Fast Train to Shanghai

This turned from a simple overland trip by train to the most interesting adventure on my Around the World  Cruise. I expected it to be more challenging because of the language, distance, enormity of the population and geography but, as Robert Burns wrote, "The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley." Boy did they a-gley!

After going to see the Great Wall all morning and not finding an ATM to get Chinese currency (they don't take credit cards in taxis nor American credit cards at most places), I tried to reboard the ship to get at least some U.S. currency. That was the first in a long series of problems. The second issue was language.

The Chinese immigration officers told me I'd already left the ship and where was the copy of my passport that had been stamped for entry? It didn't matter that I had my actual passport in my hand already stamped. All the while the last tour buses were in and boarding.  Once everyone was on the ship, it was immediately pulling out. 

After a long delay and auguements on their cellphones in Chinese, one of their officials came and escorted me on to the ship and off, after I got cash out of the ship's ATM. Once again, the ship's personnel were confused by what was happening with me. This after thinking I'd missed the ship twice before. They were thinking, "What now?"

They pulled the gangplank stairway literally as I was stepping off it.

I went out to the front of the terminal and found no taxis, no buses and just a few terminal employees leaving for home. And, it was getting cold. I asked one of them to call a cab for me.  My phone does not work at all in China. He did but, the taxi driver refused to come out. Tienjin Cruise Terminal is 20 miles from Tienjin with nothing but an empty road between them.

There was a group of terminal employees car-pooling home in a sub-compact car. They put me in the passenger seat and four of them squeezed into the backseat. They drove me 25 miles to the train terminal in Tienjin. They knew little English and the only Chinese I knew was shein-shein (thank you).

I picked up that they had to carpool because the driver was the only one with a car. One girl failed the first (of 4) driver test three times. You had to have a driver's license and insurance, and a deposit before you could appy to buy a car. It was a faster process if you knew somebody in government that could help.  She didn't know anyone.

We waved good bye enthusiastically at the railway station when they dropped me off. I gave them more than the taxt would have been "for gas." I had to insist they took it but the driver was grateful.

Once in the station the third problem was solved. There was a working ATM at the station that took VISA cards. Then another issue: the rest of the trains for the evening to Beijing were sold out. Damn, I'm in a tight spot. The railway clerk, also with very limited English skills, managed to get across at my insistence that there was another way.  I bought a ticket on the next train to another town in a different direction about and hour and a half away.  There I changed trains to Beinjing. Whew!

I get to Beinjing and it is the biggest railway station in the world. And it FULL of people with trains leaving every few minutes to everywhere else. It is dark now and I need a cab.  Here we go again.  There are none.  Everyone is going out on trains or coming in the subway or buses. Damn, I'm in a tight spot.

There were however motorbikes all over, the drivers begging for business. I knew how far it was to the hotel, which was a Howard Johnson's beleive it or not.  I negotiated a price and strapped my backpack on my back and hopped on, off into the night.

This was an electric motorbike driven by a tiny man.  I could see forward over his head. I bet over 95% of the bikes, and there are thousands and thousands of them, are electric. Into the streets we went with the lights, including headlight, turned off. I'm guessing it drains the battery more as none of the other bikes on the road had lights on as they raced through traffic liked they own the street.  In a sense, they do.  

I later found out that pedestrians, even in cross-walks have to yield to the bikes. Many a tourist is hurt that way. They used not only the streets, ignored redlights but, had their own bike lanes and raced down sidewalks to get around traffic. All the while honking their irritating little horns at padestrains who where hopping out of the way.

We drove close to Tiananmen Square and right by the Forbidden City quickly but quietly, picking up speed on the downhills. We got to the hotel and I paid him and added a tip. He stepped in front of me and gestered with his hand that he had 3 small children, as he gave me the pitiful big eyes. I made the as international symbol for squeezing tears out of my eye and playing a tiny violin and he broke down laughing, I gave him an addition 10 Yuan anyway.  The night ride was worth it.

