Well, dear reader, I feel a bit remiss in my previous blog at having posted such gloomy photos of the Great Wall – we did go on a rainy day, but why not experience the Great Wall in bright sunshine! The views at the Mutianyu section of the wall are magnificent – why have a rainy experience when you can have a sunny one! Click on this link if you’d like a Great Wall brighter day experience. You’re welcome. Ha.
So now it’s Saturday, April 14 – we say ‘good-bye’ to Beijing and catch the bullet train to Hangzhou – a city 760 miles south-southeast, near Shanghai.
Victor arranges a driver to take us to the train station. You all have your tickets? Yes! Good – we’ve arrived at the station.
Beijing South Railway Station
Now what? Just a bit hesitant to enter the crowds. Where’s the bathroom? We can’t lose each other!
“I need coffee” Eric says.
Look at your ticket and find our gate
Train ticket to Hangzhou
Yeah, right. Help, Victor!
Sooooo – which train is ours?
Just stay attached to Steph and Victor – get in this line!
Don’t want to lose Eric. Whew! He’s behind us…
Down to the trains now … Which one is ours??
Follow Victor!
Yay! We’ve boarded the bullet train. Business class! (Thank you, Victor.) Now we can relax!
Kick back for the next 4 hours!
I snap a few photos of the landscape flying past us at 180 mph.
So does, Eric. “My photos are better, Eric.” (Which they usually aren’t.)
We pass a lot of coal plants!
It’s incredible to see China’s investment in ‘infrastructure’ – tearing down the old, building the new.
Out with the old!
In with the new!
Here is a one-minute video I took to give you an idea of the landscape. High rise apartment cities rise up out of the landscape like mushroom colonies.
Do you notice how quiet the ride is? Riding the bullet train is a pleasurable experience.
Oh goody! We’re being served lunch!
Yum!
Oh, looks healthy. Some sort of fish, and pork, with a garnish, and rice …
Lunch!
A sad, out of sorts fish, staring right up at me that I get to have a conversation with.
He has a bone to pick with me? Oh, lots of bones – little tiny bones. Now I do like fish, but do I have to see the whole fish, head and all, stare the animal in the face while I’m eating it? I’m just not used to this kind of thing. Fillet the meat off the body, please, cloak it in breading, come on! I don’t want to see the whole animal I’m actually eating. Especially the head!
We’ve arrived in Hangzhou now. Yay!
Hangzhou train station
How old is this station? It looks brand new.
Wonder what that mural says?
A driver has met us – how nice! Thank you, Victor!
Follow the driver!
It’s at least an hour drive to our hotel, the Shangri-La,
Shangri-La Hotel in Hangzhou
which sits right on the main attraction in Hangzhou: West Lake. Here, I’ll give you a glimpse of it:
West Lake in Hangzhou
Basically the most beautiful lake you could ever imagine. We’ll be exploring this area over the next couple of days. You want to come along?
Tags: Beijing South Railway Station, China Bullet train, China infrastructure projects, China landscape, Hangzhou train Station, Shangri-La Hotel in Hangzhou, The Great Wall, travel to China, West Lake- Hangzhou
The Decompression of a Boomer 
May 5, 2018 at 5:56 pm |
I enjoyed the train ride footage. So quiet! I remember riding on scenic train rides on the ‘Zepher’ Line from Nebraska to the Colorado Rockies back around the 60’s….pretty noisey, shaking back and forth, food was served with risk😊
May 6, 2018 at 10:41 am |
Sounds like a great trip! I wonder if that Zepher line is still in service today?