Train to Chengdu

Oh my gosh! Even the journey from Beijing to Xi'an did not prepare us for this one! It was rammed! When we were on the platform waiting board, Jody got chatting to a policeman, as you do. He seemed very friendly and kept making signs like sleeping. You know when you put your hands together and tilt your head on one side. Thinking he meant did we want the sleeper carriage we kept shaking our heads. Then it dawned on us he was asking us if we wanted a sleeper. DOH! We started nodding frantically and he motioned for us to get on the train before wandering off. Even trying to get on was a special forces mission as the number of people standing made it impossible to get to our seats. We eventually pushed our way through - having to leave our cases in the doorway - and got to our seats. Were were not sat together and were on opposite sides of the train both by a window. Bryan got himself seated ok but Jody found a little girl in her seat. She was with her grandmother who indicated to Jody she should take the seat next to the little girl instead. Jody checked her ticket and yep, her seat was the window seat where the little girl was so indicating to the grandmother the little girl should move she waited. And waited. And waited. All this time the granny was trying to negotiate with this child (who was about 3 years old) and convince Jody to take a different seat - all in Chinese of course. No, Jody was insistent she wanted the correct seat because knowing we had a 17 hour journey and through the night, she wanted to put her pillow in the corner so she could rest on it. Fair enough. But the little girl wasn't having it and by this time quite a crowd had gathered to watch. Jody was about to quite literally pick the girl up and unceremoniously move her herself, when the granny did it. The girl screamed and protested and everyone was looking daggers at Jody for being the cause of upsetting this little girl. Well if you know Jody that doesn't cut any ice with her and she took her seat and made herself comfortable all the time this little girl sobbed. Another lady took her seat next to Jody proving she was right to take the correct seat because as it turns out, this granny hadn't even paid for a second seat for the little girl. The nerve of her! The policeman came back and made his sleeping signs again and Jody desperate to move now nodded and smiled hoping he had a bed for us. We had read it was possible to get an upgrade once you were on the train if you made friends with an official. Apparently not though as he moved on. We kept hoping he would come back but sadly we resigned ourself to sleeping in the din and madness that was carriage 12 So the granny continued to pander to this girls every demand - of which there were many - opening everything she had brought to eat and drink as she kept refusing each thing after a few mouthfuls. So in she shovelled E number after E number crisps, fizzy drinks, processed food which horrified Jody. This little girl got louder and louder as the night wore on, hitting her grandmother and jumping all over her and the poor lady trying to sleep in the seat next to her. Her grandmother got louder and louder shouting at her but then feeding her more E numbers. By this time the other people on the train were starting to look at each other and raise their eyebrows. Seeing the way this child was completely spoilt and indulged now people weren't quite so critical of Jody taking a stand against her and were actually giving her apologetic looks at having to sit by all this. All this time of course Bryan was sitting smug in his corner opposite! All around China we have said that the side effect of the 1 child policy here, is the precious 1 child gets thoroughly spoilt and over indulged you see it everywhere. This country is going to have a whole generation growing up like this and its sad to think the friendliness of the people we have found here, may not be apparent to future travellers to China. The train finally arrived on time and about half the number of people who started the journey, as a number of stops on route emptied most of the carriage. But for just £11 what did we expect. Still I think this journey is doing it’s best to prepare us both ready for the trains in India in a months time!