It had been a hot minute since I had boarded an on-time, clean and competitively priced train! From Ningbo to Nanjing South and back again, I boarded my first China High Speed Rail train in almost four years! No ticket? Yes, only those night trains and slower services required that entry paper! It was like a 'new' blast from the past! Nanjing South, it was great to see you again!
Without a seconds thought I had left work, got changed and was already on the Ningbo Metro with the quickness! No crumbs were left, my 'Weekly Moments' had already been posted and I was well on my way to Ningbo Railway Station. I had been familiar with the most hard hitting strikes since forever whilst I was in the United Kingdom, those strike action days had done the most to put the network into absolute chaos! It was amazing to sail through from the underground station to the entrance of Ningbo's own China High Speed Rail hub, I was living! Would I remember how to navigate that almost identical looking train station like I had done before the pandemic? That was a pure and true question because China had done away with paper tickets, that purchase had been for an 'E-Ticket' and I had no idea what that meant! The QR Code from 'The Trainline' was enough for me to comprehend, brandishing my passport, I had no clue! With the clock ticking, I kept things moving on! No, I didn't require a taxi! Oh, NG!
Where was I heading? I had no idea! Like, really? Yes! Those Beijing settings had set back in, I was able to recognize those pre-pandemic sights! It felt so strange to see people in a 2019 kind of train station situation, I was not mad! My G train to Nanjing South already had its boarding doors confirmed, I did not have to wait for any untimely announcements because everything was on time! Standing in the line, I noticed that the ticket slots had been taped up! I moved along to the 'Extra Assistance' line because you already know that I needed extra help! There was no need to worry, I had my passport looked at within a second! The lady told me she couldn't read the writing in English, I proceeded through the doors down to the platform. It was like a blast from the past, I remembered instantly how those China High Speed stations looked track-side! I found my place along the platform, aligning with my carriage number, those nerves were unwarranted but I wasn't mad! England could their keep your failing railway network! Let's go!
Straight up, I loved my aisle seat on the Nanjing bound train from Ningbo! It was amazing to finally be back on a train like that, we picked up the pace after we left the Ningbo region. You already know that 304km was a whole mood, we wouldn't have any delays on that Jiangsu terminating high speed service. I was feeling hungry because I hadn't had any tea, heading towards the dining car had me messed up because they had literally just ran out of noodle bowls! Switching those previously thought about meal plans, I trusted a can of lager with a tube of Pringles. Sipping on my can with those Pringles keeping those hunger pangs at bay felt correct, I had no reason to be mad because the return journey would be different. That Nanjing train service had originated in Cangnan in Zhejiang Province, understandably the onboard scran had depleted by the time that G train further made its way over to Nanjing. I had no complaints, I messaged my friend Chris to tell him that I was on the train, making my way closer to Jiangsu!
My G train from Ningbo stopped over seven times before it pulled into Nanjing South Railway Station. Being an early evening departure, I had nothing to look at because the sky turned jet black before I knew it! Keeping my ears and eyes peeled for the Hangzhou East stop, I knew that we had one stop further after that stop before Nanjing South would make an appearance. I felt as if I was going back to a home from home because I had originally visited Nanjing in 2016 from Wuhan by train and then by the same mode of transport in 2019 but coming from Beijing, 2023 took me back to Nanjing on a similar train but from Ningbo. Telling the truth, it was amazing to step off that train at Nanjing South on time, the journey had been smooth and no hassles arose from only having my passport with me! Oh, my passport was checked once on the train and at Nanjing it was easy enough to scan it at the special assistance exit. Low key, low key, I don't ever want to take a train again in England because they could never compete with China! Real talk!
My weekend in Nanjing had been amazing, but before I knew it I found myself back on the Nanjing Metro bound for Nanjing South Railway Station that Sunday morning. Arriving with plenty of time to spare, it was like visiting another old friend because it took me right back to my first departure out of the city that had been in 2016. That 2016 departure back to Wuhan from Nanjing saw me enjoy a cheeky Starbucks because that western coffee situation wasn't part of my then daily Wuhan life. Fast forward to 2023, I shunned Starbucks because I wanted some instant noodles, cans of beer and other snacks for the short journey back to Ningbo Railway Station. Passport scanning facilities? Yes, Nanjing South allowed me to self scan my passport as I passed through those barriers on the way to my train. Boarding that Ningbo bound train didn't have me in my feelings, I would sure be returning to Nanjing in the near future, that was for certain! Oh, my sober situation had me hyper vigilant of certain factors, I was aware! Honestly!
My window seat served me several benefits, that dinnertime departure from Nanjing allowed me to see boundless servings of Chinese countryside! Hooking up with the hot water tap, I filled up my instant beef noodles because I wanted to reclaim that missed experience that wasn't meant to happen from Ningbo. Those two cans of 'Tsingtao Lager' had been seen off before the second stop had greeted our super fast Ningbo bound service, remembering it was Sunday, I still wasn't playing! Preferring to be on the two seated side, that three seated side didn't impress me all that much because I felt kind of boxed in. I know that I will get used to 2nd Class whichever side my tickets get assigned, those experiences will become easier. Damn right, I clocked 'Hangzhou' and also 'Yixing!' I will be heading down to Xiamen and Fuzhou for 2023's Labor Day Holiday, sure I'll be taking several high speed trains during that trip! Ningbo Railway Station, I know that we won't ever be strangers after I took that comeback train! From Ningbo to Nanjing and beyond!
Nonstop Nanjing!
Desperately Seeking Adventure
