4 November 2011
Back from Suzhou
The bullet train back was great, it was the first time I had sat down for many hours and I nearly fell asleep!
However the adventure is not over, the window for buying a ticket to Beijing next Wednesday was now open.
Getting off the train in Shanghai I go up many floors from arrivals to departures and walk at least a mile inside the massive building to find a ticket counter with the 'English service available' sign.
I wait paitently in the long line, now the sport begins.
People are trying to push in, as their needs are urgent, they are explaining it to the people they are pushing in front of.
The other tactic is to yell at someone at the window pretending you know them, and then just go straight to the front of the line.
When this occurs, those of us in line take great offence, and grab them and push them away! It was excellent fun.
This might sound racist, but generally this involves an argument and yelling etc. with people explaining why they should be allowed to push in, unless its me that grabs someone and shoves them away, which results in a stunned look on the guilty parties face!
Eventually I get to the front of the line....foreigners, CASH ONLY!
No problem, theres an ATM right behind me, and now I get to line up again and physically assault some more queue jumpers.
Bonus train photo.
Back in Shanghai, this place is right near my hotel, it looks great with the light shining up. I presume its a revolving restaurant.
Day ends as it begun, mass ballroom dancing.