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In South America we discovered the joys of bus travel. In China it has definitely been the turn of the train. If you want to see a lot of country in a short space of time in relative comfort, take the train. I just hope you like pot noodles!
In Lhasa train station we were at the head of the queue. Once the signal was given we marched after the main conductor and made our way to the eerily empty platform. The Lhasa train was more modern than the other trains we've been on and these trains are considered to be very prestigious. We even noticed people standing to attention as it passed by. As we settled in for 24 hours in the 6 berth hard sleeper cabin, we awaited the fifth and sixth passenger to complete our homely setting. They never arrived, there were just four of us, us and two Chinese girls with no English. We smiled and said 'Ni Hao', but that was the extent of the conversation. Tired as we were after our early start, we forced ourselves to stay awake to see what everyone agrees is the best bit of the trip.
The views
were breathtaking as we trundled our way across the Tibetan Plateau. Our carriage attendant came to us and gave us the health and safety speech
in Chinese. While nodding politely at what we though were appropriate moments, we at least gathered enough that we were to come and find her if we were feeling unwell and she would give us special oxygen from the hole in the wall. There was also no smoking allowed between Lhasa and Geemsu as they were piping oxygen into the carriages to neutralise the effects of travelling so high. Apparently the best way to stop the Chinese men from flaunting the smoking law is to tell them that they would risk blowing themselves up - and it worked!
As the mountains and fields of yaks and sheep flew by, the train steadily climbed. We saw snowy villages, a beautiful lake and vast amount of brown, barren landscape. About five hours in we hit the highest points we've both ever been at: 5077m above sea level. Imagine that, a Dutch man, probably born
below sea level, hanging out over 5km high in the sky! Aside from an occasional burst of impromptu giggling, the altitude didn't
effect us much. Although we were lucky because many of the other passengers were missing the view because they were sleeping away some altitude sickness.
The trip passed relatively quickly. Lunch was pot noodles. Dinner was pot noodles. (Breakfast would probably have been pot noodles too if we were on the train that long!) Between noodles we passed the time looking at the stunning views out the window or playing travel scrabble, much to the amusement of the passing Chinese. By bed time we had reached Geemsu and still didn't get new roomies. The next morning the attendant woke us up just before Xining. We were awake just long enough to hear the morning verse and chorus of hacking up in, and on the way to, the bathroom area. It is a disgusting habit, but is so normal here that we even see the children doing it. I suppose it was a small mercy that they were going as far as the sinks to do it...
When we hopped off the train in Xining we were immediately surprised by how cold it was. We had assumed Lhasa would be cold, and found this not to be the case.
The weather in Xining at 8am was wintery and bitter. Given how little we trust taxis that loiter near train station, and how quickly these drivers approached us when we emerged from the station, we decided to brave the local bus service. Slotting our 1Yuan each into the box at the front of the bus, we hopped on and followed its route on the map in our Lonely Planet.
When we hopped off at the stop described by our hostel's directions we could see no hostel. Philippe rang them and was given some sketchy directions. We pulled on our backpacks and walked around trying to find the all elusive hostel. First we were told to find a bank, then a secondary school. We found both, only to be told by a different person on the phone that we were at the wrong bank and secondary school! Frustrated and cold we couldn't get accurate directions out of any passers by. Eventually after four phone calls (it would have been cheaper to get a taxi!) and help from a kind security guard, we found the complex that our hostel was in. When we got inside and found that the receptionist didn't
have our booking and could only speak Chinese we were more than exasperated. We showed them our booking online and were granted a room.
As soon as we got internet access we learned about the earthquake that had hit Tibet during the early hours of the morning. Although we were now hundreds of miles away from the epicentre in Yushu, our train had passed only 200miles from there just a few hours previous to the quake. As we assured the folks back home that we were fine, news of the scale of the quake began to spread. We realised that we had been very lucky.
Xining isn't a city that I would feel the need to return to. It was a large city that didn't even have the charm of a historical area like Chengdu or Xi'an. Also, it was cold. And we haven't done cold for the last while, so we're not used to it! We grabbed some breakfast and set off to find somewhere to buy our train tickets to Guangzhou. When we did locate the office it was closed for lunch. We returned an hour later (after discovering an entire underground level of shops) and had
to put our phrasebook to good use. The problem with phrasebooks is that it doesn't tell you what the person has likely responded! Eventually we gathered that there were no hard sleeper tickets left on our chosen train. We could either wait a further two days in Xining or stump up double the price for soft sleeper tickets. Assuming Xining to be as dull as its first impressions suggested, we decided to cough up the extra cash and enjoy some relative luxury for the 33 hour train trip.
