Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Destinations » Asia » China

You Can't Always Get What You Want

Published: Apr 5, 2008 by Dave Lee |

Chengdu Rail Station

Through the travel desk at Sim's Guest House, I received a 90% refund on my airfare from Lasa to Katmandu from Air China, though I later read the airline was offering 100% refunds given China closed Tibet to foreigners as a result of the violent protests. Seeking a refund on the train ticket meant heading to the northern train station. I deemed this a job I could manage on my own, though as the taxi sped northward to the outskirts of the city, I started to wonder if I should've asked Charlie to join me.

At one stop, I saw a little girl take a pee just outside a restaurant as her mother watched. Later, Charlie told me about how babies have holes in their bottoms as diapers are not widely used. Sure enough, I saw such a bottom-baring baby a day later.

The square in front of the train station was massive and crowded. There was a sign with "Information" in English yet the woman only laughed toward her coworker when I tried to speak in English. I then tried to go into the terminal, through a security check of tickets, but was turned away as my train didn't depart that day. I looked around in a daze, and eventually saw an English sign posted on another building to the right, the ticketing counters.

Train ticket lines

Thankfully, it was clearly indicated which counters were for refunds as the lines were massive. I walked around to the appropriate area, and though I was getting into a really, really long line. People were holding out their tickets, and others were checking destinations. It was quite a marketplace for train tickets. When one guy laughed after looking at my ticket, I realized it was probably the least desirable one in the line - most expensive soft sleeper to Lasa leaving the next day. I was content to get an 80% refund off the face value though, so I waited.

After a minute, the same guy who laughed motioned me forward to the real, much shorter line. I had been standing in a mass of people going nowhere. People continued to check my ticket, and as I was 2 people from the refund counter, a woman held out 900 yuen, roughly the amount of my refund. A gentleman speaking a little English in front of me confirmed she wanted to buy it. I was concerned about getting counterfeit money that would be useless. As the line pushed me forward, I took the money and walked off, thanking the girl, who had handed the ticket to a young Chinese guy (perhaps her friend?). They seemed happy.

I returned to Sim's Guest House, ran the money through their counter, sighed when I realized it was legitimate, and booked my direct flight from Chengdu to Katmandu via a short stopover in Lasa (again on Air China). The cost was $457 through the travel desk, which was far cheaper than any other option I found on the airline websites.

Related Stories

  • Snowy Heilongjiang, China
    Visiting Heilongjiang: China’s Frozen Northeast
  • Child
    Applying for an ESL Job in China: What to Look for in a Contract
  • Yangshuo: Bike Ride and a Marvelous Chinese Farmer's Lunch
  • Top 5 Things to Do in Chengdu, China
  • Share
  • Email

About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Overland Travel says

    April 05, 2008 at 2:12 am

    Chinese railway stations are utterly daunting places. Their lack of respect for queues plus your own lack of Mandarin creates a highly confusing experience. But you survived and got your RMB refund! Good work!

  2. Overland Travel says

    April 05, 2008 at 7:12 am

    Chinese railway stations are utterly daunting places. Their lack of respect for queues plus your own lack of Mandarin creates a highly confusing experience. But you survived and got your RMB refund! Good work!

  3. Kango Suz says

    April 07, 2008 at 10:32 am

    It's great that you got your refund, but really too bad that you'll have to miss Tibet! I was looking forward (as always) to living vicariously. What are your plans instead or are you still going to try and get into Tibet?

    • Dave says

      April 11, 2008 at 11:39 pm

      Tibet is history in my trip. I'm now in Nepal, and will try and get you caught up to date over the coming days.

  4. crambox says

    April 07, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    Glad to hear it worked out!! What are your plans now?

    • Dave says

      April 12, 2008 at 4:40 am

      Nepal, then Thailand.

  5. crambox says

    April 07, 2008 at 10:24 am

    Glad to hear it worked out!! What are your plans now?

    • Dave says

      April 11, 2008 at 11:40 pm

      Nepal, then Thailand.

  6. Kango Suz says

    April 07, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    It's great that you got your refund, but really too bad that you'll have to miss Tibet! I was looking forward (as always) to living vicariously. What are your plans instead or are you still going to try and get into Tibet?

    • Dave says

      April 12, 2008 at 4:39 am

      Tibet is history in my trip. I'm now in Nepal, and will try and get you caught up to date over the coming days.

  7. ChinaMatt says

    April 08, 2008 at 5:24 am

    Getting a refund in China is nearly an impossible feat. I'm impressed. I don't enjoy ever going to the train stations here.

  8. ChinaMatt says

    April 08, 2008 at 12:24 am

    Getting a refund in China is nearly an impossible feat. I'm impressed. I don't enjoy ever going to the train stations here.

  9. Phillip says

    April 09, 2008 at 4:53 am

    Wow, those crowds are quite impressive! Nice to hear it worked out though.

  10. Phillip says

    April 08, 2008 at 11:53 pm

    Wow, those crowds are quite impressive! Nice to hear it worked out though.

  11. Matt says

    April 10, 2008 at 2:59 pm

    Hey,

    I found your site while roaming the net. Great site. I like it a lot. I feedburned you.

    I have my own site. Come and check it out if you get a chance. http://www.nomadicmatt.com

  12. Matt says

    April 10, 2008 at 9:59 am

    Hey,

    I found your site while roaming the net. Great site. I like it a lot. I feedburned you.

    I have my own site. Come and check it out if you get a chance. http://www.nomadicmatt.com

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking