Inner Mongolia - Pushing our way to BaoTou

So we survived the "fight" and made our way to the train station. We crossed our fingers and hoped we could get any kind of ticket because that day happened to be Oct. 1st - National Day (also International Milk Day :)) where everyone and their mother would be traveling. After looking at the masses of people and standing in line for a few minutes we realized we might have better luck at the bus station. At the bus station we got to the ticket counter and the lady told us they weren't selling tickets, but you could just get on a bus to BaoTou and pay on the bus since they came about every 20 minutes. Sure, no problem. We turn the corner to see the place to get on a BaoTou bus. Swarms of people. Great.

As I've mentioned before, the concept of forming a line is very foreign. Actually, that's not true. About 60% of the population will make a line. But the other 40% see the line and think they are special and can cut in or go around thus frustrating the previous 60% who then proceed to form a mob and stampede toward whatever the goal is. In our case, a BaoTou bus.

We waited through about 3 groups of people. People would push and push and push, the bus would fill up, people would stop pushing but were then stuck in such close quarters you couldn't move. Finally Peach made it out of the "holding spot" to the bus but Brad and I had gotten pushed back and couldn't make it. We were of the first 10 people in "line" in the mob for the next bus yet once we were released to go to the bus somehow we were one of the last people on the bus. You've really got to learn to throw your elbows up and charge. Sweet grandmothers and caring fathers will mow you over in no time. But at last, we made it on the bus. Happy National Day.