[Day8] Train Ride

I've always adore train rides. I mean the overnight ones... it saves logging cost, cover great distance and compare to flight it's more affordable and you won't see an array of clouds along the journey. Specifically in CHINA, train rides between Kunming, Chengdu and Xi'an always amazing. Tunnels after tunnels, ridges and gorges... rapids and huge Yellow River (Yangtze River). I like yunnan and sichuan back country where some small village we're made between ridges in the mountains. There's mountain paddy fields along the way with houses made in the mountains.

Kunming Train Station

As usual we started off early in the morning. Get my famous hostel hot chocolate with ain while waiting for dura and fami to get ready. Fami packed his braekfast and we headed to our bus waiting at the side of the road. It's tie for us to leave our favourite place called DALI. We will back... I'm pretty sure of it.

We already booked our train to Emei at 5:00pm. So, hopefully we arrived early so we can have our lunch and buy some packed food for our long journey towards Emei. It took around 6 hours to reach Kunming from DALI.

We reach Kunming in the afternoon. Took taxi straight towards train station. Haggling is the key to have a good bargain. Since we bring a lot of stuff. 4 huge backpacks and day packs. 

We have a perfect time, manage to get our lunch and buy a little supplies. 

I'm pretty excited to show ain, fami and dura how great train rides in CHINA. It's super comfortable and the view are amazing. 

China train management was tight. The train was on time, boarding 15 minutes before departure. In 2010, I've nearly miss my train journey from Xi'an to Chengdu with few europeans because we're just in time 15 minutes before departure. The door are about to close. They're few locals still fighting to get in but the officials are pretty strict. I'm feel sorry for them.

ain enjoying the view from our cabin

I've realise that this train have an english speaking cabin crew. I think, CHINA tourism are stacking up a notch. On my previous several train ride in 2010 and 2011... none of the cabin crew can speak english this pretty well. 

Yangtze River (Yellow River)

We sort our bags and food supplies right after we found our cabin. Fami and dura was nice enough to allow ain and me having the lower berth. We share quite amount of time hanging out and summarised our previous journey in DALI and Bangkok. Enjoying out train ride, the view... the ourback.. the village.. fields, river and mountains. When we're tired to talk... we just lay down and observe whatever comes outside our window until it gets really dark.

I'm woke early from the rest. Having a cigarette in the cold morning is great. The sun don't even rise yet. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to travel and this time with my wife and close friends. It was surreal after all these year traveling alone.

Woke up everybody for an early start. Early breakfast... tentatively we arrived at Emei around 9am. 

Freezing cold.