too heavy to load on animals, so we had to split one in half and had a busy day.

We got a trip to town too, but it's the worst I've ever been on. People gathered around us in such a way that it was impossible to get out into the streets. All traffic had to go the way we were going, because it was impossible to get towards us.

Gerhard bought me big blue grapes, and I ate as much as I could get down. Here we also bought a lovely white lambskin for a Chinese winter coat for me.

We got hold of animals, and on Monday afternoon we left.

It was a whole caravan. First one animal with two large boxes, I saw riding, then Gerhard and then six or seven animals after that. We walked 7-8 kilometres and then stopped for the night at a farm where one of the drivers belonged. Here we bought a live home that was cooked in our room.

Tuesday

We left early in the morning. It was cold, because the sun wasn't up yet. Therefore, we walked for the first couple of hours. Then we rode until four o'clock, and then stopped at a village.

As usual, we gathered a lot of people. We had with us "suspended flour", as the Chinese call it. It is made from wheat flour and resembles macaroni. We cooked this and ate it next to cold honey.

Wednesday

We went over high mountains and through deep valleys. In the valleys, the road always ran in or along the river bed. It was good that I had learned the finesse of holding on; otherwise I would have probably fallen off the horse many times up the hills. It went almost vertically! The first hills I rode, my legs stood and snapped straight up, one on each side. I looked at Gerhard and couldn't understand how he could manage to sit so nicely! But I soon learned that, too.

Today we walked far, right to Den gule flod and a couple of kilometres along it until we got to the ferry.

Thursday

Today we were going to ferry across the river. Full of anticipation, we went down to the river bank.

But thank you, it probably wasn't that simple. It looked ugly for us not to come any further. Think so close, and then do not come forward! There was so much drift ice in the river that the people who owned the ferries did not want to cross.

Hour after hour we went there hoping that the ice would decrease, but no. Then at dinnertime a number of soldiers came over. Then the ferrymen couldn't do anything, they just had to set out. If it went well with them, they would carry over us too.

Fortunately, they made it, and then it was our turn. But it took time. First of all, it had to be paid. It was an old man who was in charge. He was given two fairly new five-dollar bills by Gerhard. He was completely overwhelmed by this. Such nice money! He went and shouted it out and showed them to everyone, to the great delight of everyone there. It was probably not often that he did such business.

The ferries lay some distance out in the river, because it was too shallow for them to get all the way in. First, all the luggage was carried out. Then the horses had to go out. It was a bit of a sight, a lot of splashing and life, but finally they were up. Then it was our turn.

We also had to be carried out. There were plenty of willing carriers! There was probably a good penny to be made here, they thought. Foreigners are always very rich, right? Yes, then it was a matter of grabbing a Chinese tightly around the neck, and then we were carried out on the back.

Then we had finally crossed the river, and on we went. It was getting late in the afternoon, and the drivers would probably prefer not to go any further. But we now left for the nearest town, about 15 kilometres away. It was dark by the time we arrived, but luckily there was moonlight.

The town had the longest street I had ever seen.

A liter is a kind of stretcher with a roof, carried by two horses or mules.

It was several kilometres long. We went and we went, and we still didn't get to the end! We tried to phone Linhsien, but it didn't work. All rooms in the guest house were occupied, but we were allowed to sleep on the king's bed in the office. That is to say: There was not much sleep, because the business was lively all night. There were people in and out, then they would go down into one box for beans and then into another for grouts, etc.

Friday

We had hoped to reach Linhsien today, but it was not possible. We had to stop at a small place fifteen kilometres from Linhsien.

Saturday 3 December

Gerhard fell ill last night. Either he had overindulged last night on Chinese food, or some bad fruit did it. In any case, we had to get a litter made. This is a kind of stretcher on which a house is placed, and which is carried by two horses or mules. Thus he could lie down, for he was unable to ride. We used our two mounts. I sat in half the way, but it was so cold that I walked the rest.

At twelve o'clock we came here to Linhsien. Here they stood on their heads in Christmas cleaning and had not expected us for Tuesday.

Based on the telegram we had sent from Suiteh, they had calculated that we needed that long. But we were received with open arms.

So we finally arrived after almost four weeks of travel. It's nice to be in a home again, and sit on a proper toilet where you can close the door! It is also nice to lie in a bed again. The trip is over, and so is this diary." Mother Inger wrote this from her honeymoon late in 1938.

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