A Fast and Easy Train Ride from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, China, Prior to the Lunar New Year of 2024

I have learned about the great importance Chinese place on celebrating the Chinese New Year in China. Each year, around January and February, we would hear and see pictures about the greatest annual migration of people on earth when millions of Chinese travel with China and try to make it back home to be with their families. Even the satellites are able to pick up images of the heat emitted from China due to these tremendous migration movement. I have seen reports of these satellite images on TV and are awed by them. I never experienced Chinese New Year in China, therefore we decided to experience it in peron in 2024, the Year of the Dragon.

We flew to Hong Kong, stayed one night at a hotel near the airport. The next day, after a visit to Tai O, we took the train to Guangzhou, a southern Chinese city.

Before leaving Canada, we were able to purchase our train tickets online. It was easy, no problem at all. The cost was very reasonable. We compared the cost of our plane tickets. If we had taken the direct flight from Toronto to Guangzhou, China, the plane ticket would have cost us about Can$ 1000.00 more than if we flew to HK and then taking the train to Guangzhou. It was an easy decision for us. We bought both the plane tickets and train tickets online in Canada. We began our Asian holiday by flying to Portugal, then catching a connecting flight to HK, and from there taking the train to Guangzhou, China. However, one of the Air France flights was late therefore delaying our connecting flight to HK. Fortunately, we were not in a hurry to go to a wedding nor did we have to be at our destination for a specific date. Otherwise, that would have been stressful for us.

The train station in Hong Kong was impressive, spacious, modern and efficient. There were many shops and restaurants opened for dining and for some last minute shopping. Though there were huge crowds, the lineups and boarding were orderly. It was not as scary as we had imagined.

The train station personnel was helpful when we were not sure where we were going. We had no problem clearing custom and boarded our train to Guangzhou. It was a comfortable and quiet train ride for about 2 hours. The trian left HK shorlty after 7pm and we arrived in Guangzhou a little after 10p.m. It was so good to see J. again. He was waiting for us at the train station. We hugged each other tightly. Missed him so so much!!!

After leaving the train station and trying to hail a taxi, we happened to see a local brigade of the firemen changing shift across the street. It was interesting to see how the firefighters, fully dressed in their fire fighting gears, reporting to their roll call and ready to help the local people in their fire fighting tasks. An Interesting event! We look forward to our adventure in China for the next few weeks! RT, GUANGZHOU, CHINA 01262024