Sleepless in Shenzhen

I will always remember the train from Guilin to Shenzhen as the train where I did not sleep.

It all began with the Man Who Snored.  He came on board when the train stopped at a small station, way past midnight, and after we had left Guilin far behind. 

I was on my bottom bunk, halfway into a dream when I heard someone enter our compartment. Something brushed against my nose and I guessed it was someone’s jacket or backpack. I opened my eyes and saw a man stuffing a backpack and plastic bags- the thin, noisy, crinkly kind- under the bunk opposite mine.

He then took off his shoes, lay down and immediately went to sleep. The only problem was that I couldn’t. 

This man did not snore quietly. There was no gentle build-up. He launched straight into his snoring the second he lay down, blubbering and gurgling away, sounding like he was being murdered underwater.

I looked at my fellow compartment mates. They had fallen asleep hours earlier and didn’t appear to be affected by this annoying man, although I thought I heard the teenager in the top bunk swear. The other three seemed to be fast asleep.

The snoring did not stop, but instead got louder. The train was dimly lit but I could see by the light from the corridor. The man was lying on his back and his mouth was wide open, his lips quivering as the unholy sounds sprung forth.

I gave up. I took my daypack and blanket and went out in search of an empty bunk. It was about 2am. None of the train attendants were in sight, which was a good thing. I would hate for them to see me creeping around, searching for another bunk in the dead of night, looking like I was up to no good.

A little up ahead, I found a compartment which was completely unoccupied. What luck! I thought as I climbed into the top bunk, where nobody would notice me because it was so close to the ceiling.

Soon after I dozed off, I realised my bed was swaying.  At first I thought it was an earthquake, then I realised that quakes didn’t make strange noises in the dark.

A couple had climbed into the bed directly beneath mine. I heard whispers and giggling, then the sounds of kissing and more giggling.

I listened to their whispers, fascinated, wishing I could understand their Cantonese. I was curious about them. Where did they come from? Had they met on the train or had they planned this trip together? 

I don’t remember if I actually slept at all that night. I must have, but it was probably only for a few minutes. All I remember is climbing down the bunk as quietly as I could at 5.25am –I wanted to get back to my own bunk before we were due to arrive in Shenzhen at 6.30. Before I left, I stole a look at the couple. They were young, maybe in their late teens, and fast asleep and smiling contentedly amid crumpled sheets and blankets.

The arrival at Shenzhen was chaotic, as Chinese train arrivals usually are. I was in no hurry. Unlike everyone else, who would be welcomed by their husbands and wives and parents at the station, no-one would be greeting me or taking me home.

There was only one thing I wanted to do – to find a hotel room and sleep.

Books: The Great Railway Bazaar

I've written about books here and here, but I thought I should go back a little and have a look at those which first inspired me to travel. In short, books which told me to wake up, get off my behind and see the world around me.

Every self-respecting traveller has heard of Paul Theroux and his classic, 'The Great Railway Bazaar' (1975), the book which kick-started a new style of travelling- one that encouraged you to take your time and not be too obsessed about having a final destination or how to get there. Theroux made train travel extremely sexy, in fact, he pretty much made it the only way to travel if you wanted to be taken seriously as a true traveller.

In this book, Theroux takes us through an epic train journey which begins in London's Victoria Station, snakes through Europe and Asia and ends on the Trans-Siberian Railway to Moscow.

Just to give you a rough idea of his route, I'll say that again: He takes a train from London, England to Paris (France), then gets on the famed Orient Express to Venice (Italy)-Belgrade (former Yugoslavia)- Istanbul (Turkey). He then proceeds to Tehran (Iran) to Meshed, then takes a bus and plane to Kabul (Afghanistan). He then jumps on the rails again to Peshawar (Pakistan) on to Amritsar (India)-Delhi-Mumbai-Madras (now Chennai), then hops on a boat to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Galle-Colombo. He goes back to Madras-Calcutta-then on to Rangoon (Burma, now Myanmar) to Maymyo. His next leg is from Vientiane (Laos)-Bangkok (Thailand)-Butterworth (Malaysia)-Kuala Lumpur-Singapore, after which he takes a ship to Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City, in Vietnam)-Hue-Da Nang. This is followed by a ship to Japan bound for Tokyo, after which he moves on to Hakodate-Sapporo-Kyoto, then from Osaka to Yokohama. From Yokohoma, he takes another ship to Nakhoda (Russia), then a train to Khabarovsk from where he rides on the Trans-Siberian to Moscow.

It's impossible to not be inspired, not just by the nature of the journey, but also by the book itself. Paul Theroux is a great traveller in that he's observant and pays attention to the things and people around him, but his ability to put his experiences down on paper and in the process take us there with him, makes him a great travel writer. Not everyone likes him; some find him judgmental and harsh in his observations, but I didn't get that here.

Theroux describes the places he sees in great detail, but what stands out in 'The Great Railway Bazaar' are the people he meets along the way. This was one book which made me realise that travel is not always about the places you go to or even the journey- instead, on most occasions it's about the people you meet. Theroux says it himself on the second page: "I sought trains; I found passengers".

