A Train Ride to Beijing

I haven’t been picky at all with what we do while I am in China. I have left most of the plans up to Pengfei. He insists that we go to the capital of China, Beijing before I have to leave China. It is said by natives, that you cannot say you have been to China until you reach the highest point on the Great Wall of China, so that is exactly what we plan to do.

Pengfei’s family sets up the details of the trip for us. We decide to join a tour group in Beijing to cut down on coast and see as much of the city as we can. The plot twist of this is, it’s an all-Chinese tour group and the instructor barely speaks English.

To reach Beijing we take a train from Hangzhou. This is my first extensive train ride I’ve ever been on. It seem that China is managing to take a variety of my virginity, and I quite like it. What a better place to do so. A place that is so foreign to me yet begins to feel so much like a new home with new friends and family.

Upon entering the train, we usher down the small isle ways to make it to our cabin. I have little knowledge of train cabins, but I thought we had a cabin alone. The reference I have in my mind is Harry Potter and their train travel to Hogwarts. How simple minded I must be you’re thinking. Well, you’re right. The cabin is composed of 6 beds; bunked. At first I am not all that worried.

Pengfei and I claim the top bunks as an older woman and her daughter house the lower two. Any sudden movement vertically and I could practically cripple myself, or a jerk to the one side and I will topple from the top. I feel like the Princess and the Pea.

An elderly man now enters and climbs into the second bunk. He doesn’t smell the fondest and begins to undress to change to more comfortable clothing. Prior to this, Pengfei and I jokingly mentioned upgrading. At this point a joke quickly became reality. We changed upgraded our tickets to a private cabin with two beds and a joining bathroom.

Upon exiting the two women ask what we were doing and Pengfei tells them we are upgrading. They mention that this must be expensive.

We slept very sound that night to say the least. Money really can buy happiness.