I am still on the train. Woken at 7 by some commotion. But manage to drift off shortly after. I get up to use the toilet and stretch my legs. All I can think about while I'm being bashed about in the toilet, with the smell of stale smoke, standing in other peoples piss and listening to someone hawking up outside the door is just how mum would cope in this situation. I chuckle to myself. I spend the day sleeping and looking out the window. There are quite a few kids in this carriage. They always provide a welcome distraction, especially with the states I receive. There are two other western couples in this carriage, I have exchanged a few words, but they want to keep pretty much to themselves. For the first time on the train I bust out the iPod, it does a good job of passing the time and causes quite the influx of memories depending on what I'm listening to, I forget I'm on the train for large parts of the day as I remember previous events triggered by music. It's nice to drift off.
-----
About an hour before I'm to arrive at Guilin we are all evicted from the carriage, apparently for cleaning. It's a bit of a hassle but I go to the next carriage and try to find somewhere to sit. When we get to Guilin I get out the map I have to the hostel, I try to follow the directions, it states to get the number 2 bus from across the road, but there is no number 2. The map is detailed enough that I can navigate my way walking. So I set off, following the route the bus would take and I check each bus stop on the way to see if the bus stops here. It doesn't. So I keep on walking, stopping periodically because it is so hot and my shoulders are sore from lugging round all my stuff. During one of my rest stops I'm thinking, will there come a point in time where my rucksack will not hurt me after some walking? Surely I should build up a tolerance. I suppose I will just have to wait and see. I think it takes me an hour to get to the hostel, including my stops. I'm pleased with my navigation as often the maps are not accurate. When I get to the hostel I explain that the directions were not right and they tell me that I have an old leaflet, then they show me the up to date one, complete with accurate directions! Nice. I'm told they were trying to phone me all day because many people wanted the room, but my phone had died. Good job the room is still here for me or I may not have been best pleased.
-----
Catherine is coming down for a few days from Xi'an because it is national week, so I wait in the lobby for her to arrive. When she gets here we go out for something to eat. Up the local street, which is quite busy and down the food street. I get some horse meat and noodles before we call in at a bar and I have a few pints, Catherine has hot milk! Slow down girl! Get to bed about 1ish, we decide that tomorrow we will head to the reed flute cave and hit up the sun and moon pagoda. By the time we get back to the hostel there are people sleeping in the lobby, obviously massive demand for beds. Glad I have mine sorted.