Chinese Logic
Trying to plan ahead, I went to a government tourist office in Hangzhou (in October, 1988) to see about booking a flight to Beijing. The following is the conversation I had with a clerk there.
Me: I would like to buy a ticket to fly to Beijing.
She: I can make a reservation, but I cannot promise you’ll have a place on the plane.
Me: When is it possible to get a ticket to be sure of a seat?
She: There are many people wanting to fly now. Some people must wait two or three days to get on.
Me: In the meantime, I would like to have a tour of Hangzhou.
She: They have been suspended. We have no cars or guides available.
Me: Then, I’d like to join a tour to Beijing or Xian.
She: It is impossible to join a tour except from the country where you came from.
Me: I don’t intend to return back in order to join a tour.
She: I understand, but it is impossible to join a tour once inside China.
Me: So, I am indefinitely a prisoner in Hangzhou?
She: I can book a reservation on a plane or a train, but I don’t know when you will be able to get on. Maybe you should go to our main office. But it won’t help. They don’t know either.
There don’t seem to be any in between ways to visit China — either high first class tourist, or the real, tough way.
I have learned my first Chinese word that sounds something like meiyou, which seems to mean, “There aren’t any.” “No more.” “No way.” “Go away.” It is the standard answer to any question I ask.
Tags: Travel
