No way in !

So - todays experience, which I have to admit is a pretty standard China experience, actually started yesterday afternoon when I suddenly decided I needed to travel from Nanchang to Shanghai today.

Catch the first train on the ultra efficient China high speed rail network north. About a 700km Journey - completed in just over 4hrs.

So - because it was last minute I needed to order an eticket to pickup at the station. Did this through our AMEX agency. All good so far.

Now to today. Up at 5.30. At breakfast in my Nanchang Hotel - The Shangri-la - by 6am. All good so far.

Go to the concierge to order a Taxi - no concierge! He’s gone AWOL! No worries - get the receptionist to find him. Concierge is a young lad - early 20’s. Seems clueless! I show him my train booking - ask for Taxi. No action. Back to Reception. Now we have action. Double check they have the right station - Taxi ordered on DiDi. Arrived in a couple of minutes and I’m off to the station.

About 30mins later we pull up in a street. Taxi driver say “OK” and pulls the latch on the boot so I can get my luggage. Only issue - I can’t see a station !

He then waves his hand forward and I see other people walking down a one way street with luggage. So I guess this is as close as he can get to the station. I pay with Wechat - I don’t cash or cards now in China and get out. Collect my luggage and set off.

About 50m down the road it opens to a square and there is the station. Only issue is it’s surrounded by a 2m high metal fence. No entrance!

I see people walking down into an underground area. I also see signs saying Tickets. Seems logical to go down. I find myself in the arrivals area. Ok - follow the Ticket Office signs, past arrivals. Offices are all closed. The ‘Exit’ is blocked or it was through a particularly smelly set of toilets. I look for another out.

I see one on the other side - it goes back up ! Met by the 2m high fence again ! So I start to follow the fence. Has to be a way in somewhere. Get my Baidu translate out - ask it “where is the entrance to the station”. Get my Chinese translation and stop the first people I pass - a couple of young Chinese students. They read my English note ! But then they say they’re not sure - maybe I should keep going !

So I do - I’ve now walked from one side of the Station square to the other. Eventually I see a police hut and a gap in the fence - success !

But - now I need a ticket office. Just my luck, it’s all the way back from where I came. No wonder you don’t see many fat people in China if this is what it takes to get into the train station !

I should have mentioned - as it’s summer here in China - this was all done with temperatures about 35oC and high humidity. So when I finally stand in the non-Air Conditioned ticket office, I’m dripping with sweat.

Getting my ticket was no problem - although I think the woman on the counter had lost her ability to smile. Shouted at the person in front of me and just looked completely annoyed at me.

The normal China station security checks were simple enough and as I entered the cavernous station itself that looks like most stations in China, they called my train. So - on the train - traveling at 300km/hr to Shanghai.

#Travel #China