Trainspotting
Trip Start
Mar 14, 2006
1
34
374
Trip End
Mar 15, 2007
Liuzhou,
China
Sunday, April 16, 2006
Having tired of walking in the wrong direction out of bus stations I jumped on the back of a motorbike taxi to get to the train station and was handed a workmen's hardhat as a helmet as the only protection for my noggin from his Evil Knievel like driving ability with a poor young girl being accosted by the driver to translate where I wanted to go.
My train was not leaving till 2:30am, there were earlier ones but this was the cheapest with it arriving in Chongqing at a decent time to get down to the dock and find a boat.
Heavy Load
There did not appear to be much to do or see in Liuzhou, although I was not really looking, so apart from having some steamed dumplings at a nearby eatery most of the time was spent waiting in the train station having staring competitions with most of the other passengers. It did get pretty annoying after a while and you do sometimes just want to shout "What!" at some of the more lingering stares either that or break in to a little song and dance routine to at least give them something worthwhile to stare at.
A few did at least come up and speak including a guy from Korea who was just glad to see another foreigner to speak to since he spoke no Chinese at all despite me thinking he was Chinese at first. Before his train left we talked about the world cup and he was pretty optimistic about Korea's chances and I almost wished I said I was from England to not have to admit that we did not even qualify.
Hanging around the station gave me a good view of the Chinese queuing system or lack there of. From what I could tell it consisted of a three stage plan of attack:
1. Herd together as tightly as possible.
2. Wait for train entrance gate to open.
3. CHARGE!!!
