It was time to begin my journey home. The train from Xi’an
to Guangzhou is about 18 hours so it would be more than just an overnight trip.
To get ready I went to a market and purchased snacks, drinks and fruit to have
on the train. In the early evening I went to the station.
At the time China was restricting travel to Tibet for
foreigners and the train originated in Lhasa, Tibet. Also, there was extra
security on the train because it originated in Tibet. In my soft sleeper car I think
most of the people were soldiers. I ended up with a 4 bed compartment to
myself. Most likely, I was the only westerner on the train as just after
boarding I received a knock on my door. When I opened the door there was a
little girl of about 10 years old. All she said was, “People want to know where
you are from”. When I said America she just smiled and walked away. She might have been the only other English
speaking person on the train.
Once I was settled in I had some of my snacks and fruit and
went to sleep. The motion of the train and the sound of the tracks made it easy
for me to sleep. The next day I still had 6 hours to Guangzhou so I was able to
enjoy the countryside and cities along the way. I made it to Guangzhou in the
early afternoon and caught the rail to Zhuhai. After checking into the Holiday
Inn and taking a walk around the area it was time to have dinner, and get ready
for the flight home the next day.
Getting to the Hong Kong Airport is almost the opposite of
getting to the mainland I described in part one. There could be a few
exceptions depending on when your flight leaves. If your flight schedule
permits, you can take a direct ferry from Zhuhai to the airport. The terminal
at the airport has counters to check in for your flight. It is very easy. If
your schedule does not fit the direct ferry then you will have to backtrack the
way you came. You catch the ferry to Hong Kong and then take a taxi to the rail
station to take you to the airport. Before you board the train you can check
into your flight there or wait until you get to the airport. Both are very easy
also.
Once at the airport there are 2 main terminals. Make sure
you are in the right one. After going through security you should have time to
relax, grab something to eat and maybe get some last minute shopping in.
Have a great flight home!
Next up, other trips I took by train in China.
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