The good news is that while writing this I found my old copy of the 'The Great Railway Bazaar'. I think it's time to give it another read.

On the T56

Somewhere in a flat or house in China is a Lonely Planet phrasebook in Mandarin which used to belong to me. It has ‘Anis Ibrahim, Feb 2005’ written in a big, happy cursive script on the inside cover. I hope it’s been of some use since I gave it away.

I met Fan on the T56, the overnight train from Xian to Beijing. He was 22, and a student at a university in the capital city. He was sitting at the window bunk in my compartment and had noticed me struggling to lift my rucksack onto the luggage rack. He immediately got up to help and I immediately decided I would try to speak to him.

We introduced ourselves after the train left Xian.  He brightened up when he heard that I’d worked as a lawyer before becoming a journalist. “I want to be a lawyer; I want to help the people,” he said in English, then stopped.

He looked around. The remaining four bunks in our compartment were occupied by a teenager with spiky hair, two sullen men who appeared to have come together but had not said a word to each other and a heavily-made up young woman who was preoccupied with her mobile phone.  None of them seemed to be too interested in where our conversation might lead.

“My father studied politics. Politics is very interesting but of no use in China, there is no point,” Fan said, shaking his head.

I remarked that I too, found politics fascinating. “I just don’t like politicians,” I said.

This time he nodded. “Politicians always want you to do something for them. I don’t like them. They are never sincere.”

Fan looked out the window.  His hometown Xian was already miles away. His Spring Festival break had just ended, he said, and now he was on his way back to “more studying, exams and noisy Beijing”.

I commented on how wide the roads in Beijing were. “On my way to Xi Ke Zhan the other day, I saw a very wide road with six lanes on one side.”

It was the cue for Fan to be negative again. “Oh, Beijing. Its traffic and transportation system is very bad. I never go to the city centre unless I have to.”

I asked him about his university. Was it a national university, or privately funded? 

National, he said. “Thank you to the government that English is part of our syllabus!”, he added in a sudden show of patriotism. “Thank you to the government that I can actually talk to you like this!”.

I suddenly remembered my Mandarin phrasebook and showed it to him.

“This is a good book,” he said as he turned the pages back and forth. “There are different sections for different subjects and there are some English words I never knew.”

Fan looked up. “Say something you learned from here.”

“Wo shi jizhe”, I announced proudly and he laughed. I am a journalist.

He flipped through the book and pointed out to a sentence to me. “Zuijin de cesuo zai nali?” he said, with a very serious expression. It was my turn to giggle. Where is the nearest toilet?

The two men in our compartment looked at us and frowned disapprovingly at our frivolous conversation.

We arrived in Beijing the next morning, only to discover that it had been snowing.

“Xue”, Fan said, pointing upwards when we emerged from the station, telling me the Mandarin word for snow.

I took out my phrasebook, remembering how interested he had been when I first showed it to him. “You can have this. Maybe it will help you.”

He thanked me profusely then apologised for not being able to give me anything in return. He asked for my email address, which I wrote in the book.

“I will write to you and I will tell you about my graduation in July,” he said, and we said goodbye.

I never received that email. We meet so many people in our travels- some we’re happy to see the last of, some, like Fan, we wouldn’t mind hearing from again.

So assuming that Fan never gave away my phrasebook, it’s probably on his shelf, maybe in Beijing, maybe in another city and hopefully not gathering dust. And hopefully helping him along his way.

Riding the rails- The North Borneo Railway

This was a train on which time stood still. Not figuratively speaking, but literally.

Jual, the Head Steward on the North Borneo Railway, was going from carriage to carriage. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are not leaving Papar yet. We need another five minutes for the engine to heat up." He turned to leave, then stopped and grinned: "You must remember, this is an old train."

"That's okay. We're not in any hurry," shouted one of the passengers. Nope, we certainly weren't.

Collecting tickets at the counter

Established in 1896, replaced by petrol-powered locomotives in 1971 but re-launched in 2000, the historic steam train known as the North Borneo Railway is back and riding the rails.

This train was originally used by the British to transport sugar, tapioca and rice from the interior regions of Malaysian Borneo to the port at Jesselton (present-day Kota Kinabalu in Sabah), but now it's become its own tourist attraction.

Get ready for old-style travel here, for the route from Tanjung Aru to Papar uses a Vulcan steam locomotive built in the United Kingdom in 1954. Just like Australia's 'Puffing Billy' and India's Darjeeling 'Toy Train', the North Borneo Railway (which doesn't have a nickname yet), is one of the few steam trains left in the world.

I felt the atmosphere even before I boarded the train. Happy, 1950s music which made me feel like dancing blared from speakers on the platform. Train stewards in period-style white and khaki uniforms complete with pith helmets showed us to our seats.

