Sun, 10 Sept 2006
Mode of transport: Train (hard seat)
Cost: 60 RMB
Duration: approx 8 hours
Squashed into a window seat with 6 pairs of legs cris-crossing with yours and 100 pairs of eyes staring down at your seat: Priceless
0026 hrs:
Local passengers plonk their asses onto any available crack or crevice they could find. Villagers and merchants wrestled on board with oversized sacks of merchandise, shoving them under the seats and above the overhead compartments. RBW bags (red, blue and white striped bags) were a common sight.
A baby was wailing behind me. I tried to turn but my canned-sardine position prevented such motion. Mike stared in horror as a mother pulled out a few bottles of sweetened green tea and handed them out to some wide-eyed kids. As the kids got their high out of the deadly caffeinated syrup, Mike knew that it was going to be another long night.
0137 hrs:
More passengers got on the train. Aisle was full with standing passengers.
0206 hrs:
Even more passengers were crammed into the carriage. Aisle was exploding.
0330 hrs:
Pandemonium broke out. Train was packed beyond imagination. Not an inch of space was visible.
Passengers could not alight. Lady A threw her luggage out the window and jumped out. Guy B followed suit, literally climbing over the sea of fellow passengers as he made his way towards the open window.
Mike’s jaw dropped.
0411 hrs:
My bottle of water was already half empty. I stared at the packed corridor outside the toilet and back at the 100 pairs of eyes preying on my seat.
No. You are not leaving your seat. Think of a happy place…la..la..la.
After nth stop:
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