The Journey(s) of Ian

I have always wanted to make the short journey from China into HK by land, and here in the year and month of the lord June 2017, was at last my opportunity.  On the surface the process is easy enough, embark on the train, complete the hour plus trip, disembark, but the problem is that this is an international journey. The status of HK gives it a degree of autonomy, and border control is one of the features.  I arrived at the Guangzhou East Railway Station midday, and with a bit of back and forth found the departure point for Kowlon (the mainland part of HK). It is upstairs from the main station. This station also departs for Shenzhen, which is an internal mainland destination, far less hassle. Signage is mostly Chinese, but there is sufficient English to get around. Just follow the signs. Buying the ticket (186 yuan ~us$30) was the simple part, no need even for ID!, however, things got more complicated after this. Without going into great detail, expect to be sc...

This is one of China’s megacities. With a population of 10-12 (depends on how you count) million people GZ is a big city (half the population of Australia)! I arrived here a week ago via train from Kunming. I have been here once before, four years back, but this time I was determined to take a closer look, check out the teaching situation, and generally find the lie of the land. GZ is not only big, but old, as in two thousand years or so old. Also a trading and business city. Once the terminus for the silk road stretching between Europe and the far east. A connection still underway. The city is a major part of China’s growing and busy economy. The city is a working city, there is little real frippery. People are into the work ethic. Not a great deal of real tourism, as compared to lets say, Thailand. Crowded, it is crowded. Lots of people, towering architecture, and noise, a constant background hum that one soon learns to forget. The subways, there is an extensive subw...

It has long been an ambition of mine to travel on a high speed train, but to this date I have always missed out, so I was eager to sample the High Speed train between Kunming and Guangzhou. To start, I had to get to Kunming and, I am happy to say, my departure from Jinghong was about as uneventful as it can get. I purchased my ticket the day before. The only real problem was the lack of English at the southern bus station (where one buys a ticket for the journey north), however, armed with the city name “Kunming" written in Chinese in my notebook by my hotel manager I quickly purchased a ticket from the helpful lady behind the glass divider.  The next morning, awakening at 06.00, packing, girding my mental loins for the 24+ hour trip, I set of at 07.00 to walk with my two bags to the bus station. An early arrival, sitting, the centre of some attention (not many foreigners in this nest of the woods), then bus boarding. In China boarding a bus or train requires a bag and bo...

A name that promises more than it delivers. The small city (half a million, tiny by Chinese standards), is located in southern China, near the Laos border. I arrived here ready to spend a day or two then head further into China to explore the Yunnan province, however, the fate of travellers intervened. My Thai debit card, which I had intended to use as my primary fund delivery system, was found not to operate in the Middle Kingdom (even though I had been assured that it would). Yikes! My aussie card did apparently work, but I had no money on the card. I immediately transferred $ into the aussie card, but then had to wait 4-5 working days for the $ to appear. Yikes. The things that happen. Apparently the problem was caused by a conflict between Visa and the Chinese Union Pay (UP), who are trying to capitalistically carve up the financial world between themselves. Back to the story. Jihngon. Jinhong is pleasant small city. Apparently it has the rep in China of being a party to...

My next destination was Jinghong City. Jjinghong is the capital of the southern area of Yunnan Province. Yunnan Province borders Laos (and Myanmar and Vietnam). This southern are a is named Xishuangbanna ('she-shung-ban-ar', nicknamed Banna), and is an autonomous region in the province. Banna culture reflects its Thai history and association. This region was once a Thai kingdom that eventually fell under the sway of China. The city is tiny by Chinese standards “only” half a million people! My first view of the city and the word “delightful” comes to mind. At night neon lights illuminate the streets and eating areas of the city. There is a great stretch of cafes and small restaurants in the city centre. The journey from Luang to Jinghong City (as it is nicknamed) is a 12 hour bus ride (07.00-19.00). Not the worst, but certainly not the most comfortable bus ride you will ever experience. Essentia lly, a long and winding, and bumpy road., but with beautiful and lush,...

Back again! I do enjoy this town. It would be hard not to. Luang Prabang is a world heritage site, a town in northern Laos, capital of the province of the same name, and a major tourist drawcard. The quiet, but still somewhat busy streets draw tourists from all over the world, mainly younger, backpacker oriented people, who visit as part of their tour of Laos and south-east Asia. People come to relax, enjoy the beautiful scenery, spend a little time with nature, and generally to chill. The town is a days journey by bus from Vientiane and half a day from Vang Vieng. LP is a tiny destination by most standards, dwarfed by the megacities in neighbouring countries, it has a population of 55,000 . The town lies between the Mekong River and Nam Khan Rivers. Essentially, the town is a long peninsular. The peninsular area consists of four main roads, which form the main tourist area. This is filled with r estaurants, hotels, tour companies, tourist trinket shops, and massage shops —...