One of the best things about the ride on the North Borneo Railway are the people you'll see along the way. You'll see farmers, vendors selling fruits by the roadside and children waiting at their windows just to see the train. Children and adults will stop what they're doing and wave to you. Make sure you wave back! I can't remember the last time I had fun waving to complete strangers.

The carriages are cozy, with dark wood panelling and brass fittings. There are also Western-style bathrooms in every carriage.

Fresh pastries and croissants for breakfast

Tickets: RM250 (US$80) for adults, RM150 (US$47) for children aged three to 12, while children below two ride for free.

Don't: Come on a full stomach! Prices are inclusive of a Continental breakfast and a Tiffin-style lunch.

Do: Sit back, relax and have fun.

Travel days: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 10am sharp. This is a popular ride, so book in advance.

Duration: About four hours, from Tanjung Aru to Papar and back.

Expect to see: The South China Sea, villages, schools, rice fields and buffaloes.

More information, including on where to buy tickets, can be found on the official North Borneo Railway website here.

100% Pure

I haven't been to very many countries but of all the places I've been to, my all-round favourite has to be New Zealand. If I were to migrate, it would probably be to NZ, that boot-shaped country at the corner of the world.

I love the sense of humour which New Zealanders have. They can laugh at themselves and the fact that there are more sheep and cattle than human beings - 32 million sheep and 5.8m cows compared to 4.3m people.  Add the incredible variety in landscapes and that's enough for me. And what's not to love about a bunch of people who made bungy jumping famous? I've been to New Zealand three times already and I don't think I'm done.

This was the route I took the last time I was there:

I started in Christchurch in the South Island and worked my way through the country via public transport. I hate package tours, so I took trains and buses plus a connecting ferry to the North Island. I then went on until I reached Auckland, which is where I flew out from a month later.

The wonderful thing about the country is how tourist-friendly it is, particularly for backpackers. I planned the entire trip myself which, honestly speaking, isn't difficult to do in New Zealand. If you're travelling independently, have a look at Travelpass and Kiwi Experience for bus passes throughout the country. These options allow you hop on and off your bus along your preselected route, within the validity period of your respective pass. Another is Magic Bus, where you can combine bus travel and hostel stays. If you're still confused, click here for a list of bus passes.

When I was there, I used the Best of NZ Pass which allowed me to travel by train, ferry and coach. Unfortunately this pass doesn't exist anymore and has since been replaced by The TranzScenic Rail Pass which, like its name suggests, connects you to its rail network. New Zealand has some lovely train journeys like the TranzAlpine (Christchurch-Greymouth), TranzCoastal (Christchurch-Picton) and Overlander (Wellington-Auckland). I'm not entirely sure why they got rid of the Best of NZ Pass because I can't imagine it not being popular.

If you're looking for a place to sleep, I would recommend BBH World Traveller Accommodation. The BBH Club Card gives you discounts in over 300 hostels and guesthouses, but what I really liked was the NZ$20 prepaid phone card which was included in the deal, which I used to make train and bus bookings for onward journeys. There are other accommodation options, of course,  but I wouldn't be able to comment on them.

Some photos I took along the way, taken from the many trains and buses I rode on:

The Taieri Gorge Railway from Dunedin to Queenstown

On the way to Queenstown

You can't have a post about New Zealand without sheep. Gotta have the sheep! Taken on the way to Te Anau

Punakaiki, on the way to Picton for the North Island ferry

Taken soon after leaving Rotorua, on the way to Taupo. Absolutely gorgeous.

More on New Zealand after this. Have a good week ahead!

Anyone fancy a train ride?

I see some pretty good things in this part of the world in the months to come.

Pic from the nice folks at northborneorailway.com.my

In July, the North Borneo Railway will start running again from Kota Kinabalu to Papar in Malaysian Borneo. This railway dates from 1896, which means that we're talking steam trains here, so be prepared for a slow, relaxing ride if you're planning to take this train. The ride will take you through coastal towns, rice fields, rainforests and coffee plantations so there'll be lots to see. 

Those who enjoy long train rides might be a little disappointed to learn that it'll be a short journey - it's less than 40 kilometres between start to finish, so you'll actually arrive on the same day. The new timetable for the North Borneo isn't available yet but let's all hope that it'll be possible to break the journey to spend time in Papar and its surrounding areas before heading back to Kota Kinabalu.

Route map from northborneorailway.com.my

Information on the Sutera Harbour website (the resort manages the North Borneo Railway) is a little scanty and the site could do with more photographs but the info there looks interesting enough. Have a look at this link for more details of what to expect when the train is ready to start chugging again. 

I've always been a great fan of train journeys, especially extra-long, overnight ones. I've done all of New Zealand, Western Europe and parts of China by train, but as they say, it's never enough.

The ultimate, of course, would be the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Moscow to Beijing which I was ready to take in 2003 but didn't, because my partner had health issues and couldn't travel.

A little nearer to where I live, there's always the Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney. Even closer to home is Southeast Asia by train, which is completely doable and should make for an incredible ride.

Updates on the North Borneo Railway will be posted here closer to July.