At first I was shocked that the Beijing train station was so insanely crowded, but then I realized that I was traveling on their National Holiday: that I was looking at Grand Central on July 4th. This train station, however, was more like an airport, huge and clean with big billboards and different “waiting areas.” The bathroom was its own experience all together. After passing the stall with no door, and the woman who wouldn’t let that stop her, and another woman, bare-chested and bathing in the mop sink, I had to re-evaluate my need for a squat toilet.
The whole trip was like a video game with check points for different levels. Somehow get the taxi driver to get you to the train station: advance to the square. Find the “square outside the north gate” and the man with the green flag and Chinese writing: advance to the train. Find your train and sleeper car and make it to the top of 3 bunks: advance to Inner Mongolia. Find your tour guide’s yellow flag and Chinese writing: advance to the bus, where you can sit for 1.5 hours before it moves, and then not know where you’re ending up. Success!
One advantage of being a Chinese-deaf-mute on a Chinese tour is that you don’t have to listen to the tour guide’s boring speeches blared over the bus PA system.
One disadvantage is that you have no idea what’s going on at any moment.
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