Our bullet train arriving at Beijing station for the 1,250 kilometre,
5 hour trip to Xian
The tour company transferred our group by coach to the station. (Time has to be allowed at all stations for security checks.) This picture shows part of a large hall where we waited - it was for passengers using four platforms for country trains. There were many other halls like this on either side of the main concourse servicing other platforms. Everyone waited in the hall until their train was approaching and then they would queue at the appropriate gate (left or right of the big screen) to have their tickets checked before they proceeded down to the train.
There were shops and many food outlets on the concourse and also within these waiting halls.
There were shops and many food outlets on the concourse and also within these waiting halls.
This is a KFC on the concourse. The price of this food is quite expensive compared to the cost of Chinese food. There does not appear to be any chips. Chips? I don't think that's a concept known to the Chinese! (Note the sign in chinese with the word "WOW").
If you don't want KFC how about a whole preserved, roasted duck? We had been told that food on the train was very expensive so we had lots of snacks and a thermos for tea.
Most of the landscape was rural market gardens. Here are endless hot houses and in the distance you can just see high rise buildings. The grey, dull pollution we experienced in Beijing has followed us and does not dissipate for 500 kms!
More rural farms with high rise accommodation nearby. As it was summer and the days were hot, we saw teams of workers out in the fields at night with the tractors using headlights.
We stopped at several cities full of more high rise buildings. The layout and architecture of all the stations was the same design. Maybe this was implemented with the introduction of the bullet trains. This city is Han Dan Dong.
Several times the train exceeded 300 km/hour. There was no sensation of speed and the ride was very smooth.
Part of our tour group - the couple on the left near the window are two nurses from Wangaratta Hospital, the couple on the right near the window is a vet from Newcastle, NSW, and his partner. The couple on the aisle were madly missing their children! We had a varied group both young and old but we all got on well and everyone had lots of fun!!
Arrival at Xian station. The tour company again transferred us by coach to the hotel.
No comments:
Post a Comment