7th December: Yichang, China to Xiamen, China

One more early start. Snacks, coffee, and lunch procured from the vendors of Yichang ‘CBD’ and a final bus taken, we were back at Yichang East station. Kaja made friends with some old people on the bus and then with a young woman at the station. Before long, we were off on our 10-hour journey through Hubei, Jiangxi, and Fujian provinces to the coast and warmth. Today is also the halfway point of our trip.

As we passed back through Hankou and Wuhan, we made one final crossing of the Yangtze (for now!). The autumn colours we’ve seen on this leg have surpassed what I thought possible. I always assumed that the yellows, oranges, reds, and purples were an exaggeration through photography and replication in games. They’ve been our reality for the past two weeks.

The landscape of Hubei is one of beautiful lakes and small mountains. As we headed south, the haze gradually grew thicker and eventually merged into the dark of night. The journey was long and the seats grew harder. We worked our way through our snacks, including the veggies and tofu we’d picked up last night and the buns we’d gotten in the morning. It also grew warmer, and we removed layers that we hopefully won’t need for a little while. Xiamen was very busy on a Saturday night. I think it’s the first time we’ve seen so many young people out in an evening in China. I was torn between going for a long walk and going to bed. Bed won.