Bilbo and the dragon

People and hobbits are not that different. Hobbits love food, comfortable couches, and the sights of green hills. And so do I!

When I write this, I am aboard a sleep train from Hong Kong to Shanghai, which should have arrived 10 hours ago. And it will take us more than 6 hours from now. Yes that is a 16 hours delay on top of a 20 hours trip. (Think about that the next time the NS messes up and you have to wait 30 minutes for the next train!) When we boarded yesterday, we were already hungry. However, someone back home had said that there would be a lot of food on the train. So all we did was bring noodles for breakfast, and one or two snacks pp. Unfortunately, there was not a lot of food, except for some dinner. So I went to bed hungry. Bed being a ‘hard sleeper’: you share a compartment with five others and sleep on thin mattresses – we want to save money. Because we bought the tickets quite late, we have to sleep on top, and the air-conditioning is terribly cold. Because of the jetlag it was hard to fall asleep, also because my roommates snore quite loud. Dominic and Julien sleep in another compartment, mine is filled with Chinese people that don’t speak any English. After the night, I feel tired, hungry and miserable and want to be in Shanghai as fast as possible. No actually, I want to be home. In my comfy bed, with my family to talk to, and lots and lots of food. And then I got the news of the delay...

I guess the physical aspects of travelling are the most prominent ones, but the least visible on the nice pictures you take. But I am happy to say that now, when getting ready for the second night, I am already quite over my little moment of despair. There were two more meals today (so still HUNGRY, but I’ll manage). We met a nice Chinese girl that spoke English and told us a lot about living in China and Hong Kong. And I have learned that these people are very nice. No one in the train complained (I guess in the Netherlands everyone would be bitching all the time) and they try to help. They do even speak some English if you politely force them to. And in the end, an extra day in the train to rest before the next part of our adventure starts is also not bad. (Although if the train does arrive at 4am, as announced, that will ruin those few extra hours of sleep I managed to get today.)

About the delay: Our typhoon-friend Utor, has caused the floods in China. Big parts of the railway were blocked by falling trees and apparently some people got injured as they tried to free the railway under a bridge. This delay is not very common but gives beautiful view of big red rivers through green mountains. Some people here believe that the green dragon has caused the floods. Who knows, Utor seems a pretty name for a dragon.

About Hong Kong; the last days were great, with walks through crowded streets filled with neon signs, just as in the films. It is only way more intimidating if you are actually here. Food everywhere, dared to tried some of it, mostly very spicy, High buildings and beautiful sights of the skyline from Victoria Harbour and the Peak. We also had some great nights just chilling in our hostel and fantasizing about what life will be like once we settle in Seoul.

So yeah, My niece Karen was right, there are a lot of negative sides to travelling, and we got a nice portion of it today. But there is always that next thing you want to see, and I know it will all turn out to be a great story to tell afterwards. I feel like the hobbit Bilbo, who above all loves the comfyness of his home. But when Gandalf knocked on his door, he could not say no: “We are going on an adventure!”


p.s. For an more accurate account of the entire train ride, check http://juliengoeskorea.waarbenjij.nu/reisverslag/4588428/stop-complaining-about-dutch-trains-immediately