A couple of weeks ago, I decided to go to Guilin for October Holiday. At that moment, I had not thought of the difficulties that would ensue in my attempt to travel there. In my naivety, I actually thought it would be pretty easy. It probably would have been easy if I had attempted to buy train tickets a few days earlier.
A week before my intended departure, I hiked up the mountain on top of which the train station is located. I was so proud. I thought, "Here it is. My big moment of independence. I will buy the train tickets myself." Well, I arrived after what seemed like a million steps to a line full of eager ticket buyers. My stomach sank. "I bet they all want to go to Guilin too," I thought. If I could speak more Chinese than the little I know, I would have encouraged them all to go to Wuhan. Its always hot there. And they have Metro. Who wouldn't want to go to Metro? After 10 mins in line, I got to the counter. I then attempted to buy the tickets. My heart sank as those 2 well-known syllables soared out of the ticket lady's mouth and landed on my sweaty ears, "Mei you." Oh no. No tickets! No tickets a week before! At that moment, I became more determined than ever. I was going to get tickets to Guilin.
The race was on. I had 7 days to get tickets. I called my travel agent friend. He said no problem. He called back and told me, "Problem." Hard seats for Monday to Guilin and Friday from Guilin. 3 days in Guilin? No way. I took them anyway just in case. My friend Peach had some friends in Wuhan pick me up tickets. We thought they were sleeper tickets for Saturday the day I wanted to leave. Nope. Hard seat for the day before. Seeing as I had to teach that day, I delightfully turned them down and paid for them. They said it would be hard to get tickets but I wasn't backing down. I already had emergency tickets so all was just ok. Jian Qiang looks for tickets all week for me. I am stressed because I am still not sure. I was turning down cheap airplane tickets left and right because I wanted to wait for Jian Qiang. Friday morning comes - no tickets. Friday at lunch I get a text from Jian. I have tickets for Saturday. Prayers have been answered. In the same minute (No lie!) Rufus texts me and says he can't leave on Saturday. I thought about leaving without him, but he too was already excited about going. I have to turn Jian's tickets down and embarrassingly I ask for Sunday tickets. Luck turned my way and for one second I saw that smirk on her face that said, "I love toying with you people." In her compassion, I get 2 tickets for Sunday in a sleeper train. I was ecstatic. I was going to Guilin.
My favorite thing about this whole situation is the continuing inconsistencies I run into everyday in China. Last October, my friends and I wanted to go to Beijing. At the last minute we got 6 sleeper train tickets to Beijing. That was marvelous; but the whole time people kept telling us to go early and buy tickets. We learned later that if we had gone early the ticket sellers would have left and told us to come later. Sometimes, it seems there is no right way. Luck is either for or against you. However, my friends went to Xi'an this year and bought tickets early. Smart move. I just laugh at my situation because in my search, I ended up with tickets for Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to Guilin. Even the connected people (like my travel agent friend) said there were no tickets left and that I was out of luck. Oh well, it seems that most things are possible if you just give it time. And in case you were wondering, I had to pay for 2 sets of the 4 sets of tickets. 1 set of tickets isn't too much to pay to have things work out the way you want them to.
More later.
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