Pingyao

An overnight train will get you from Xi’an to Pingyao and another overnighter will take you back to Beijing. However, someone I met on the train told me I could have saved time taking a faster train from Taiyuan to Beijing, I didn’t mind it anyway since I have the superpower of sleeping in the noisiest, most uncomfortable places. When I told people I was going to visit Xi’an and Pingyao over China’s Golden Week, some said “Oh, you’re going to Shanxi” or “You’re going to Shaanxi?” It was only later that I found out Xi’an is in Shaanxi while Pingyao is in Shanxi and they are two completely different provinces.  I probably arrived at about 7am before it got very, very busy.

After filling my tummy with some local noodles that I’d assumed had fish in it but didn’t, I went on to collect my return train ticket from a hostel which refused to store my backpack for the day and later decided to charge me 50RMB (or some other ridiculous amount) after much persistence on my end. Fuck that, I thought, and continued knocking on the doors of several other hostels but they either refused or wanted me to pay. It was unexpectedly disappointing when even the international youth hostel in town turned me down. Downheartedly, I walked over to Yamen Hostel and gave it one last shot. The lady boss agreed immediately. “How much?” I responded skeptically. It was free! I got a bit bolder and asked if there was a bathroom. After making a quick observation, she replied matter-of-factly that there was and that I must be tired and needed a wash-up. I’d only wanted to use the toilet but she offered me the shower and dismissed my offer to give her some money for it. She even helped me rent a bicycle without the usual deposit although I wasn’t staying at her hostel seeing I didn’t have much cash on me. I had lunch of some baked pasta and a hot chocolate at her hostel instead of trying out more Pingyao snacks as my way of saying thanks. By late afternoon, I was exhausted and went back for another cup of hot chocolate, barely able to keep my eyes open. I won’t even use the washroom at McDonald’s without buying anything and I definitely couldn’t hog a table and simply pass out after all the kindness she’d showed me, so I asked if she knew if there was anywhere I could get some shut-eye given all the cheap hostels were fully booked, and she let me sleep on the sofa in the entertainment room explaining no one really used it at that time of the day. I slept soundly for about an hour feeling re-energised and more hopeful about China when I woke up. Thank you, to the lady boss of Yamen Hostel.