I hate it! I hate it! I hate this stupid National Day s***! Why does all of China have to be on the move all at the same time? Never heard of a mobile phone? Ugh.

Continuing from Tuesday night I force myself on the train. Luckily it is a bit less crowded than on the way here, but still far from comfortable. I stay at the end of the wagon, right next to the entrance - not that I could go anywhere - and patiently wait until the conductor closes the door and we start moving. Forcefully I push my bag after a bit of elbow work and cross looks towards the door, lay it down flat and sit on it. From the looks of the people I am not the most popular guy here for securing myself such a sweet spot, but f***'em! I try to get some sleep, holding on to my daypack for dear life, but without much success. The damned food-lady comes by every twenty minutes pushing everyone sitting in the alley out of the way. I get more than a healthy dose of smelly arms and asses in my face. Every time the train stops more people board and my personal sphere gets smaller and smaller. Some f***ing idiot even decides to smoke, but all I can achieve with a very angry look and overtly theatrical hand waves is for him to blow the death-gas some other way. I almost get some sleep when the train stops again and people board from my side. I have to stand up, move my suitcase. This is gonna suck soo much! But! The conductor can't open the door, the lock is jammed. Ha! f***er! At least no threats on this side. Although I wonder if there's an accident how the hell we are supposed to get out? I doze off for no more than 20-30 minutes at a time. My leg goes numb several times, first left, then right, then both, then interchanged. Such a NOT good idea to go travelling at this time.

Like a half-zombie I arrive in Beijing West Railway Station at five in the morning. A big maps shows the subway map of Beijing with a station here. I look around everywhere but can't find it. No signs! Just stupid security checks everywhere. And not a damn person speaks English. Not even the station master! All I get is this stupid, stupid numb looks and "Bu" and "Mai no", together with shaking of the hands, meaning "No". f***'em. I walk outside, even willing to take a taxi, but even he flicks me off. The foreigner is too much trouble. So I just trod to the nearest subway station, the suitcase's third wheel broken off, and arrive at the hostel... just to hear they're full. Holy f***ing FU!

Thank god she only meant the private rooms. The dorm is still available. Check in, take off awfully smelling shoes, washing feet and dropping on the bed like a dead man. Falling asleep instantly.

That was about the first half of yesterday. The afternoon I spend walking around outside the Forbidden City - can't be bothered to go in - and Behai Park. At least that's nice. And I find this amazingly delicious local bakery with sweets. Aaaah! Mao's mausoleum is of course only open in the morning and closed on Thursday. My checklist of looking at dictators in a glass coffin remains incomplete...

Today I visit the Summer Palace. Finally. Even invited the nice receptionist from CNCC to join me as she's never been there. What can I say? The park must be really, really beautiful... if. If the Chinese get their act together and finally get rid of the pollution. All day today, yesterday, and probably since the last time it rained the city has been engulfed in a milky white fog. You can directly look into the sun. Visibility about 200 metres. Horrible. I don't really mind not having a camera. All the photos would've looked like crap. The people can say whatever they want, but this smog. Not mist as the good ol'party makes them believe. But I'm not sure how much they actually care. Just looking around you can see people of any age chucking away wrappers, plastic bottles, paper in the park itself. Horrible, again. I have dinner with the girl, then hurry back to my hostel. The flight is leaving at seven in the morning tomorrow and as the first subway line opens around half past five I will be too late.

So I've been here at the airport terminal since about ten in the evening, not being able to check in, on the internet, writing my almost final entry and eating more delicious bakery stuff I picked up earlier today from the same place. But mainly being bored. Aside from the few Arabs, especially now at three in the morning, there is nobody here. There is some Asian dude sleeping next to me, his feet almost up my nose. Others occupying all available benches. Meh. Looking outside is the same as the day I arrived. Misty, hazy. Horrible smog.

And I'm a bit pissed. The only good week, the only beautiful blue-coloured-sky week we had was during MICCAI. I should've skipped a day and visited the Summer Palace then. Let this be a lesson: next time in Beijing if the sky looks blue, drop any plan you have and visit the parks!

An hour and a half left in China...