We can hardly believe ! It does feel like we were cruising though Norway and Russia six months ago – guess that’s what happens when you do so much every day. Long way still to go and we are loving it.

Last nights train to Chengdu was a little delayed and by the time we got on board I was beyond exhausted. Have decided it was a bit too much sun the previous day. The ‘Hard Sleeper’ class (open carriage) was good. Would have been perfect if 3 kids hadn’t taken the bottom bunks around midnight. Full of energy and the associated noise. The bunks are comfy and people respectful (important since there are 66 bunks in each carriage). The trains look and feel newer than the Russian overnight ones we took and have hot water on tap and squat toilet (yay). We needn’t have taken food with us – plenty of carts made their rounds. I was asleep by 11 – didn’t even get through one ‘Skeptics Guide to the Universe’ podcast.

Just before arriving in Chengdu a young chap came to chat. Again very friendly. So far everyone we have spoken to is very interested in business/economics and would like to travel. This guy was unusual – he is interested in New Zealand and Holland. He has to complete 4 years military once done with his university and is hopeful that the country will change enough by then so that he can travel. The funniest/sweetest thing he asked was if we were ‘a pair of lovers’, his girlfriend was waiting for him at the station. Ag shame.

We arranged a free pick-up at the station and the hostel rep was waiting with info, maps and boiled sweets – excellent. Chengdu is massive (11 million people) and from the taxi looks like the other big Chinese cities – modernizing rapidly. The hostel, bearing my name (Sim’s Cozy Garden Hostel), looks to be great save for minor confusion over the room type we booked. More ‘Flash-packers’ (backpackers with cool tech) around – ipads, laptops, DSLRs etc – not that we should talk ! After a very late lunch and a beer (good value at 85p each) we had plans to walk and catch a museum but made the fatal mistake of sitting on the bed – we slept solidly for 3 hours until woken by the complementary fruit being delivered. Tomorrow Pandas! …Then we are looking at taking the Yangtze by Hydrofoil – too cool !

[Update: we have just come up for sups. This is a cool hostel. Friendly bunny rabbits hopping around – even near the kitchen 🙂 friendly but maybe not so bright ? ]

[Pictures: The view from the top bunk in our carriage. We had a top and a middle (prices are different for different bunks), hostel mission control – this places buzzes]

– Posted from my iPhone via Wifi