Train! 火車！

One of the most wonderful of many wonderful things about mainland China is the train. Last weekend we went to Guangzhou for some r and r and it was good, but the best thing was sitting down to the moveable feast that is a mainland train journey. It was wildly exhilarating although it’s only the short trip from Guangzhou East to Hung Hom.

This time they even had draft beer!

We had all bought tickets separately so were in separate cabins, so what could be more natural than meeting in the restaurant car for some beer, peanuts, cards and fried eggs with chives?

Well, it wasn’t a chance or leisurely meeting, sauntering into the restaurant car and happen to bump into each other. It was “Dash! Dash to the restaurant car! Grab a table quiiiiick!!!!” because that restaurant car is damned popular. If we hadn’t been able to secure a table, I think there would have been some serious wistfulness:

After two hours of splendidness, all I wanted was to stay on the train and make it go back, up north, into the provinces. In fact I feel a serious China trip welling up in me. Who’s in?

火車 (fo che – fire car, train)
餐車 (chan che – Meal Car)
大陸 (daai luk – Big Landmass, Mainland)
生啤 (saang beh – fresh beer)
廣州東站 (Gong Jau dong jaam – Guangzhou East Station)
花生 (fa saang – peanuts)