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Transportation in China is not for the faint of heart
I was looking the the images and videos from blizzard-crippled China this morning and it made me remember my 2004 trip there. Especially the photos from Guangzhou, China's major southern city... I remember that train station! It was packed with thousands of migrant workers then, so I can't even imagine what it must look like now, after hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded. (See Aaron's post from earlier today.)
This photo, by AFP, is from Guangzhou: a man pushing his friend inside an already packed train. While nothing quite that extreme happened while I was there, I will say that the Chinese people do have an amazing ability to squeeze a lot of people into packed trains and buses. Getting inside is half the fun. It is like graduating from University of Darwinism - only the strongest and those with the sharpest elbows get in. At first, you feel like you shouldn't participate in this. After all, you are on vacation and have time...but then you realize you will never get in if you always allow everyone to get ahead of you. So you start pushing and showing with the rest of them. When in Guangzhou...
Filed under: Asia, China, Transportation, Budget Travel
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jamie Jan 31st 2008 2:59PM
I think the saddest part is that it is happening on their biggest holiday, similar to Christmas here in terms of wanting to be with family:
http://www.gogirlfriend.com/travel-news/massive-snowstorms-china-close-airports-6220
Jim Jan 31st 2008 10:46PM
Um, have been to China? I can not believe it. Even you do not know it is the time for Chinese Spring Festival, which is similar to Christmas! This book, I think, can give you the answer: http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=81851&ru=279 , I think you will never know these migrant workers' feelings. They just want to reunite with their parents, kids, or friends for one
year's waiting! But because of the bad weather, many of them were trapped on the road. Even many airports are closed, so trains and buses are the only vehicles for them to choose. I have been to China last year, and spent Chinese Spring Festival at one of my Chinese friends' home. I can still remember the happiness I spent with them. I ate a lot of delicious Chinese food, drank some wine! After that, I know this holiday is so important for Chinese people. And I think Chinese people are really really hospitable and love reunion!