As I said I was booked on the slow train. When we left Shanghai the carriage was only half full so I grabbed a window seat and had 3 seats all to myself. First stop was about 1/2hr after start and heaps of people got on. I managed to keep my window seat. Second stop and people got on and off and I still managed to keep my window. 2hr in and I lost my window and had to go back to the isle seat with a couple of fat blokes. At this point the train was nearly full and people everywhere were being moved to their correct seats. It was like musical chairs. Some Emo kid came up and kicked out the fattest bloke next to me so that was good. The train was starting to look like a Laos bus cos there were lost of door people standing. They sell off standing room tickets in the door spaces.
4hr in and the train is packed and we are only at Nanjing. ****!!!!! We arrive at 9.30AM not pm. What a rookie mistake. I dunno what I was thinking but the train takes 20hr NOT 9hr. My bum was hurting and my legs were asleep and we still got 16hr to go.
Bengbu seemed to be a big stop. Lots of people got on and off. All night we stopped and people got on and off. This train was soo slow cos it is the mail train, we stop at all the stations to load and unload mail and the door people travel cos it is cheap. (I paid about $25 for the trip)
By the morning I had lost me sense of humor cos I had been jostled and bashed all night and had about 10 min sleep. I had seat 112 and it was the WORST seat on the train. It is where the door people hang out and they dont care who is in the way when they are going for a seat. I had well and truly had enough. They call it "hard seat" for a reason. They were not just looking for a name they really are hard, especially after 20 hours. Now that I have been here a few hours it has all worn off and I spose it wasnt too bad......Not gonna repeat it in a hurry.
The hostel is directly across the road from the train station so I walked here. It is OK so far. After I checked in I went for breaky at KFC across the road...the only place in China to get iced coffee.
First sights were Tianamin square and the Forbidden City.....dont worry stick with me and I will get you in cos I know people. At first I walked in completely the wrong direction. Once I worked it ot I was fine and walked all the way there. I found Tianamin square a bit underwhelming. There were lots of people and the place was just a square. I couldnt get into the Chamber of the People and couldnt find Chairman Mao. Across the road is the Forbidden City. I was gonna tell you a lot about the place but I bought a book so you ALL can read about it when I get home. I found the place a little same same. After every pavilion you went through there was another one till you get right down the back and they get a bit different. You will see what I mean when I post ALL the pics.
The last couple of days in Shanghai were quite hot...mid 30s and today here has also been very hot I think high 30s. They say it is gonna rain in the next couple of days.
Tomorrow I am gonna go to the Mongolian embassy to get a visa..I hope.


I was on a mission today to get a visa. To do this I had to tackle the Beijing subway...during peak hour. The trains were coming every minute but they were full. about 10 people got off and a hundred tried to get on. There was enough people on the station to fill a train. i eventually made it to the front of the line. when the next train came it was like a rugby scrum and I was just pushed onto the train. These ******* have no concept of personal space and they dont que. Im getting better at that.
At the Mongolian embassy I met a Canadian girl and her US boyfriend and a couple of Ausies. We all helped each other out and the whole process went pretty easy. they then give you some paperwork you have to take to the bank and pay the money. No directions just an address. the whole process took a couple of hours.
Now that Im expert on the underground I decided to go to the Summer palace. Turns out the subway is really easy, the only hard part is the exit. If you take the wrong exit you can be miles from where you want to be, the stations are huge. One has three stations on top of each other....they are underground so maybe that should be under each other.
Anyway the Summer palace. the p[lace is huge. It was built in the 12th century and when it got too hot in Beijing the Emperor would go up there and laze around lake Kunming. The place has been bombed burnt and looted over the years but it is still pretty cool. There were soooo many people there, just like yesterday. BLOODY TOURISTS.
Some days things just come together and some days they dont. This arvo they didnt. Im trying to get to Erlian so I can cross to Zammyn Uud but nothing is working out for me. I can get a train on Thurs morning and cross into mongolia on Fri. I am trying to get overnight bus on Wed. Will try some more tomorrow.
There is a Wall up this way and it is pretty famous. Im going to look at it tomorrow.


I will update THIS page for another couple of days while I am here.

For anyone looking for the prompts on Facebook you will not see them. I am in China and they dont have FB here cos the govt blocks it. If you have put anything on my FB I will not be able to see it till I get to Mongolia