Hardcore-Train-Travelling

Ignore previous mentioned time announcements: The journey described here took me 25 hours from my door in Shanghai to the door of my friend in Guangzhou, and lots of unfamiliar and strange things happened to me as foreigner…

Shanghai South Railway Station Lobby

Entering the underground in Shanghai, traveling for 45 minutes to the Shanghai East Railway Station. The whole train station seems to be a “little” airport: walking around far distances on several levels, do a security check before entering into the futuristic Lobby，searching for the correct waiting room and wait for the gates to open. After opening everybody is running down the escalators (D: Rolltreppen) and trying to fetch its (reserved) place or bed. At every door of the train stood one employee checking if you have the correct ticket and helping you to get into the train.

I had good luck that there were not too many travelers this day – so in our “compartment” of the wagon were just two guys. “Compartments” are consisting of 6 beds (3 above each other), a wagon of about 10 compartments put next to each other without separation to the corridor. So, it better can be compared to military barrack dormitory bunks (D: Militärischer Schlaafsaal). Dirty plastic floors, a more dirty carpet on it and spick and span (D: blitzblank) white blankets and new beddings boosted this effect for me (I never have seen mentioned military room, but I imagine like this). And the whole train got afloat with traditional Chinese music through the loudspeakers – for the whole journey… Except at night – at 10 o’clock they turned off the music and all lights (no small lights for individuals available, just if you buy a private torch). Only the general screaming for sleeping time was missing…

Unluckily, not just my mobile phone refused its work some days ago, also my digital camera did not want to switch on one day before leaving. During the drive I cleaned contacts and after putting some cartoon for fixing a gap it worked again. But, unluckily I forgot my memory card at home in the computer, so I just was able to make 10 pictures at the internal memory (which I cannot copy at the moment cause of the cable being in Austria) which I cannot show now, unfortunately.

But beside already known surface of high risers and city feeling I saw rice fields, huts, afloat and lie waste (D:brach liegen) grasslands, big big rivers (at least double size of the Danube 😉 ) and nice landscape. The only problem was the bad weather, sight was very limited and I was happy to be inside the train. Even it was cold Chinese trains (as well as metro) use air conditionings, and the best place was under the bedspread…

Loudspeaker sayings and bord personnel didn’t speak any English, outside signs at the train stations we passed also have been painted with artistic strokes instead of a simple latin charset what I am used to. After some time of riding the train the bord personnel came and changed the tickets with small chips identifying your place/bed. When we were in the train for some hours I was worrying if the train maybe will be late or to early and how I will recognize when to get out after about 18 hours? One guy next to me spoke some simple words in English and promised to help me when we are there. Calming calming (D: beruhigend)… And my memory said something with between 5 and 6, my “english speaking” friend told me 6h40, at the telephone I got the information of something about 6h16, and the plan in the train (a whole wall full with numbers and Chinese signs) told me – as far as I understood and interpreted with the times I already “knew” – that it will arrive at 4h22, 6h55 or 7h33.

At 5 o’clock in the morning I got reminded for the army again when the light got switched on. Shortly wake up and laying down again for resting,but !definitely! no more sleeping just because of the fear to miss the station… At 5h50 bord personnel came to wake me up and change the ticket back. At this moment I knew that it will not be very far till my final destination and was happy, that this big time problem got resolved in such an easy way.

Also the others got up and everybody tried to enter the washing area next to our compartment (which was at the end of the wagon): One metal table with mirrors and three water taps, and lots of people waiting in line to get their place/time to brush their teeth (I don’t have to mention my military association)

What I completely forgot to write: Because we were the last compartment at all times people were walking through to get to toilet. And as we know that Chinese like to spit loudly and heartly, I heard in a minutes interval these sounds just a few meters away…

After arriving at the correct train station (and letting the ticket check from several people, because I was not able to read the Chinese word for the city/train station) just got out of the building – and felt lost… Called my friend, got a taxi, she gave him instructions to which busstation he should bring me (20min drive), and then? Which bus will of the big western traveler buses is the correct one? Calling again, using an old man (also waiting for buses) as a translator between Chinese and understandable hand gestures I got the right bus and drove about another 40 minutes into the suburb of my friend. She picked me up at this bus station and we drove with another bus into her area of the suburb before we started our walk to her house.

So, I just wrote about the strange things of this train trip, but at this moment I was happy to see her again after such a long time and happy that I arrived well in the correct place. In my next post I will write about the nice (holi)days in Guangzhou, about the city, cultural trips, parks, shopping possibilities, a traditional market, some pics from the best seafood I ate – and, you never will guess – my flight back… 🙂