The hotel had a bathtub! I only have a shower in the ship. However, the next challenge.  I had to get up at 5:00 to get ready, dress, get a real cab back to the railway station, figure out how to get the ticket for the G5 I'd already paid for that left at 7:00. 

They leave AT 7:00. I finally found the ONE window out of a hundred to pick up a paid-for ticket. Since Google is banned in China and although I had good wi-fi in the hotel I could not get my Gmail that had the instructions for getting my ticket in the chaos and maddess that is Beijing Railway Station.

I finally did get my ticket and the clerk waved me away and uttered the only words of English I heard from her, "Hurry, hurry. Hurry, hurry!"  I did find, not my gate but, the waiting area for my gate and it was already full of people jockying to the front. I joined in, got to the gate. The ticket worked and opened the turnstile. I followed everyone engulfed in the wave of people to the escalator down to the tracks. 

Did I say they LEAVE at 7:00?  I was booked in car 16 and not even close when the conducter started blowing his whistle that the doors were closing.  I jumped into car 8 and walked back to car 16 as the train started moving.

Crew before departure from Beijing

Did I mention that everything in China and Japan is built for much shorter and smaller people? I'd bought a 1st Class ticket for that reason. There had to be well over a thousand people on this train. First Class was a third of the last car, and seperated by a silent sliding translucent glass door. There were 5 seats the size of home theatre seating. I was one of only 4 passengers. 

The stewardess took off our shoes and gave us slippers, then brought us hot tea. Smooth as silk  we are doing about 250 mph. Breakfast Mr. Beach? Yes. Later, a blanket Mr. Beach? Yes. The blanket even was shaped so it covered each sholder - comfy! She even covered the passenger next to me who was already asleep.  Yes indeed, things are looking up. Later lunch was nice just before we got into Shanghai, some 1250 km and 4 hours and 20 minutes later. My car even stopped in the station not 20 yards from the police station which was going to be my first stop anyway.

Shanghai Station Platform

Boy, my problems are over. I visited with the police and then walked around Shanghai knowing my ship wouldn't be into port for a few hours yet.  Remember mice an' men? I went to the cruise ship terminal and the ship was not there.  The security guard just said, "Fog. Maybe tomorrow."  I was a little to quick to think I was in clear both figuratively and literally. It was a beautiful clear day. But like New Orleans, Shanghai is quite a bit up river.  Sure enough, 20 minutes later the fog was so thick I thought I was in London in a B level murder mystery movie.

The closest hotel was a high-end high-rise called The Ocean. Thinking about having to give up an arm and a leg it turned out to only be $134 U.S. And, it had a tub and a view from the 23rd floor. It was luxurious.  It had a seperate living room and an office area. The wi-fi was so strong I was able to make calls back to the states all evening.

There were a few odd things.  The toliet was squard, including the seat. The interior was round though. It was warm, 28c in the room and I thought I just didn't know how to use the thermostat to turn on the AC. A house keeper came up and waved her face like she was warm and just repeated to me, "no, no, no." Then she went over to the windows and opened up two of them, swiped her hands in accomplishment and walked out. All this luxury and no AC and still no Google or Facebook or Messenger. 

I didn't see the fire escape mask until I was leaving. If there had been a fire it would have been nice to know about.

More interesting was another censorship: I was watching the BBC when a story about demostrations against the government in Hong Kong came on.  That lasted 10 seconds and the BBC was shut off. It was back on later.

This is where I got dinner. This is the whole place. Alittle hole in the wall next to the subway station. It was good though.

The next day the ship was in port and I boarded and changed clothes, I ran to get back off ship and was stopped again by Immigration, "Why am I here? I'm supposed to be on the boat." I told them I was back on the boat but I had another day in Shaghai and there places I wanted to go.  "You come back here?"  Yes. "You on ship?" Another 20 minutes of my life.

At least it wasn't boring.  I got to spend an extra day in Shanghai while my fellow shipmates sailed around in circles out in the China Sea playing Trivia waiting on the fog to lift. Many times even when your plans go awry, it turns out better than you'd hoped.