In China, if you want to get somewhere without paying for an airline ticket the next best mode of transportation is trains.  This is a very popular option for the Chinese because it is inexpensive.  One big downside is that it takes a long time, however for those who are looking for a truly Chinese experience, trains are the best choice!  Our friends who recently visited China, wanted a real Chinese experience, so we suggested a sleeper train to get to Guilin.  Rachel and I accompanied them to Guilin and I personally had a great time on the over night train with Alex and Madi, the Vander Ark girls.  In a sleeper train there are separate compartments with two sets of bunk beds, three beds high.  Rachel and Alex slept on the top, Madi and I slept in the middle beds ad the parents slept on the bottom.  A frustration on this particular trip was that there were electrical outlets on the train but there was no electricity turned on to them!  So when my computer went out of charge we had to, *gasp*, survive without technology!   So we napped, ate, drank tea, played board and card games, etc. etc.    I had a great time despite the battery loss and was really happy that I could have that experience with the Vander Arks.