Off on a Train Trip
My ticket to Kunming in Yunnan was booked and I was fairly well packed.
However, news reports constantly emphasised heavy rain, floods and landslides in southern China. The train went through some of the provinces affected and I was unaware if it would be delayed or cancelled. I had no desire to sit at a train station knowing no more than it had been delayed. I have done that once and once is enough.
One of my students contacted me wanting to be helpful so I soon had 3 students searching the internet and trying to call the appropriate number for an update. The phone number was not telling anyone anything. It was nearly time to leave for the railway station so 2 students went with me to interpret if there was a delay. It was lovely not to have to carry my bags.
The station was unexpectedly empty. However, according to the display board the only delayed train was the first one and mine was next. Soon it was time to go and my kind sherpas scurried after me through ticket checking and saw me off. We had to run as station attendants had told one student who inquired about the place to wait to head down the platform in the opposite direction to which I was heading. I had headed according to the carriage number painted on the platform but was deemed to be wrong. It’s what I always do and while never foolproof it’s never been more than 3 or 4 carriages out. When the train arrived for its 3 minute stop we were at the wrong end, hence the run. They were more than a bit surprised that I could run, jog, really. One has known me for more than a year and never seen any evidence of such ability. Think its similiar to the situation of one foreign teacher I heard of who was irritated because her students were amazed that she could shop and cook. Many students have limited life experiences and/or contact with foreigners and are unfamiliar with methods we use to manage in a foreign land. I’ve often been asked how I shop. In less populated areas any ability displayed by a foreigner is unexpected and amazing.
When I checked my ticket at the carriage entrance it was exchanged for credit card sized plastic card.
Conductors have a small folder designed for the purpose. This happens for tickets for sleeping carriages. The first time it happened to me I had no idea what was happeneing as unlike my current one I couldn’t read any of it. Bit of a worry when you usually have to surrender your ticket when exiting the arrival station. I later found my original ticket returned prior to my arrival station. I guess it’s a means of ensuring that people are woken prior to their stop. However, the only time I had to exit a sleeper carriage at night I was woken so early I had plently of time to close my eyes and return to sleep However, on that occasion I didn’t trust myself not to sleep so I stayed upright.
After wanting to enter the wrong cabin and being taken to the correct one by its occupants I settled into my top storey bunk.
I’ve never had anything but a bottom bunk before, apart from the top of 3 levels on a train between Beijing and Chengde. As it was a day train I never attempted that climb but sat on the lower bunk till its owner wanted to sleep and then migrated to the tiny seats in the corridor. The top of 2 levels is doable although I o need to think about how to execute the ascent and descent. The barrier to prevent people faling out is not going to stop a dedicated sleep thrasher. As I hardly slept it wasn’t an issue. The other 3 occupants were elderly Chinese who left the train around the half way mark. They, especially one, were friendly. I migrated to a lower bunk for the remainder of the journey as no one else joined the cabin.
The train left at night so there was little to do apart from settle in and read. The photos show the cabin and other significant locations.
This photo shows the hot water jug which are ubiquitous on Chinese train. The flower, which had seen better days, is special for soft sleeper class and the other container is my tea bottle, also ubiquitous inChina. That is one I was given and I also acquired a couple more last week, but that is the one I decided I could afford to leave behind if I forgot it somewhere.
This is hard sleeper class. Open bunks in 3 levels. All a bit cosy, but I’ve been there several times.
Thats some of what I got for the extra cost of ticket. Theer’s more but downloading photos on a slow system is such a pain that’s all for this post.