Nice Bunk Beds at Huangshan Old Street International Youth Hostel 黄山老街国际青年旅社
The day before I left Tai’an City, my friend and I booked me a train ride out of Tai’an the very next day. This was the K45 train which leaves at 1810 fron Tai’an train station and get to Huangshan City 0733. I was hoping I would find a more comfortable class but somehow it is always not available. Anyway, I already have an idea of what to expect in Chinese train rides so I didn’t really mind. It is just 13 hours so it was still not too bad.
Western Toilets!!
My friend was busy that night so she wasn’t able to see me off. The train station at Tai’an wasn’t very modern but it was still large enough to accomodate a lot of passengers. There were several waiting areas and mine was on the second floor. There were not escalators so I had to bring my heavy pack with me up the stairs. The waiting area was dark and full of people. There was a large electronic signboard which displays which trains have arrived and what the status is.
Nice Shower for a Dorm Room
Unfortunately, the K45 was running a little late and they announced that it would be so. Apparently, the K45 runs from Beijing to Fuzhou in Fujian province and if it was delayed in one area, there would be a natural cascade effect on the succeeding stations. There didn’t seem to be any foreigners waiting for the train, so I just sat quietly in the waiting area. It was a bit chilly so we kept closing the windows which was letting the cold air in. Outside the city of Tai’an is lit up just like any Chinese city.
Not Very Impressive Wash Basin
Eventually, my train did come and we quickly boarded. It was around 20 minutes late, at least they told us. One thing I like about trains here is that they really run on a schedule and most of them try to follow it. The train was as expected, I quickly scanned for an availabe seat and started my grueling economy class ride out of Taishan City.
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