INTRO: segment number nine -- "Trains"

FOR MOST PEOPLE...THE MOST EFFICIENT AND ECONOMICAL WAY TO TRAVEL IS BY TRAIN.  BUT SOMETIMES SIMPLY GETTING A TICKET CAN BE CHALLENGING.  IN PART NINE OF OUR SERIES POSTCARDS FROM CHINA...ERIC OLANDER BRAVES THE CROWDS AT THE GUANGZHOU RAIL STATION. (:12)

STORY:

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS ABOUT RIDING THE RAILS IN CHINA HAS A LOT LESS TO DO WITH THE TRAINS...AS MUCH AS THE STATIONS.  AND AS I DISCOVERED SEVERAL TIMES....SIMPLY GETTING TO THE STATION AND BUYING A TICKET CAN BE AN ADVENTURE IN AND OF ITSELF.

SINCE TRAIN STATIONS IN MOST CHINESE CITIES ARE LOCATED IN THE CENTER OF TOWN...THEY OFTEN ATTRACT A WIDE ARRAY OF PEOPLE THAT AREN'T THERE NECESSARILY TO TRAVEL.  TO UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT CHECK OUT THE STATION IN GUANGZHOU.  FROM THE STREET IT LOOKS LIKE A PERFECTLY NORMAL PLACE WHERE YOU BUY YOUR TICKET...WAIT ON LINE AND THEN BOARD THE TRAIN.  

IT'S NOT QUITE THAT SIMPLE THOUGH. (:30)

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER I STEP FOOT ON THE TERMINAL PARKING LOT I REALIZED THAT WALKING THE ONE HUNDRED METERS OR SO TO THE STATION WOULDN'T BE EASY.  THE FIRST PERSON THAT CAME UP TO ME WANTED TO KNOW IF I WAS INTERESTED IN CHANGING MONEY...THEN ANOTHER GROUP APPROACHED AND WANTED TO SELL ME TRAIN TICKETS ON THE BLACK MARKET...EVEN BEFORE I HAD THE CHANCE TO DECLINE THE TICKETS I WAS BEING HUSTLED TO BUY IMITATION ROLEX WATCHES.  AND THE WHOLE TIME IN THE PARKING LOT ONE ALSO HAS TO CONFRONT THE SAD SIGHT OF BEGGARS...MOSTLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN WHO APPEAR TO BE FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE.  IN ADDITION...NO LESS THAN FOUR OR FIVE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO PICKPOCKET MY WALLET.  (1:01)

SURROUNDING ALL OF THIS THOUGH ARE LEGITIMATE VENDORS WHO SELL FOODS AND DRINKS AS WELL AS CLOTHES AND EVEN ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES.  AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE STATION IT BECAME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO HEAR ANYTHING OVER THE SYMPHONY OF HORNS FROM THE MINIBUSES AND TAXIS WHO WERE BOTH TRYING TO GET MY ATTENTION AND TELL ME TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD.

WITH ONLY ABOUT TEN METERS TO GO BEFORE THE TICKET OFFICE...THE CROWDS BEGAN TO CHANGE FROM THE HAWKERS...BEGGARS AND TAXI DRIVERS TO THE THRONGS OF TRAVELERS COMING AND GOING FROM THE STATION.  THIS IS WHERE THINGS GOT A BIT TRICKY FOR ME....FINDING THE RIGHT TICKET WINDOW AMONG A SEA OF PEOPLE.  WEAVING MY THROUGH THE CROWDS I APPROACHED THE FIRST TICKET OFFICE.   NO GOOD.   IT WAS FOR SOLDIERS AND VETERANS.  THE WOMAN AT THE COUNTER SAID I HAD TO GO OVER THERE TO BUY MY TICKET...NOT REALLY INDICATING SPECIFICALLY WHERE THERE WAS....JUST POINTING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OTHER TICKET WINDOWS..  SO...I PUSHED AND SHOVED MY WAY THROUGH THE CROWD AGAIN TO THE TICKET WINDOWS ACROSS THE HALL.  I KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT I WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACE BECAUSE THE CUES APPEARED ENDLESS.  (1:54)

AFTER A HALF HOUR OR SO OF CUEING...A LITTLE BIT OF PATIENCE AND A PAIR OF ACHING FEET...I MANAGED TO GET MY TICKET.  NOW ALL I HAD TO DO WAS WAIT...RELAX AND ENJOY THE RIDE.

IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN CHINA....ALMOST EVERY TRAIN STATION HAS THIS CHAOTIC FEEL TO IT.  IN FACT THESE PLACES MORE CLOSELY RESEMBLE BAZAARS OR MARKET PLACES THAN TRAVEL TERMINALS.  BUT CERTAINLY WITHOUT THE CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE....TRAVELING IN CHINA WOULD BE A DULLER.

WITH A POSTCARD FROM CHINA...I'M ERIC OLANDER IN GUANGZHOU.(2:20)

OUTRO:

IN OUR NEXT POSTCARD...ERIC REPORTS FROM HUNAN PROVINCE ON THE LARGER AND LARGER NUMBERS OF PEASANTS WHO ARE RISKING IT ALL AND HEADING TO THE CITIES.

© BBC World Service 1993