You can't get there from here

09.01.2016

I ate breakfast with the hoteliers and they drove me down the hill as promised. I made them wait for me for a few minutes because I couldn't find my beloved barrette. So many wonderful travel memories I have had with her, I was panicking as I unpacked everything in my bag to find her. I gave up, satisfied I had done my best, and was profoundly disappointed at her sudden absence from my life. I tried to put her out of my mind, but it proved impossible. I just gave in to being sad today.

The bus to Luliang was easy to find, but I was led off track by two fellow well-meaning travelers. They took me to the train station and persuaded me to get a ticket that didn't leave until 10 p.m. It was only a hard seat, because all the beds were sold out. I wasn't sure I was gonna like this... I went with them for lunch, because their train to Taiyuan didn't depart until 5 p.m.

At lunch, I switched into my glasses, and what do you know?! My barrette appeared lodged into the back of my glasses case. I could not contain my happiness at being unexpectedly reunited with my hair clip. I never want to be parted from her again.

My friends left for their own train and I went straight back to the ticket office for a refund, convinced I could get to Xi'An faster by bus. I lost 15 yuan for the fee, but it was worthwhile because I wound up at the Taiyuan South train station just in time for the 6:30 p.m. high speed train to Xi'An. It cost way more than double, but at least I didn't have to sleep in a seat and wander around Luliang all day, not knowing what to do with myself. I arrived in Xi'An at the same time I would've left. I did a lot of back tracking, but it worked out to be a more luxurious journey in the end.

When the bus got to Taiyuan, they asked me where I wanted to go. I said Xi'An, and they shoved me in another minibus. I was so confused, the bus driver kept telling me to take the train, but I was sure they'd all be full. I kept saying "bus station" and he kept saying "train station" and it went on like that until they dumped me on the side of the road by the train station. I had to climb over a fence and jaywalk, scared for my life, with some other crazy people who also didn't know how to navigate around the maze of fences and cross the 10 lane (at least) highway. Within half an hour though, I was on my way to Xi'An, unaccustomed to the luxury of high speed rail, I felt completely relaxed as soon as I sat down, pretty sure my troubles were over.

The warm water and liquid soap seemed a world away from what I was used to already. When we finally arrived in Xi'An, I was asleep, sprawled out over three seats. The workers started cleaning around me and I realized we had arrived.

I gave my host's number to the first taxi driver I saw. It was gonna cost 120 yuan at least to get there. Nope. I grabbed the phone from the driver and made Derek tell me his subway stop. It was a really long name and I tried to memorize it as I walked to the ticket booth. I picked the station that seemed most similar to what he said and hoped that was it. I got there and asked another driver to phone Derek. He told the driver the directions, and soon I was at his door. I guess he was somewhere else waiting for me because I had to get the security guard to call again. Finally, I was in his nice warm apartment and he sat me down on the couch with some cool water.

"So, am I sleeping here tonight?" I said pointing to the couch.

"Nooooo," Derek answered, but when I looked for the guest room, there was none. This is why I don't surf with Arabs, I realized again. Everytime I do, something weird like this happens. We had some boring, normal conversation and I said I was tired and I'd be sleeping on the couch, thankyouverymuch. Derek asked me if I was sure about that and there was a long pause as I replied yyyyyyyeahhhhh like he was an idiot. And he was. Did he have any blankets? He handed me a thin sheet, and I dressed in every single piece of clothing in my suitcase and went to bed with my coat covering my feet.

My cave door