First Part

Day 468
I was up at 5:30 and in no time I was out the door and at the train station. I got confused about which security line to go thru so first I went thru the metro line one and then I went to the train station. I think that I just like going thru security. I got there in plenty of time and ate some breakfast while I waited for the train.

Once I got on I fell asleep almost right away. There really isn't much else to do. I did have a book and read that for some time. However, I don't think that makes for a very interesting blog entry.

Instead I've decided to write about the Chinese people. Some things really really weird and gross. People spit all the time, and worse than that they would often expel the flem in their noses on the floor. Lastly the children don't wear diapers, but instead just go on the streets or on the floor of a train. It's just gross. Then at restaurants all the dishes will be sealed in plastic and people will cover their moths with their hands if they need to use a toothpick! There is also a general lack of consideration for others. Young people on the metro's just don't get up for the people who need their seats more. When I've gotten up I've gotten a look of shock and then once a young person took it instead of the woman with a cane. That was just crazy! Also, if your on a plane and need the toilet people won't get up, you have to sqeeze by them. My ass is just way too big for that! The bargining is also insane here. People would ask me for 100 Y for something and I'd get them down to 10 Y with little trouble.

Not everything is bad though. It's quite safe and I can be out after dark alone without worrying. Also the people working at the hostels are very kind and have bent over backwards to help me out. I was starred at, but it wasn't the rude stare like in India, it was more courious. This was especially true when it came to eating. They wanted to see if I could use chopsticks. It is really funny to watch westerners try them out for the first time.

I think that it was around 8 pm that we stopped at the boarder. Everyone got out and went to the shop. I sat with a couple of people chatting and having beers while they changed the size of the wheels. We were entertained by loud speaker music that ranged from communist to Mozart and the wedding waltz.

After getting back on the train and getting my passport back we rode a bit further to the Mongolian boarder. I had checked online several times and I had thought that I didn't need a visa. It was just rather disconcerning that all of the other people, non Americans, had visas. When passport control came it wasn't a problem and soon I was in country number 50. At this point I fell asleep.