The Episode

What a drama! Despite arriving at the train station 2 hours early, we still found ourselves running to catch the train. (I swear it left 3 minutes early). After running up escaltors the wrong way, hammering on locked doors to no avail and scattering cans of 15p beer everyhwere in our desperate rush to find the platform, we eventually made it.

I jumped on the train, followed by friend. But suddenly it started moving so my friend jumped off to see where our other friend was and when I realised I tried to do the same, but the conductor locked the door, bolted it and refused to open it (although the train was going at a painfully slow speed). Oh s**t, I thought, it's 17 hours, there are no seats, it's so rammed I can't even make it into a carriage and I've lost my friends, who happen to be carrying my return ticket and who also may not be able to get another train becaused it's Spring Festival and the whole country is on the move.

But luckily I was saved my some lovely Chinese people. One lady had colonised the sink area and she let me have one to myself (though I did fall asleep in it and woke up with a wet arse), one older woman plaited my hair and pinched my tights to prove how ill-equipped I was for -20 temperatures and many a pot-noodle/chicken foot was offered to me. One student who I became friends with, acted as a translator, and when he got off a few hours later, paid someone to buy me a bed as soon as one became available. The best thing about travelling is definately the kind people you meet along the way.

Anyway, I made it to Harbin in one piece and was reunited with my friends a few hours later who had managed to get another train. We stayed in a hostel which was a converted synagogue - hence the shot of the window. (I was too tired to attempt much else).