I think it started as a kid when we used to travel to my gramma's house by train a couple of times a year. There is even a memory of traveling by train with my sister at a very young age, alone, in the care of the conductor. We spent time with him in the caboose where he had a little stove in the middle of the room, with a steaming kettle. He took us out to the porch at the back so we could stand and see the stars and watch the the tracks falling away behind us as we sped along.
It is different than that here.
It is different than that here.
Here, we had tickets for the train from the city of Changsha to the city of Shanghai. There is a fast train that runs this route... but we didn't have tickets for that, they were sold out weeks before. We had tickets for the overnight sleeper train. I was so excited. Last time I was on a sleeper train, except for not sleeping and the very nasty toilets, it was quite fun.
This trip had unexpected challenges.
This trip had unexpected challenges.
Here's my expectation... a little room, two bunks, clean linens, small table between them, window... thats about it. Toilets at both ends of the cars, one squat, one bowl, made of stainless steel, both as nasty as possible with slopping wet floors and terrible bad stink, open drains that you can see the ground passing by beneath you.
My expectation was too high.
Our train had no little rooms. Nope, open three sided alcoves... and (sigh) two bunks of three layers each... yup three, each with clean linen. There was a window between the beds and a very small table and a thermos of hot water for drinking. Above the window was a small TV screen with some chinese ads I think, or maybe music videos.
Our train had no little rooms. Nope, open three sided alcoves... and (sigh) two bunks of three layers each... yup three, each with clean linen. There was a window between the beds and a very small table and a thermos of hot water for drinking. Above the window was a small TV screen with some chinese ads I think, or maybe music videos.
The first level bunk was close to the floor but high enough to slide most suitcases under (not mine though) The second bed was about eye level for me which means you could sit on the bottom bunk without bumping your head, if you were short enough. I was fine.
However sitting on bunk two was not an option... it had lying down space only as the space between bunks is far less than whatever it takes to sit upright. The good news is, you could see the TV screen from there.
Bunk three was up a ladder at nosebleed height.
However sitting on bunk two was not an option... it had lying down space only as the space between bunks is far less than whatever it takes to sit upright. The good news is, you could see the TV screen from there.
Bunk three was up a ladder at nosebleed height.
Can you guess which bunks will be ours? Yup... you knew. I couldn't even reach to put my coat up there before climbing up to bed. The ceiling was about 18 or 20 inches above the bed so forget changing to your jammies, taking off your sweater, coat, or even socks... or turning over for that matter. But climb up we did, fluffed our pillows and ate ourselves silly with snacks and junk food, giggling all the while.
The TV screen was below our bed level and the very bad music coming from the ceiling speakers was underscored by the very bad music coming from the TV. Our ceiling had a bright light that they turned off at 10 pm along with the TV screen.
And the toilets... they were much smaller rooms than the ones I had used in Vietnam (just room enough to squat) and maybe they were less smelly. It means there was reduced danger of losing your balance and toppling over on the floor as you rocket along cause the filthy walls and small grab handle were in reach. And the toilet was right next to our bunk (!) as we had the last alcove at that end of the car... ya... less than ideal. The toilet didn't have a view of the ground passing beneath your bottom but you could hear it going by and feel the breeze.
Just outside the toilet closet there was a row of three sinks, so all your other bodily care was done there, out in public. It also means that, as always in China, everyone would gather there to hork up a lung or two and spit... I can't say where. One of the sinks didn't drain so with the movement of the train, the water in that basin continually slopped onto the slippery floor. Wear boots.
There were lights along the wall at each alcove and lights on in front of the sinks and toilet all night... in a word, not dark. And at 5 am the ceiling lights came back on with a brightness akin to the sunrise, 18 inches from our faces.
But doesn't it all make for an interesting story?
The TV screen was below our bed level and the very bad music coming from the ceiling speakers was underscored by the very bad music coming from the TV. Our ceiling had a bright light that they turned off at 10 pm along with the TV screen.
And the toilets... they were much smaller rooms than the ones I had used in Vietnam (just room enough to squat) and maybe they were less smelly. It means there was reduced danger of losing your balance and toppling over on the floor as you rocket along cause the filthy walls and small grab handle were in reach. And the toilet was right next to our bunk (!) as we had the last alcove at that end of the car... ya... less than ideal. The toilet didn't have a view of the ground passing beneath your bottom but you could hear it going by and feel the breeze.
Just outside the toilet closet there was a row of three sinks, so all your other bodily care was done there, out in public. It also means that, as always in China, everyone would gather there to hork up a lung or two and spit... I can't say where. One of the sinks didn't drain so with the movement of the train, the water in that basin continually slopped onto the slippery floor. Wear boots.
There were lights along the wall at each alcove and lights on in front of the sinks and toilet all night... in a word, not dark. And at 5 am the ceiling lights came back on with a brightness akin to the sunrise, 18 inches from our faces.
But doesn't it all make for an interesting story?
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