Chengdu again

On monday morning I go to the trainstation to get a trainticket back to Chengdu for the next day. I of course could have done that much earlier, but my motto still seems to be "never do today what you can do tomorrow". Everytime when this strategy does not give the best results, I am determined to do things as early as I can, next time. I buy a ticket, even a sleeper, but only top bunks are available. Those are less desirable, because first you can not look out of the window and second the ceiling is very low, which makes sitting up impossible. I had planned to go to the Thai embassy, to inquire about entry points, but postpone that till when I am in Kunming, which seems early enough.

On the next day, I finally can get back my passport, hopefully with the required sticker and stamps. I secretely hope they will let the extension start on the 10th, but no such luck. It starts at where the previous one ended, so I will have to extend again the 30th. When I have my passport I head to the maglev station, which is only 2 stops away with the subway. I take a 2-way ticket to the airport which we reach in about 6 minutes, I take the same train back as I have nothing to do on the airport. So after 15 minutes I am back at where I started, 80RMB poorer and more experienced in riding trains. At night Marieke and I have dinner for the last time in our regular restaurant. In the train I want to update my journal, but my new book does not allow the 2 ballpoints put their ink in it. The other thing to do besides sleeping is working on my shirt and repairing my panniers. The people always find it very funny when I are stitching my stuff, this time they try to give me advise. I do not follow it, I have my own technique and I am happy with it. The second evening I am invited to share a bottle of disgusting Chinese liquor. After half a bottom it does not taste that bad or I do not taste anymore. In the wagon are two deaf girls and communication goes best with them, they are used to sign language and do not rattle on in Chinese to me. Instead we do a lot of pictionary. One of the girl warns me not to drink to much, she probably knows it is shit. People seem to like me, I get all sorts of food and drinks offered, this when they were making fun of me earlier, with pointing at me and then laughing. It may be because they think I am very poor, walking around in clothes which are falling apart and then repairing them.

In Chengdu I go back to the hostel where I stayed before. This was a rather smart thing to do, as I had left my bike and luggage there. Fortunately they still are, although it takes me half an hour to retrieve my backpack. I had planned to stay a while in Chengdu to at least see the pandas, but now I decide to leave the next day. I feel a little bit rushed. I have only 16 days before I have to reextend my visa and I figure I only can do that in a big city. But it might take me longer to reach one, considering I will go west into the mountains. Besides I sleep horrible in the hostel, now two Chinese hold a snore contest, which the man closest to the door wins by a narrow margin. In the morning at 5 a totally smashed boy comes in and right away falls a sleep on the last vacant bed. He does not snore, but he is wearing his shoes, which are covered in shit. The room smells awful, so at 6 I get up, pack my bags and leave.