Chinese Trains SARA # 3
19/08/14 00:19 Filed in: China | Sara's notes
Sara describes Chinese TrainsMaking friend: I couldn't actually have a conversation but with smiles, hand gestures and body language making friends was easy (even after 4 days without a shower the Chinese still wanted to have photos with me like I was some disney theme park character... Apparently after 4 days without a shower I am beautiful "like a doll"
Forward: Without stopping to smell the roses from the Russian boarder town of Zabaykaslsk I took a bus straight across the boarder to Manzhouli in China. From Manzhouli I waited a few hours at the train station before taking a 30 hour train to Beijing arriving on August 14th. Interestingly it took longer at the boarder control leaving Russian than the boarder control coming into China. Since my Russian didn't progress sufficient in the 2weeks I don't know why it took them 10minutes to process my passport... Maybe they weren't use to an Australian passport (since I was the only non Chinese or Russian in the whole place). At any rate the whole bus was waiting for me after 10 minutes the only question I as asked was "Sara Nelson?" To which I answered "yes".
Selection of food to be bought on the Chinese train: cup-a-soup, varieties of processed package meat or a whole duck
Real Travelling
A 30 hour train ride on a Chinese train in summer in a hard seat put a whole new meaning to the word travel. It is rather indescribable! You are so hot you want to take all your clothes off but for obvious reasons can not (if you are a man it is acceptable to take your shirt off). You literally have one seat (if your lucky) this doesn't mean a personal seat but 40cm on a seat with 2 other people. After 8 hours travel it is 2am and the lights are still on, some people are still talking loudly... I feel so tied, dead, thirsty and hot. I have to tell myself just to stay calm and keep breathing. I had the incredible good fortune of getting the window seat, I was lucky to have a seat at all since many people had to bring there own seat or sit on the floor and be woken up every time somebody wants to pass.
During the day you become the celebrity of the train with many people offering you food or wanting photographs with you or finding it absolutely hilarious to say "hello" to you... A response of "hello" my be followed by fits of laughter.
Forward: Without stopping to smell the roses from the Russian boarder town of Zabaykaslsk I took a bus straight across the boarder to Manzhouli in China. From Manzhouli I waited a few hours at the train station before taking a 30 hour train to Beijing arriving on August 14th. Interestingly it took longer at the boarder control leaving Russian than the boarder control coming into China. Since my Russian didn't progress sufficient in the 2weeks I don't know why it took them 10minutes to process my passport... Maybe they weren't use to an Australian passport (since I was the only non Chinese or Russian in the whole place). At any rate the whole bus was waiting for me after 10 minutes the only question I as asked was "Sara Nelson?" To which I answered "yes".
Real Travelling
A 30 hour train ride on a Chinese train in summer in a hard seat put a whole new meaning to the word travel. It is rather indescribable! You are so hot you want to take all your clothes off but for obvious reasons can not (if you are a man it is acceptable to take your shirt off). You literally have one seat (if your lucky) this doesn't mean a personal seat but 40cm on a seat with 2 other people. After 8 hours travel it is 2am and the lights are still on, some people are still talking loudly... I feel so tied, dead, thirsty and hot. I have to tell myself just to stay calm and keep breathing. I had the incredible good fortune of getting the window seat, I was lucky to have a seat at all since many people had to bring there own seat or sit on the floor and be woken up every time somebody wants to pass.
During the day you become the celebrity of the train with many people offering you food or wanting photographs with you or finding it absolutely hilarious to say "hello" to you... A response of "hello" my be followed by fits of laughter.