Beijing Chaos

(written on 08/07/09, posted on 17/09/09)

Manage to get the Airport bus and I'm the only Westerner on it. Proceed to get stared at by 30 people for the next 50 minutes. Keep checking to make sure stray items of underwear aren't on show or there isn't any food particles on my face.

Get chucked off at last stop armed only with the knowledge I need to get the number 6 bus. See bus, run and get on. Had the foresight to get change and ticket conductor on bus mimes '1' at me. That, I can understand. I pay, wait for required 6 stops, get off and can't find hostel or anything on the map. Get bus back to town, give up and try to get a taxi. Three hailed taxis later and all have refused to take me as they don't understand the English guidebook address. The third one I refuse to get out of until I call the hostel, hand phone to driver. Then I'm on the way. Proceed to have conversation with driver in the international language of football. Driver then gets lost which makes me feel better.

Finally get to hostel and they tell me I'm in the sister hostel 5 minutes down the road. I get told to hop in this trolley on the back of a bike and get cycled down the road (like blue metal thing on bike in pic above).

By the time I get sorted it's late. I don't fancy any more drama so it's food, beer and bed in the safe confines of the hostel. All my dorm mates have gone out on the razz. Well the three of them have an average age of 20 and they're not up at 5am to do the Great Wall of China tomorrow!