Arrived in Nanning

I have made the long journey through the vast deserts, forests, and marshes of China and arrived in Nanning...and I could not be more relieved.

THE TRAIN:

The actually conditions of the hard sleeper are not that bad...even if I had the top bunk. The car is basically divided into cubicles and in each cubicle are 6 beds (3 stacked on top of each other) . The cubicles do not have doors and there is a hall that stretches from one end of the car to the other. I was paired up with a pretty nice group of people who all seemed to think that I understood Chinese. So they talked to me constantly.

At 10 o'clock they turn out the car lights and around 3 a.m. I was woken up by the boy next to me (I think maybe 28) having a nightmare. He was screaming at the top of his lungs and it reminded of me when I shared a bunk with LBagley in Colorado (although she was always giving swimming lessons in her sleep). This morning, once I finally crawled out of the bunk (my bunk only had about three feet till it hit the ceiling) I was forced food by all the older woman setting around me. I was not hungry (mainly because I did not want to eat or drink so that I would not have to use the restroom), but no one would except no thank you. I think I might have eaten some pork roast (maybe), some cooked walnuts, and this apple thing. I know I am not supposed to eat the apples, but I assumed I already had diarrhea from the pork and so I just went for it.

The bathrooms were pretty nasty (Turkish style) and the first time I used it another train went by and air came up through the hole in the bathroom floor. I thought I might have been splashed by...you know...and so I completely freaked out. (Mary should I be worried about diseases?). I did have a slight break down around 11 o'clock today, but I think it was mainly do to that fact that I was tired and there is some stressed caused by me traveling by myself.

On a side note at the first town we stopped in I decided to get of the train (because we were going to be there for about 10 minutes)...well this was a horrible decision. Why?...you might ask. Well the Chinese trains dump all the waste on the tracks and so the whole outside of the train smelled like a horrible latrine.

Another thing I find very interesting about Chinese sleeper trains is that men will walk around in just about anything...including long underwear with no button. I think I might have gotten a little more than I paid for.

Tonight I was able to buy my ticket for Hanoi tomorrow and I will arrive Tuesday morning around 7. Miss you all and send my love.

Hope there was a great celebration in Zarah's hometown.