August 01, 2007

Beijing/Shenzhen (CHINA)

A 29 Hour Train Ride from Beijing to Hong Kong and Summer Travel Itinerary

There is never a whole lot to write about when you are on a 29 hour train ride, and my trip from Beijing to Shenzhen was no exception to the rule. The only reason I left my bed was to use the toilet, pour hot water in my cup of ramen noodles, or walk the length of the train to stretch my legs. On the bright side, I was finally able to make up for all the sleep deprivation I have suffered over the past 6 months, but I suspect it won't be long before I find myself behind the curve once more. The trouble with feeling fresh and "ready to take on the world" is that one often takes up the challenge of taking on the world. I think I read something about this in 9th grade English Literature during the countless hours pouring over Homer's The Odyssey. "Hybris", I think it is called. Or maybe it is "Hubris"...

This is probably why I got a "B" in the silly class.

Anyway, the picture to the right shows the hard sleeper where I spent the majority of my time (top bunk). There were only about 2 feet of head room, so I laid down practicing Chinese and working out a rough itinerary while the train worked its way down the face of China. Call it last minute, but I am only now hammering out the places I will visit, and they plan looks like the following:

Hong Kong -> China -> Vietnam -> Cambodia -> Laos -> Thailand -> Myanmar (Burma) -> Thailand -> Malaysia -> Singapore -> Macau -> Hong Kong -> Japan

Maybe I should have paid better attention during those 9th grade lessons.

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