18 hourstrain ride from Xian to Cheng dao. My heart sank as we arrived, all grey andovercast, I am desperate for some daylight and if possible sunshine!
Interestingtrip.
Yesterday 9thgot up late, somewhat hungover from the dumpling making and booze party at Dan and Fabbies hostel, good fun. Managed to go the History museum, pretty good and got back to hostel for about 4.15 havingdone a little shopping of pot noodles abd biscuits. Pot noodles will be good onthe train as we will have the boiling water on tap.
Struggled finding a taxi. This tricycle pulls up and having told her where I want to go,she puts up 4 fingers, which to me means 4Y, dirt cheap, but then she explainsby pulling out 40 to show me what she means, I cracked up laughing, the goingrate in a taxi is about 10, I walk away, she persists and drops her rate to 20 just like that. I dont like dealing with her and tell hergoodbye. Time is short, I need to be at the railway station at least 30 minutes before the trip.
I get approached by a few moped drivers but not keen on the idea. Eventually I accept one, having negotiated him down to 10 from 20Y, and pile on my luggage, the big pack goes front of his leg, small daypack(which is literally busting and I am seriously concerned the stuff will fallout on the streets of Xian) on my back and holding a carrier bag in my arm.
We almost hit a number of pedestrians, got cut up by cars and tricycles, and pushed intoa tree by a bus, but when I walked onto the platform it showed 17.10, I don't know how. Moped was slow and silent but I guess with a taxi I wouldnt have got through the traffic.
The usual bottleneck at the entrance to the station, hundreds of people with varying shaped and sized bundles trying to funnel through a corridor made up of steel barriers, barriers are everywhere, lining up the streets, along the pavements. all the luggage is also xrayed at the entrance which slows things down further.
The compartments on the train were open to the corridor, only 3 walls basically, I have booked a lower bunk which was quite comfortable, except you can hear people having conversations in the next rooms, food and drink trolleys going by and people going to the loo or a for smoke all night. Slept strangely ok, whenyou have no choice you somehow adapt.
The food onsale is quite healthy, one trolley all fresh fruits in cellophane, one trays offood with rice vegetables and meat portions and another drinks and varioussnacks. There are other staff also walking around selling anything ranging fromgood-luck charms to portable dvd players. There is also boiling water available most places including the train so people can make tea or soak up their pot noodles, every one seems to carry little flasks, afer my Xian trip I was better prepared with a flask and a bag full of food including potnoodles. there are very organised travel and feeding systems in place in most places, as well as continuous cleaning and sweeping to deal with the garbage constantly thrown on the floor.
China