Mongolia - Hohhot III

It was soon night and we made our way to the train station to our next exciting destination - Da Tong. The temperature was pretty low and we warmed ourselves up with their local instant noodles while waiting for our train.
















To our disaster, 148234234834 million low-income peasants were also waiting for the train. It was a awful experience, the horde of chinese swarmed and pushed to the front when the train approaches, the scene bearing reminiscent to the crowd rushing in to put the first joss stick during chinese new year at the Guan Yin temple at Bugis during new year. The vision was bleak, with the ladies and old trampled and squeezed out to the back while sacks of goods like potatoes and whatever were flying over our heads as if the peasants could own a seat if their goods reach first. Some fell into the tracks in the mad rush to board. The group was separated by the human tidal wave and I was the last to board, giving way to the poor ladies who are too weak to fight the tide...
























After getting on board, we then realised some ignorant chinese worker took our seats. They refuse to budge saying that they don't believe in the seating system and that there are seats at the back. We went to the back row of empty seats, settled down and then a gang of vietnamese workers came up and surrounded us. They say its their seats and of course 4 against a gang of vietnamese if no joking matter. In the end, we went back to the ignorant chinese worker and persuaded him with our ticket served with a threat to get the train conductor.
















The guys attempting to put on a smile...


















Though it was only 4 hours, the over-night train felt like hell freezing over - cold and long.
We attempted to sleep, but the seat was really "hard-seat" as so it was named. The back rest was totally vertical, so all the time I was trying to find some depression that was non-existant to lean into. In the end, I gave up and went back into fighting for leg and hand space on the small table shared by the our opposite communters.
























Finally, it was over. Sleepy-head sam who has the ability to sleep anywhere in any condition.














































shagg-faced guys...














































and the ladies...

















In the freezing cold, we hurried out of the tunnel, marking the end of the memorable train ride.