Datong (part 1)- The train trip

Giant buddah statues. People living in caves. A monastery hanging on the side of a cliff. It was all the enticement I needed to sign up for a tour to Datong for the weekend of Oct. 17-19th.

I went with my Scottish friend, Kerry (obviously the red head in the picture below) and about 15 other foreign tourists and expats I had never met.

Our adventure got started Friday night. Everyone was supposed to meet at the China Culture Center at 9 p.m.. Kerry and I were running a bit late because our cab driver decided to take an off-road short cut through some construction site.

Once a cabbie gets an idea in his head to do something, there really is no stopping them- at least with my limited Chinese anyways. You just have to trust them and go along for the ride. As we are bouncing along this dirt path, an officer pulls us over and tells us to turn around. Great, we think, we are going to miss the bus ride to the train station.

With 10 minutes to spare, we come running up to our group, which is in the middle of a slide-show presentation on the history of the city. Some people are lingering outside the door. We ask, is it over? The guys, who I later find out are from Chicago, say no, they just wanted to forego the boring stuff and start drinking beer. Ahhh this is my kind of tour, I think to myself.

We all load up on a bus and are driven to the train station. Our guide shows us how to read a Chinese train ticket and we head to our sleeper car for a seven-hour, overnight ride.

I have been on plenty of trains, but this one takes the cake. The bathroom has a squat pot that empties out right on to the railroad tracks. You have to carefully balance yourself as the train is moving, otherwise you will end up with one leg dragging on the tracks below- scary!

Our sleeper compartment , which is the size of a walk-in closet, has 6 (yes, 6!!!) bunk beds- 3 on each side. Of course, Kerry and I are supposed to sleep on the very top. To get up there, you have to step on two metal rods sticking out of the door. We thought this was a hilarious setup. So did the 4 other strangers we were sharing the "room" with. Ha ha funny, funny- that is until the lights went out.

Here we all are, introducing ourselves, when suddenly it is pitch black. Not even a tiny night light to guide us anywhere, especially up. Kerry and I throw our bags on our bunks and I begin the climb up. I think I have reached my bed so I proceed to lunge towards where my head is supposed to be, however, I don't land on my pillow. "Oopsie- I think you have to keep going one more."

That's right, I laid right on top of one of the ladies on the tour with me. How was I supposed to know she was there?! I keep climbing. Once on my bunk, I have to hunch over as there is about two feet of head space. I find my phone and light the way for Kerry. I almost wish I didn't do that.

On my bed was a cigarrette butt which I had to flick off without hitting anyone. If that was there for me to see, I could only guess at what lay waiting for me in my sheets. I decided to forego those and the pillow. There was no sleeping tight for fear the bed bugs really would bite!

Kerry and I got the giggles at this point and just decided that it was better not to have any lights on. I wrapped up in my sweatshirt and let the train rock me to sleep. A few hours later a Chinese railroad employee was pounding on the bottom of my bunk asking for my ticket. Could it really be 5:30 a.m. already?

I can't imagine what he must have thought of me. I was fully clothed, turned on my side. My butt was totally eating the safety bar. Literally, one cheek over , the other, under. I am sure my hair was a mess. But I just did not care.

I had time to gather my things and get down from the bunk (I passed on the potty break) as we were departing in Datong. Day one of my journey: complete.