Trains

Trains are a common form of transportation in China. I took a train from Bei’s hometown of Fugu to the capital of the same province, Xi’an. The train ride lasted 15.5 hours. That’s two hours longer than my flight from Chicago to Beijing!

Not only was the train ride long, it was also crowded and dirty. When we found our row of three seats and a small table between another row of three seats, there were sunflower seed shells all over the table and floor, as well as some orange peels. Then, instead of six of us sitting in one section, there were eight.

At least we had seats; you can get a ticket for the train but not have a seat. People were standing, sitting and sleeping in the aisles, in between cars, and on the steps between the upper and lower cars. There was no room to move. We had no choice but to step on people to get to the dining car.

Speaking of the dining car, I thought the food was good. I had beef and potatoes with rice. It tasted slightly like a roast. The Chinese people I was with thought it was horrible, though.

I was able to get some sleep on the train because I was against the window and could rest my head. Of course, my sleep was often interrupted because the train was so noisy and would often stop abruptly. My neck hurt when we got off the train as well.

I tell you all of these things, but I don’t want anyone to think that I am complaining. It was a new experience for me to ride a train this way, and I want to honestly describe it to you. I had fun on the train, getting to know those I was with and learning about train travel in China. Honestly, it was a good experience. I tell all of these negative aspects because want everyone who reads this, presumably from America, to know how fortunate we are!