Beyond the Wall of China
by
Sally Herman
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We decided to take the overnight train from Wuxi to Beijing, some 22 plus hours (a lot longer than the plane, but easier on my nerves and more interesting). We were put in a four person, (two bunk beds), compartment with another couple. Luggage was stored on a shelf high up at the foot of the upper bunks. There was barely space for all of our gear, but with some help, we managed. The beds looked as if they would make up into day-seats, but to our surprise they did not.
Our time in the compartment was fascinating even though our bunkmates did not speak much English, and we spoke no Chinese. I slept on the top bunk, as Steve is a restless sleeper and there were no guard rails. Apparently this is unusual in China as I received a rather panicked look from the gentleman, a research doctor, who occupied the upper bunk on the other side of our compartment. I guess the Chinese are not accustomed to having their women on top! The doctor took advantage of my absorption in the book I was reading to change into his starch-white pajamas, without my even realizing anything was going on. It was some coup! On the bottom bunk, his wife, also a research doctor, slept as I did, fully, but comfortably clothed.
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The gentleman was extremely helpful, in that he protected us from the ticket taker. Our guide, in his rush to get off the moving train, took our tiny red plastic room assignment pieces, which needed to be returned at the end of the trip. We ended up paying an extra $2 for the lost plastic pieces, which were so small we would have misplaced them anyhow. By turning a small dial we would have never noticed, our booth-mate also turned off the incessant noise reverberating through the sleeper. Chinese cannot live without noise, it seems, so there was constant music, dramatic recitations, and other programs read by the train conductors - to us, it was extremely annoying, and we were delighted to have it silenced. Our Chinese traveling companion took some risk however, because he was not sure how we would react, and was relieved when we smiled.
What were the advantages of the train?
While we spent a long time in a confined space, we shared that space with a Chinese couple with whom we literally spent the night. The connection, though limited somewhat by a language barrier, was nonetheless meaningful. We saw how they ate, we learned a little about their daily lives and their professions, why they regularly take the train to Beijing instead of flying, and other minor details. And of course, we saw parts of China we would never have seen from a plane, particularly a very pretty area about half way to Beijing. We also saw pieces of modern roads, but they did not seem to be connected, and there were more donkeys pulling carts than there were modern cars. I had asked in Wuxi if we could drive to Beijing, about 1000 miles, I think. But, our driver and guide literally fell into prolonged laughter, the idea was so absurd to them. So much for infrastructure!
An excellent resource for your China adventure is Nagel’s Encyclopedia Guide: China (1986). Geneva, Switzerland: Nagel Publishers. This is an compendium of information discussing history, art, economics, politics and culture. Do you want to learn Chinese games, or read about the “Principles of Chinese Gastronomy”? Get this book!
Web-peditions in Learning : Travel and learn from the classroom and from home.
A Cyberway to China ... Great graphics.
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