2015 China

27 April, between Lanzhou and Chengdu
Train 1720 09:13-07:01

We had been unable to secure a “soft-sleeper” for our journey to Chengdu, so settled for the “hard-sleeper”, essentially a second-class compartment that sleeps six. The hard-sleeper bunks are narrow and sport a thin ... er ... firm mattress. The compartments are open to the passageway. Opposite each compartment are two fold-up seats and a narrow table top and shelf; below some of these a sought-after electric outlet. When we boarded at Lanzhou, many passengers were just waking up, the carriage musty with the odour of too many bodies in too small a space. Amazing, and a little disconcerting, how quickly one’s olfactory senses adjust... Fresh bedding is provided, but only at the start of each journey, so you might be the second or third person to occupy a bunk as passengers board and depart at different times to and from different stations; we were not the first to occupy either of ours! We had reserved the two middle bunks in our compartment, thinking that we could then sleep when we pleased. We soon realised that it would have been better to reserve a lower and middle bunk, which would have assured us of a seat on the lower bunk during the day. So ... six people share this small, open space; actually, the numbers ebb and flow as people pay visits to neighbouring compartments, those with electric plugs proving to be particularly popular with anyone needing a mobile phone charged. If the two lower bunk passengers wish to sleep during the day, there is a seat shortage, at least in theory. In practise we found the Chinese to be imminently practical. As we clearly wanted to sit not sleep, one of the lower bunk passengers simply slept on a top bunk. At times we sat on the fold-up seats, at times on the corner of an occupied lower bunk, in the afternoon we napped. We were the only westerners on board, the other passengers interested in us and our doings, but not overwhelmingly so. We had shopped last night for supplies to take on board, and in general enjoyed our “real” Chinese train experience.

[Photos taken from train.]