First day of the lunar year, so it’s the Chinese New Year, our train leaves at 19h28.
17:15, we leave the apartment, and say we will not schlep if you want to have time to go to the Shanghai Railway Station, which is on the other side of the city, in perspective: if you are lucky a small 5 kuai cab to the metro station Dongchuan, then line up 5 Xinzhuang Line 1 and finally to the station, at the lowest transportation … 1:40
When we go out, it’s raining … and of course everything is dead, forcing new year, no small cab on the horizon … 15 minutes of walking in the rain to the station with our luggage we delight little …
Fortunately, a real taxi area of Minhang looms on the horizon. This is unexpected, and it’s even better than a cab, it will drop us off at Xinzhuang station directly, a little less stress
Finally, a little over an hour transit later, we arrive at the station. Soon we identify the waiting for our train, Z8 7:28 p.m.. Rows of seats “leather” on which whole families waiting patiently nibbling around tables, more comfortable than the common halls of the station and especially it’s hot! happiness
Shortly before 19h, the display indicates the beginning of the composting our tickets online. We can access the dock and board!
Time to capture the moment with Sandrine
and some misdirection and outside-inside-car later, we forget the rain in Shanghai to find our compartment and we install.
The compartment is small but comfortable. 4 berths, 2 by 2, each with two pillows and a duvet, a small table with hot water in a thermos, small bin, slippers and travel kit toothbrush, and heating! (Bis happiness!). A vertical space to store luggage and advanced control lights, radio, etc.. Not to mention the toilet, choice of Turkish or Western (bliss). In the hallway, folding seats can ask to discover its neighbors.
I had realized that the ticket was more expensive for the bunk below, plausible explanation: the bunk below is a more spacious chouille height, it has a direct access to the table, we can see through the window ( great night …) and especially was not to climb the removable footboard to climb on the couch, we almost forget that the Chinese are very good acrobats:]
Casually it has good comfort:]
What we like least is to discover that our roommates are nothing less than a young couple and their baby … …
And yes, when we know that we are about to spend 12 hours by train, with roughly 95% of the overnight trip, we think we can sleep … ERROR.
If we were pleasantly surprised to receive free (included in the ticket of course, well, we keep our instant noodles for later) our “meal tray” consisting of a soup, a hot dish, bread and a dessert night, it was much less pleasant.
But hey, it did not prevent them to arrive a little before 7:30 am in Beijing and be entered soon as we left the car by the fresh air characteristic of this time of year, but especially delighted to discover Above our heads a cloudless blue sky and the sun, the sun!
All ragaillardies, we hasten out of the Beijing Railway Station, in front of busy city invites us instant immortalization bis, we tend Beijing you arms … so HERE WE COME!
I Work In China 