Aug 30 • Miscellaneous Posting
One day in Hongkong
On the 19th, I took a sleeper train to Guangzhou South Railway Station before heading onward to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. The soft sleeper ticket cost over 800 RMB. With four people sharing a compartment and only one shared restroom available at night, it was quite inconvenient—even brushing my teeth was a hassle. Most passengers ate instant noodles for dinner, leaving the entire carriage smelling of it, and taking a shower was completely out of the question. Luckily, I was able to sleep through to my destination.
In my compartment, I met a grandfather and grandmother traveling back to their home in Northeast China with their granddaughter. They mentioned they lived in Sanya and were heading back temporarily to escape the heat. They remarked that I didn't sound like a local from Hainan and lacked a Hainan accent. I think this was only my second time taking a train to Guangzhou; the last time was traveling from Guangzhou back to Haikou. The three of them shared the same compartment with me, and I was assigned the upper berth, Bed 24. The little girl was lively and adorable, and the grandparents were very polite and friendly to me throughout the trip.
After storing my luggage, I sat in the aisle for a while, watching passengers pass by—some going to the restroom, some getting hot water for instant noodles, and others stepping out for a smoke, with the hum of intermittent conversations around. Since it was an overnight trip, I had eaten a McDonald's burger before boarding. I sat there browsing my phone and charged it for a bit. Later, the grandfather pointed out a power outlet next to the small table at the end of the bed, so I moved my phone there to charge. We chatted for a few minutes before calling it a night.
The train had to cross the sea by ferry. It took about two hours to reach Xuwu Port, where the train cars were decoupled, loaded onto the ferry, transported across the strait, and then reassembled on the other side. Around 8 or 9 PM, the train resumed its journey northbound. We turned off the lights to sleep. The train made several stops along the way with passengers getting on and off. A woman joined our compartment mid-journey; she carried a distinct odor and fell fast asleep immediately after boarding.
I'm a light sleeper and not used to sleeping on trains, so I could only force myself to rest intermittently. Meanwhile, the others were snoring heavily one after another. I tossed and turned until daybreak, arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun Station around 7:00 AM.
From there, I rushed into the subway station, bought a ticket with the help of a security guard, and headed straight to Guangzhou South Railway Station to catch the high-speed rail to Hong Kong West Kowloon Station. My timing was down to the wire—I made the train with not a minute to spare, running the whole way to board. The high-speed rail journey to Hong Kong took about an hour. The flight attendant reminded us to keep our travel receipts to avoid potential fines.
Upon arriving at West Kowloon Station, I prepared to clear Hong Kong immigration. The process required scanning my entry permit twice—the second scan, along with facial recognition and fingerprint verification, automatically printed out the arrival slip. The line was long and packed. It seemed we walked up from the Austin MTR station area to reach the immigration hall.
After clearing customs, I set out to find something to eat. I ran into an elderly woman doing stretching exercises. Seeing me looking around, she kindly asked where I was going. She explained that if I needed a bus, I should head down to the first floor. When I asked about dining areas, she pointed me in the right direction. I walked over quickly and found a Starbucks, where I bought a hamburger to satisfy my ravenous hunger.
Once full, I walked around, noticed a few banks to make quick inquiries, and purchased an Octopus card, binding it to my phone for simple tap-and-go travel.
In the afternoon, I took the MTR to explore the Central district on my own. The area was packed with banks, reflecting its bustling financial sector. I stepped into an HSBC branch to check out their services. Around 5:00 PM, I took the subway over to Tsim Sha Tsui.
I spent a long time walking around looking for accommodation—a true impromptu "City Walk." For dinner, I simply grabbed a quick bite at a 7-Eleven. Nearby hotels were priced at over 1,000 HKD a night, which was far too expensive for a multi-night stay. I kept searching and eventually found a mini-room that was basically just a bed and a tiny bathroom for around 300 to 400 HKD, covering my stay from 10:00 PM to 12:00 PM the next day. All I wanted was a good shower and a solid sleep to recharge for the next day.
During my search, I unexpectedly ran into a team of Hong Kong police officers responding to an emergency, though I didn't know what had happened. As I looked for lodging, my phone battery died, adding to the struggle. Some locals were helpful when I asked for directions, while a few were less willing, which I completely understood. Eventually, I managed to rent a power bank on the 9th floor of a hotel to charge my phone. Later that night, I checked into a room on the 3rd floor of the Newton Inn (or Leedon building) and stayed there until the next morning.
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One day in Hongkong
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