Train No. 1

Taiyuan to Pingyao: 2 hours in "hard seat compartment"

There are different classes on the train with three basic cars:

1) "Soft Sleeper" - High-end private cabin with bathroom. Cost = you might as well fly.
2) "Hard Sleeper" - Dorm beds throught the cabin, shared bathroom (nasty) and reserved for those who have paid/have a bed.
3) "Hard Seat" - Crowded stiff seat with shared bathroom (nastier yet) and hoards of people standing/sitting in the isles.
4) "Standing" - For those who can't pay to sit, this option allows travelers to stand for the journey and/or scavange seats as those with booked hard seats get off.

Our first train journey was from Taiyuan to Pingyao and all that was left were standing or hard seats. We got in the massive line in the waiting room and pushed our way forward through a sea of people who stared at us like we were aliens (unlike Beijing, those traveling 3rd or 4th class from Taiyuan seem to have been less familiar with round-eyes).

When we pushed aboard we waded through the smaller, yet more compact crowd on the train and settled into our seats in the midst of crowds smoking, eating, drinking, chatting. A small boy and his grandmother stood near us. As his 3 year old legs got cranky, he rode the rest of the way perched on top of a bag sitting between Dave's legs. He was a spunky young fellow always trying to get a grab at Dave's leg hair before a scolding came down from his grandmother.

Upon arriving in Pingyao, I was glad for the experience, but ready to pass on "hard seat" travel for anything more than a few hours.