I’ve eaten and rushed to Guangzhou train station to take a train to Hangzhou. I got off in the right place and it seems everything was going smooth. I came to some waiting hall and I didn’t know where to go next. There was a shorter queue on one side. I walked to the main entrance, where was like a million people. I showed my ticket to some local an dhe just noded his head confirming that I was going to the right direction. I’ve entered the train station and I had to scan everything even my wallet on the neck. The station was huge! It had three escalators going up and same amount of going down. I sat on the bench and waited for my train, because I came an hour early. After half an hour waiting I’ve started looking for my train. People were just laying on the ground around me: some sleeping, some sitting. I found the gates were I need to go. Suddenly something changed on the board and the voice is repeating something in Chineese. Such fun! I didn’t understand anything of course on what’s going on. I’ve kind of already got used to that. There was a crowd again, similar to the one entering the train station. It looks like they have changed the gate, but I’ve manged to find it by asking around and boarded succesfully the right train. The seats were similar like we have them in Lithuanian in the newer carraiges were they are a bit softer.
The train starts moving and leaves the station. Only after 4 hours in the train it seemed like eternity. My back was just killing me! Very sharp pain and I have no idea how I am going to go up the stairs to Yellow mountain! It was also very noisy, as the locals were shouting and talking loud. Some people were watching TV with a sound on, some listening to music with no earphones and some just taking out those marinated eggs and just peeling them off straight on the floor. Later on, some guy started telling anecdotes in Chineese and a big crowd around him was listening to him. A view worth a picture!
The carriage had around 110 seats and another 100 people were standing. Some were on the floor, some leaning to the seats and some leaning to me! Everyone was constantly eating, peeling sunflower seeds throwing straight on the floor. I think we don’t even need hens and goats as by the end of the trip this will look like a barn! I was really tired from all the noise and it was very uncomfortable to sleep as I was sitting in a small seat. I was trying to put my head on the edge of the table and sleep.
There was still 13 hours of travel and it is already getting hot in the carraige. Luckily, it seems my cold went away. That local vitamin C that I’ve bought here has worked. Whole 80RMB for it! Basically the same as two nights in the hostel!
5 hours already passed when I boarded this loud train. The people were going back and forth all time like migrating birds and continuing eating. Every 15 min the carriage seeling food passes by and everyone has to get up from the ground. Some trying to squize in through 10cm gap between the carriage and the seats and some do manage somehow.
Two girls were sleeping on the table as well. The other two just finished eating a bag of fruits and threw all the trash on the floor and the train worker just brushed them all with a broom. One local guy was doing his hair infront of the mirror, taking his precious time. It looked very narcisistic. What a pity I didn’t get to buy some beer, but another guy just jumped in front of me and bought the last one. So I was left without a drink. It would be nice to take a shot of Baijiu and just fall asleep until 7 am. That would be just perfect!
The time comes when all the sounds start irritating you and when the pain in your sides becomes unbearable and you stop feeling your legs and you just plug the earphones to your ears and turn on Sigur Ros music. Suddenly annoying chitters becomes an ocean of music and pain subsides while the whole body becomes numb and you don’t feel anything anymore. I was just staring with a numb look into the hyroglypcs on the announcement board and to the tired faces around me. My ears could only hear Sigur Ros and I was becoming drowsy and sleepy until I passed out. I woke up after an hour switch my numb legs and felt asleep again. It was only 6h left and only listening to Sigur Ros whole the way.
Finally, the trip was going to the end. The local guy who was sitting next to me helped me to understand where to get off as there was no anouncements of the stops. By the way, in one of the stops during the night I bought an oven baked chicken quarter. It was quite dry in this unbearable heat and quite rubbery. I put the bones into a plastic bag and then just threw it to the pile of rubbish on the floor. I am asimilating to the local culture and not in a good way. Towards the end of the ride I was changing to all possible positions: sideways, on my knees, turning around, but it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.
Once I got off, the same guy who was sitting next to me helped me to get into taxi as there was quite a big queue and I couldn’t really explain where I am going anyway. I was really greatful that he did this for me and explained the destination to the driver.
I’ve prepared my cameras in the hostel and mounted all the filters and seems quite good. Later, I’ve just eaten the most delicious fish in my life in a local restaurant with a brown sauce, which I think is the local recipe! One bone got stuck in my throat and I was trying to explain to the waiter, but she couldn’t understand me. I think she thought I was saying that it was very good and they were just nodding their heads. I thought I will need to go to the hospital to get it removed! In the end I managed to wash it down with some beer.
Right now I am resting and chilling. Very hot today. I haven’t made any pictures today, because prepared for solar eclipse with all the fitlers. Maybe tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.