The Itinerary
Proposed Itinerary
Tuesday 16 December 2008:
Leave the house at about 7:30 in the evening, handing over the keys to our house sitter, Amanda and walk down to our local train station and catch the 7:45pm train to the airport, change at Eagle Junction.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ246 departs at 11:45pm and arrives in Singapore at 5:30am the next morning
Wednesday 17 December:
Have a shower at the Singapore’s wonderful Changi airport to freshen up then take the 8:00am flight to Hồ Chí Minh City, Vietnam, arriving at 9:05am
It appears that Hồ Chí Minh City is mostly referred to as Saigon by the airline industry, the train timetables and indeed all the locals, so from this point forward I’ll also refer to it as Saigon.
Out of the airport, I’m to take a taxi to the offices of Discovery Indochina, 658/1 CMT8 Str, Ward 11, 3 Dist, HCMC, to meet Ms Minh(Ms Hien), with whom I’ve been corresponding with these past weeks, and I should add, has been extremely helpful and accommodating, to pick up my Vietnamese train tickets. Then its off to the Bo Tung Xeo restaurant, reportedly the best in town for some grilled weasel, fried sparrow and sautéd chicken penis (true!) – should put me in practice for the dog’s bollocks I hear is on the menu in China – then off to the train station to pick up the SE8 to Hanoi, departing at 7:40pm. I have a ‘soft’ class, four berth sleeper reserved for the three day, 1726km (1,070 mile) journey.
Thursday 18 December:
– in transit
Friday 19 December:
Today is Louise’s birthday. “Happy birthday Louise!, wish you were here!”, well maybe… Who knows what I will feel like after three days on a Vietnamese train, though traveling in ‘soft class’ should make this at the very least enjoyable…
According to the Vietnamese train timetable, we are due to arrive in Hanoi at 6:30am.
I have a hotel room booked for a few hours to freshen up.
According to my newly acquired Vietnamese guide book, I should get a ‘cyclo’ to get me there and have 10,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong) to pay for it. I’ll be keen to see what both of those might look like…
After a quick visit to Hanoi’s old quarter and maybe even time to see the Temple of Literature, I will be hot footing it back to the train station to get on board the next train, the 6:30pm departure to Beijing. A three day, 2,967km (1,842 mile) journey.
Saturday 20 December:
– in-transit
Sunday 21 December:
This train is scheduled to pull into Beijing (west) station at 1:38pm.
It astonishes me that their timetables publish such an exact arrival time, but there you go. I’ll make a note when I get there and let you know.
I will now be two days too early for the next train to Moscow. It was either this or the following train which would arrive the next Thursday, forcing me to take the following week’s Moscow train which would have eventually placed me in London on the 8 January, just one day before our scheduled return to Brisbane. Not something I could easily explain to Louise and family… However, two days away from clickety-clack might not be such a bad idea so I’m booked into The Beijing Haoyuan Hotel (of which its origin dates back to the latter Qing Dynasty) just around the corner from the Forbidden City, or the lost city, or lost warriors, whatever. The local travel agent I’ve been corresponding with, Ms Lina from CITS, (China International Travel Service) suggested I fill the time with a trip out to the Great Wall. I reminded her of the geographical location of the Great Wall and the time of year I would be there. She booked me on a tour anyway, which I noticed on the return email stops at a jade and jewelry restaurant, or was that a shop… on the way back to my hotel. I need to buy a scarf.
time ref: 21 Dec, Sun: UK: 02:00 PM | Beijing: Sun 10:00 PM | Florida: Sun 9:00 AM
Monday 22 December:
Tour to the Great Wall of China (by bus transfer) I’ll also pick up my next train ticket from Ms Lina at CITS today. I just need to navigate myself to Room812, CITS Bldg, Dongdan Beidajie, Dongcheng District. Or as the locals say: 地址：中国 北京东城区东单北大街1号 国旅大厦812室 邮编：
Tuesday 23 December:
Hopefully I’ll visit the Forbidden City today, perhaps even Tiananmen Square. If time allows and I’m not totally frozen I’ll also go and have a look at the Cultural Hall, before finishing up at a few local bars… My hotel has a internet connected computer so I suspect I’ll check emails, update this web site etc.
time ref: 23 Dec, Tue: UK: 02:00 PM | Beijing: Tue 10:00 PM
Wednesday 24 December:
The Trans-Mongolian Express train #3 departs at 7:40am. I have pre-booked a 1st class, 2 berth sleeper for this 6 day, gazillion mile journey to Moscow. I read that one of the highlights is a view of Lake Baikal, the deepest freshwater lake in the world. I can only imagine how beautiful this ice covered lake may look like on a backdrop of Siberian snow at this time of year…
Thursday 25 December:
Christmas day traveling through Mongolia en-route to Moscow on what some people refer to as the ‘Vodka Express’, this should be an interesting day…
According to legend, well, my guide book as it goes, at the border each carriage is lifted off its wheels and placed on a different set, so as to match the width of the Russian tracks. They also swap the dining carriage from the Chinese to a Russian one. Hmm, do drink a lot over there?…
Friday 26 December:
-in-transit. Will I be sober?
Saturday 27 December:
-in-transit.
-in-transit.
Are we there yet? I have a selection of books I’ll be taking with me including:
Colin Thubron’s ‘In Siberia’ and Paul Theroux’s ‘Ghost Train to The Eastern Star’. Could there possibly be an old copy of War and Peace floating around?…
Sunday 28 December:
-in-transit. My Russian should be improving…
Monday 29 December:
Arrival in Moscow is scheduled at 2:19pm – another outrages prediction, this time on the behalf of the Russian timetables.
I imagine I will need a hotel for a few hours to try to freshen up a little and then a quick sight-see around town before boarding the Moscow to Cologne sleeper at 9:09pm that very evening. Many thanks to Anastasia and Igor from Real Russia (they have offices in Moscow and London) who helped me with the train ticket out of Moscow, and the Belarus visa.
It should also be said here, many thanks to Mark at seat61 for turning me on to Real Russia.
time ref: 29 Dec. Mon: UK: 03:00 PM | Moscow: Mon 6:00 PM
Tuesday 30 December:
-in transit through Belarus and Poland
Wednesday 31 December:
[NOTE: a number of changes have occurred to this next section since originally written
– see UPDATES from the main menu]
Due to arrive in Cologne at 6:14am. From here I have booked via the internet, the high speed Thalys train departing at 7:14am and arriving in Brussels at 9:35am.
A little time here for a snack, then also booked via the internet, the Eurostar departing Brussels at 10:59am and arriving at London’s St Pancrass at 1:03pm.
A short tube ride to Paddington in time to catch the 1:51pm train direct to Worcester Shrub Hill (WOS) (thanks to Paddy for this information)
(If you are inclined, see the [Timetables] section for more accurate departure and arrival times)
If all goes to plan it will be a journey traveled on 9 trains over 15 days through 9 countries covering approximately 16,000km (10,000 miles)
So, I’ll meet you at 3:59pm, Wednesday, 31 December at Worcester Shrub Hill (WOS) train station.
See you there. 😉