Eric's Beijing Diary

Carrie and Summer from the Fuzimiao Youth Hostel
Fuzimiao Youth Hostel. This is probably the best budget option in Nanjing. My room had 10 beds; the cost: 35 RMB per night. Remember, when I quote costs, I am referring to the dormitory accomodations most backpackers go for. Many people do not realize that most youth hostels in China also have private rooms for those who want to pay for them, and the prices are really quite reasonable, as far as hotel prices go. The cat just had kittens, so they're all over the place, but they're not bad, really. You just have to shoo them off your bed. This place isn't fancy, but the staff are friendly. I was walking out the door, and Carrie asked me where I was going. I told her that I was going to do some studying. She asked me what I was studying, so I started taking my books out one at a time. When she saw my Bible, she pulled her own Bible out from behind the counter.

"I just can't do without it."

I said, "That's right. Every day."

"Every minute! Every second."

What can I say to that? Amen.

I ended up staying here three nights, because I had a little trouble getting tickets. I finally decided to buy a ticket to Shanghai, because it is much easier to get a ticket to Beijing from Shanghai. Last year, I waited until the seven day Spring Festival was over, then traveled to Wuhan in the few days between the end of the national Spring Festival holiday and the beginning of the school semester. I was going to do that this year, too, but I found out that Adam Williams is giving a lecture on the warlord period at the Bookworm on the 27th, so I want to be back for that. The train here to Nanjing from Beijing was almost empty--I had a whole compartment to myself. Not surprising since it was only the third day of the holiday, so no one was traveling. As soon as I got here on Wednesday morning, I crossed my fingers and went to the ticket window to buy a ticket back to Beijing. For those of you who don't know it, crossing your fingers doesn't work. When I got to the youth hostel, they told me there was no chance of getting a ticket back to Beijing. So, as I mentioned, I am going to go to Shanghai and try to buy a ticket there.

In the States, and in Canada, most youth hostels have a place for young people to do their own cooking. I haven't seen much of that in China, but the youth hostels in China often have something that is much better (for me, at least). They have a small restaurant that offers a few western dishes (especially breakfast) as well as some local stuff. This youth hostel doesn't have a restaurant, but they do have a deal where you can eat with the staff for 5 yuan. Can't beat that price, and the food is good. Last night, they had this pork roast that was really very good. After supper last night, I took a cab to the "1912" development. It is a shopping/restaurant area geared to foreigners that is something like the Sanlitun Bar street in Beijing. There isn't much at those kinds of places that attracts me, but I did go to Starbucks. Got to go, the train to Shanghai leaves at 1:30.

Labels: Nanjing