That evening we went to a restaurant in our hostel complex. Grateful as we were for the photo menu that was put in front of us, it was still a bit of a guessing game as to what meat was in the picture. Eventually some huge portions of delicious food arrived. Who cares what it was, as long as we believed it was chicken! We chilled out the next day, walking around Xining to find some books in English for me (as I'm chewing through them with these long train trips) and to stock up on food for our mammoth train trip the next morning. We returned to the same restaurant
that evening and were given a royal welcome by the staff. It might be something of an honour for someone to come back twice in a row. We were doing it because we were feeling ridiculously unadventurous.
The next day we were back at the train station ready for yet another train. On a different platform we saw lines of aid workers preparing to take a train to Yushu. I noticed that the train workers stood to attention for them. China is a very honourable country and it was nice to see respect being shown on a basic level. The television has already begun churning out images from Yushu. Most of the images involve a Chinese Soldier hauling an injured woman or child from a collapsed house. I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't a bit too soon for propaganda... On the other hand, there was a donation phone number on the screen, so if it helped raise funds, where is the harm?
Luckily for the first 12 hours of our trip to Guangzhou we had the cabin to ourselves. Soft sleeper class truly is a step up from hard sleeper. The beds are more comfortable, the
surroundings are cleaner and the cabin had a door that allowed us to shut out the rest of the world for a few hours, and just admire the passing scenery from our oasis of calm. We got roommates in Xi'an, but they were asleep for most of the journey. It is surprising how quickly 33hours can pass, once you are prepared for it! When the supposed arrival time comes and goes, and you are
still on the train, it becomes a different matter. All our calculations (and expensive Hong Kong hostel bookings) depended on us arriving in Guangzhou early enough to buy tickets for and take one of the two last trains to Hong Kong. The Xining train was due to pull in at 18.08. At 19.08 they began cleaning the train around us. An attendant said we'd be there at 8pm. At 20.08 we were very agitated, knowing that the last train to Hong Kong left at 21.30 from across town.
We finally got off the train in Guangzhou main railway station at 20.25. We were either being optimistic or deluding ourselves, but the bags were pulled on and we
ran. Yes, it was a sight I never
thought would happen, but there we were, carting 15kg on our backs, sprinting across Guangzhou Train station, dodging Chinese people and their annoying rolly suitcases. Luckily we'd been here before. We knew what to do. Philippe acquired two tickets and amazingly there was a metro waiting to leave the platform when we arrived. We sat on the metro, convincing ourselves that we were better off not knowing the time. When we swapped metro lines the time was on the platform. It was 20.55.
We could have given up, but we didn't. We got out of the metro at Guangzhou East and jogged into the central area. Miraculously there was a separate ticket cabin for the Hong Kong Express train. Red faced and puffing, we paid for two tickets. As the lady behind the window handed them to us we asked "Where do we go?" she responded "Foth Floor, GO!". It was all very
Amazing Race-like. It was at this point that we realised that we still had to clear baggage screening
and immigration.
Somehow there were no queues, anywhere (well, all the sensible people were already gone through!). We flung our bags through the machines, prayed we didn't
beep walking through the sensors and then hurled ourselves onto the slowest escalator in the world. It was only after being stamped through by the Chinese officials that we allowed ourselves to look at the time. It was only 21.10. We weren't even cutting it
that fine. The train didn't leave for another 20minutes! Looking at each others sweaty faces and remembering the sight of us running with the backpacks set us off sniggering. Who knew
we could run? In hindsight it was probably the boosting effect of having been at altitude, but we certainly learned something new about ourselves!
Two hours later we disembarked at Hung Hom train station in Hong Kong. It was nearly midnight and we still had immigration and three metros to catch. It was pushing 1am by the time we eventually crawled into our dorm beds, in the hostel we called home for two weeks nearly a month ago.
Waking up in Fortress Hill was enjoyable. The familiarity of the hostel, of knowing where to get breakfast (
Subway across the street) and of knowing what tram to get and how much it costs, cannot be valued highly enough. It was easy and was
therefore a bit of a holiday within a holiday. Although we are seeing many new and interesting places on this trip, it can get weary having to always work so hard for something to eat, or to buy a train ticket or find out how to get somewhere. Hong Kong had none of that, and that's why we chose to stay here for three nights of rest and relaxation.
On the first day we got up late and got our
Subway sandwiches and then whiled away the afternoon in Starbucks. The next day we got our
Subway and whiled away the day in Victoria park. That afternoon I was looking decidedly pink in the face and neck. Only 72hours after buttoning up from the cold wind and rain in Xining, I got
sunburned in Hong Kong. Fantastic!
The next day we readied ourselves to head back into China. With less than a month left of our travels we were recharged and ready to finish it right!
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Derek
non-member comment
New Skill
You can now add the ability to run with 15kg on your back to your cv - should impress the army! Looking forward to meeting in a few weeks.