Freezing me bits off ...

Luoyang, China

Rooms are expensive here. It's national holiday week, ridiculous numbers of people are trying to get out and about for a few days, hotel rates have doubled (at least) and my bargaining position is weak. After a period of worrying I found a hotel for some 60 RMB near the train station. The sun was beating down and I didn't want to have to scour the city for a better deal. The backpack is just too heavy and I don't even know where I'm going.
The room is decent enough and it even features a phone, so I finally had a chat with my mother again last night. The bathroom is shared. Now here's the downside: There's no hot water in the shower. None. The only other public shower room is all the way on the other side of the building. On a different floor. Now, you may say: "hey, a bit of cold water is not too bad. You said the sun was beating down." And I'll reply: "There's a difference between cool water on a hot day and bloody freezing water on a chilly spring morning." I swear, every part of my body wrinkled down to minimum size. I wonder where they got the water from that it was that cold. But in the end I was too lazy to go to the other bathroom, which, I guess, makes me bloody-minded. Are we men or are we mice?! I've rarely been so awake in the morning. They say cold showers are healthy. They'd better be right!