Apr 2006. Buy early your tickets, so many people travelling. Show your passport to gain preference.

I would suggest to have meal in the station, and never in the train (meal in the train is not good ).

Apr. 2006. It is not easy to read chinese symbols. But I found a partial solution. First I made friends by internet in almost all city that I will visit. Then, at the entering to china, I bought an chip of chinamobile. So this allowed me to call and send pictures to my friend asking help for whatever thing I need. I works!. So, I took the train to Shenzhen downtown (Tianjing), without knowing nothing of chineses symbols.

Apr. 2006
It is easy to enter China from Hong Kong. Just take the metro to Shenzhen border. Then walk to the customs with your passport in hand. Along with you there will be millions of other chineses doing the same, but as foreigner you will have the advantage to use a different counter to cross the border. Just show your passport and things will be easyer for you. However, during the passport inspection and stamping the guard will check carefully you and your documents.

After crossing the border, take care with people (mainly security guards) who try to "help you" speaking some english, asking to buy for you phone cards, or calling to your friend or something else. They will ask you money for whatever "help".