A very bumpy and cramped bus ride got us to Beijing West train station. Lucky the bus stops are displayed in English and Chinese or we would have been circling Beijing all day. The station is massive, slick and clean but packed to capacity. Our first local train in China, destination Datong. We had the hostel arrange the £6 ticket for a £2 fee (well worth it). The earlier train had standing room only availble but standing for 6 hours is not an option for us. We got a “hard seat” which turned out to be a typical train seat. To continue a theme, the carriage was stuffed. Not only were all the seats full but the floor too, making it difficult for anyone to move anywhere. People were constantly up and down the carriage including fruit and food trolleys inspiring mass shuffling on a regular basis. It was also noisy, very noisy and we were the only westeners onboard.

As the guy across from me munched on a vacuum packed chicken’s foot I settled into some podcasts and catching up on posts. After 3 hours or so the guy behind me said hello and in his broken English he explained that he had never met a westerner before – not sure I belive him but the stares we got from passengers passing by indicated the novelty. Especially funny were the startled looks we got from a four year old provoking chuckles from the surrounding passengers.

The guy opposite V started chatting to us. His English was marginally better and we spent the next couple hours helping him practice his English and getting a list of phonetic Chinese words and phrases. A really pleasant young chap heading home after completing his studies. He has ambitions of studying further in the US so that he can bring the knownledge home and help his country (the indoctrination runs deeps).

Arriving in Datong we said goodbye to our new friend and departed the station in search of a hotel. The city looked as described – air thick with coal dust and pollution, loud, muggy and unabashedly industrial.

Although it was after 10pm the square was packed and chaotic. Before we got far a tout nabbed us. Insisting that we wanted to stay near the station he led us on foot to a hotel that looked ok. Around £12 for the night. Our pleasant (not very pushy tout) explained (barely) that he has a taxi and that he could take us around the sites in the morning. We agreed to sleep on it.

V is still sick. Coughing her lungs up. No sign of a ‘Normal’ pharmacy until Xian in 4 or 5 days time.

[Pictures: Packed train]

– Posted from my iPhone via Edge