Train to Qingdao

Since I bought my tickets late and everyone is traveling during the National Day holiday, I couldn't get a seat on the 8.5 hour train trip to Qingdao. I figured I would be a man and give it a try (plus it was only like 15 bucks). It was miserable. The train was packed and I could only stand right near the bathroom door. This is a picture looking at the aisle between the cars.


I think it is not so bad for the Chinese people because they can take up next to no room when the squat on the floor. I really couldn't manage to sit without being a roadblock. After a guy left, I managed to get a seat on a trash can. This was nice except people would make me move every few minutes so they could throw stuff away (probably those stuck up people that could afford seats). Eventually I managed to get about a half an hour of sleep on the can. I got to Qingdao around 9:00, checked in to my hostel and started touring the city.