Monday 11 June
Today we leave Guilin, China, for Hanoi, Vietnam, We are up at 5.00 am; our train is scheduled to leave Guilin station at 7.40 am, but we want to leave the hostel about 6.00 am, to allow plenty of time. People who know me as "last minute Les", who are used to the phrase "Sorry I'm late" issuing from my lips will be surprised to learn that we are always very early at our train station. Perhaps I've changed, or maybe it's something to do with the fact that I can't fill any "time pockets" with other things that need doing before we go. "Normal life" at home is steeped in a myriad of different circumstances and situations; here, we're living in our own bubble, moving from place to place, interacting with other people, but not really involved with them in any way.
The station waiting room is practically empty when we arrive at about 6. 45 am; we've never encountered this situation in China before. Reg asks a station guard, and he tells us we are waiting in the right place for the train to Nanning, We have to change trains at Nanning for the overnight journey to Hanoi. Soon we see from the neon information sign that the previous train to Nanning (we didn't even realise there was one), due at 7.00 am is going to be delayed until 9.20 am. This sets the warning bells ringing; although we should have a few hours wait at Nanning station for our connection to Hanoi, if our train is delayed as well, by a couple of hours, we might miss our conncection.
Sure enough, the neon sign soon announces that our train, due at Guilin at 7.40 am, will be delayed for 2 hours until 9.40 am. At 9.35 am, the sign tells us that our train has been delayed still further, and won't come in until 10.58 am. The earlier train for Nanning is now due to arrive at 10.00 am.
Reg decides to seek further information, and goes off to find a train guard, Reg explains to the guard that he needs to catch a connecting train at Nanning for Hanoi. The guard already has a few other people in the same position, and indicates to everyone to follow him. The guard goes into an office to liaise with colleagues, then indicates to everyone to follow him out of the station to the ticket office situated in a different building. Reg and the others then queue up the change their tickets, to enable them to catch the earlier delayed train to Nanning.
As Reg reaches 3rd place the queue, some other passengers, obviously also hoping to get the earlier train to Nanning, and realising that time is running out, rush over and push in front of those queuing. This incenses Reg who tells them in no uncertain terms to stop pushing in, and to get to the back of the queue, pointing furiously to show them he means business. Fortunately the other people who've been patiently queuing, join in to support Reg; arguing and grumbling, the new arrivals go to the rear of the line. Perhaps these people have learned a small lesson in fairness; but it's just not in the Chinese psyche to understand how to queue.
The poor ticket office lady, faced with dealing with the bureaucracy and extreme pressure of having to change people's tickets as quickly as possible, is completely flustered and taking longer than usual.
Reg returns to the waiting room, where I've been sitting with all our luggage, with the precious new tickets in his hand; we have to leave immediately to catch the train to Nanning, which is waiting at the station. We are lucky enough to have bottom bunks in a 4 berth cabin; we are sharing with a Chinese man who boarded the train at a previous stop. Reg invites him to sit on the bottom bunk, but he leaps up to the top bunk, out of the way. Reg and I breathe a sigh of relief that we've caught the train; and we make a much needed cuppa, using the boiling water which is provided at the end of the corridor.
It's a smooth journey of about 6½ hours to Nanning; when we arrive, we are able to stay on the same platform, to wait for about 1½ hours for the connecting train to Hanoi. We seem to be the only people on the platform waiting for the Hanoi train, and for some reason we are given special treatment and taken to a small air-conditioned guard's office on the platform, where we are invited to wait with our luggage, for our train.
Finally, the guard comes to tell us our train is in; we are shown to our cabin, and we are on our way to Hanoi. We are due to arrive in Hanoi the following morning at about 6.00 am Chinese time, 5.00 am Hanoi time; but before that we know to expect an interrupted night as the train crosses the border from China into Vietnam.
Today we leave Guilin, China, for Hanoi, Vietnam, We are up at 5.00 am; our train is scheduled to leave Guilin station at 7.40 am, but we want to leave the hostel about 6.00 am, to allow plenty of time. People who know me as "last minute Les", who are used to the phrase "Sorry I'm late" issuing from my lips will be surprised to learn that we are always very early at our train station. Perhaps I've changed, or maybe it's something to do with the fact that I can't fill any "time pockets" with other things that need doing before we go. "Normal life" at home is steeped in a myriad of different circumstances and situations; here, we're living in our own bubble, moving from place to place, interacting with other people, but not really involved with them in any way.
The station waiting room is practically empty when we arrive at about 6. 45 am; we've never encountered this situation in China before. Reg asks a station guard, and he tells us we are waiting in the right place for the train to Nanning, We have to change trains at Nanning for the overnight journey to Hanoi. Soon we see from the neon information sign that the previous train to Nanning (we didn't even realise there was one), due at 7.00 am is going to be delayed until 9.20 am. This sets the warning bells ringing; although we should have a few hours wait at Nanning station for our connection to Hanoi, if our train is delayed as well, by a couple of hours, we might miss our conncection.
Sure enough, the neon sign soon announces that our train, due at Guilin at 7.40 am, will be delayed for 2 hours until 9.40 am. At 9.35 am, the sign tells us that our train has been delayed still further, and won't come in until 10.58 am. The earlier train for Nanning is now due to arrive at 10.00 am.
Reg decides to seek further information, and goes off to find a train guard, Reg explains to the guard that he needs to catch a connecting train at Nanning for Hanoi. The guard already has a few other people in the same position, and indicates to everyone to follow him. The guard goes into an office to liaise with colleagues, then indicates to everyone to follow him out of the station to the ticket office situated in a different building. Reg and the others then queue up the change their tickets, to enable them to catch the earlier delayed train to Nanning.
As Reg reaches 3rd place the queue, some other passengers, obviously also hoping to get the earlier train to Nanning, and realising that time is running out, rush over and push in front of those queuing. This incenses Reg who tells them in no uncertain terms to stop pushing in, and to get to the back of the queue, pointing furiously to show them he means business. Fortunately the other people who've been patiently queuing, join in to support Reg; arguing and grumbling, the new arrivals go to the rear of the line. Perhaps these people have learned a small lesson in fairness; but it's just not in the Chinese psyche to understand how to queue.
The poor ticket office lady, faced with dealing with the bureaucracy and extreme pressure of having to change people's tickets as quickly as possible, is completely flustered and taking longer than usual.
Reg returns to the waiting room, where I've been sitting with all our luggage, with the precious new tickets in his hand; we have to leave immediately to catch the train to Nanning, which is waiting at the station. We are lucky enough to have bottom bunks in a 4 berth cabin; we are sharing with a Chinese man who boarded the train at a previous stop. Reg invites him to sit on the bottom bunk, but he leaps up to the top bunk, out of the way. Reg and I breathe a sigh of relief that we've caught the train; and we make a much needed cuppa, using the boiling water which is provided at the end of the corridor.
It's a smooth journey of about 6½ hours to Nanning; when we arrive, we are able to stay on the same platform, to wait for about 1½ hours for the connecting train to Hanoi. We seem to be the only people on the platform waiting for the Hanoi train, and for some reason we are given special treatment and taken to a small air-conditioned guard's office on the platform, where we are invited to wait with our luggage, for our train.
Finally, the guard comes to tell us our train is in; we are shown to our cabin, and we are on our way to Hanoi. We are due to arrive in Hanoi the following morning at about 6.00 am Chinese time, 5.00 am Hanoi time; but before that we know to expect an interrupted night as the train crosses the border from China into Vietnam.
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