Escalator Antics: May 17

Date: Saturday, May 17
Time: 2:41 PM Beijing
Location: Cafe in the Far East International Youth Hostel

Well, a bus, walking, and a taxi later, I'm back at the hostel. We left the station and took the overpass to the otherside of the street to get on the bus. Going down the escalator, somehow there was a pile up. In front of me people were somehow bottlenecked and I went down under a pile of people. I'm not totally sure what happened but Dr. Chandler pushed 3 Chinese guys out of the way who were standing in front of me and pulled me out from the pile, and Jessica apparently punched a guy. I made it out with a couple of bruises on my shin and no other battle wounds. So I guess we've seen a fight every day in Beijing, and today it was ours. The worst part was that it was the wrong side of the street. We hadn't needed to cross the over pass after all.

We got on the bus--but only 9 of us made it on. Dr. Chandler and the others couldn't squeeze on. We knew where the bus stop for the hostel was and figured we'd be fine. Bus didn't go there; we were supposed to get off at the same place we had gotten on to the subway from earlier. Oops. We ended up by Tiananmen Square again.

We were pretty close to the hostel actually and debated walking, subway, or taxi. One girl had 2 suitcases and wanted a taxi, and I can not carry my bag up a set of stairs really. Dr. Chandler had been doing it all day for me. I can take up maybe 2 or 3 stairs and then I have to stop--I can't carry the weight. Walking or the subway were both out as far as I was concerned--they necessitated taking an underpass and using stairs. That wasn't going to work for me. They opted for the subway (went the wrong way--they really only needed to go one stop and would have walked if they'd realized it, but eventually made it back). The girl and I took a cab. For a $1.50 we made it back long before they did, and life was good. Dr. Chandler and his group (having gotten off at the right stop) beat us back.

Generally people have been chatting and many of them are drinking Chinese beer to take the edge off after the morning we just had. I just sat and sipped my Coke and watched them goggle at the non-drinker, though I wasn't the only one and they really didn't give us a hard time.

We snacked on American-esque chicken and fries as a massive table of people rotating in and out. We've got nothing in mind tonight but relaxing and getting out tomorrow. I totally want a massage tonight. They have them fairly cheap at the hostel. Yay for going somewhere where our money doesn't work against us.

Erin

Location: Same table at the Cafe of the Far East International Youth Hostel
Time: 5:30 PM Beijing
Date: Saturday, May 17