2025-12-23 Hobart
It's a long way home...
The alarm went off at 0500 to give us time to pack for the travel back to Australia. We were down at the breakfast buffet bright and early just before 0700 for our final breakfast - too early on a Monday morning for the staff to be really set up, but as we were the only guests it didn't matter too much.
We checked out at 0750, just as Chen Ping turned up, so he had time to rush a cigarette before taking us through the morning Yanping traffic to the railway station.
It was school drop off time, so at every change in the traffic lights there was a wave of scooters, each with mum and one or two children on board weaving among the cars and trucks. Also lots of kids walking and riding to school. We had plenty of time, so Chen Ping was a little more patient than usual, but that didn't apply to other drivers, and as with every car trip we have been on there were close calls as car and scooters cut each other off and vied to get ahead at each corner, bend, traffic light or what have you.
Pippa, Toby and Isaac and Toby's Mum were already at the station when we arrived, and we proceeded to go through security, where Toby's Mum had an issue - she was taking an opened bottle of Moutai to her relatives in Fuzhou, but that isn't allowed on the train, so she had to go back to find a storage locker for her return.
Yanping station is different to our visit 10 years ago - then it had only just opened, and there were no shops inside. It is still a small station by Chinese standards, but now the facilities have been fleshed out, and still sparkling clean.
The train trip was quick, the train reaching 250 km/h between stations and we were in Fuzhou by 1030, where we took two taxi's to go to the relative's place for a brief visit - I couldn't remember being there 10 years ago, but Penny could, and so it must have happened. This time we were there only long enough for Isaac to have a brief game of ping pong with Toby's uncle, pat the dog, for us to have a cup of tea (a big thing in Fuzhou, the tea capital of China), and then we were off to have lunch at an all you can eat vegetarian buffet restaurant.
I wasn't expecting that this restaurant was a silver service equivalent establishment, attached to a 4 or 5 star hotel, with a huge buffet of dishes, and a chocolate fountain!
All too soon we had to leave for the airport, so after a rushed goodbye and many thanks to our hosts (Toby's uncle and aunt, and his cousin and wife and daughter), Toby and Pippa accompanied us to the airport in a taxi - it was along way, and Toby had to keep asking questions as the driver seemed to be on the point of falling asleep at the wheel!.
We were on our own after checking in - Toby able to smooth our way through the procedure and clarify what we had to do in Chengdu (collect our bags and re-check in for the international flight).
Then it was waiting, then on the 3 hour flight to Chengdu, arriving at 2030, then checking in again, going through security and immigration, then more waiting for our 0100 flight to Melbourne, where we had our last sichuan chilli bean sauce on the plane. We had ordered vegan meals, and they were delivered, but these were pretty bland - almost the old people, no spices, and no chewy bits option, so having the 'spicy sauce' was very welcome - on the plane a person goes around with a jar of Sichuan chilli oil as the meals are delivered, offering this 'spicy sauce' as they put it.
We had plenty of time in Melbourne, arriving at 1430, as our flight didn't leave until 1950, luckily as the desk for international connections at Virgin was pretty slow in the pre-Christmas rush. Penny had a voucher for the Virgin Lounge, so we had a quiet place for the hours between flights, and I even had a shower and shave to refresh for the last leg home, arriving at 2200.
China is a great place to travel, and I am pretty sure that we will go back again, and be amazed at how fast things are changing all over again!
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