Inside Chinese Train

My trip continued from Beijing to smaller city, Jiaozuo, by taking train. My train left from Beijing at 10.30 morning and arrived to Jiaozuo nine hours later, 7.30 in the evening. As it was little unclear for me how much space train offers for luggage, specially as my backpack wasn’t the smallest one, I played for sure and took hard sleeper, although my traveling was during the day so I didn’t actually needed sleeping place. But with bed, I also could be sure that I can stretch my legs enough and not need to suffer for not having enough space for my long legs

The Chinese train was again something that I had no idea what to expect. But I was positively surprised as the quality was good. It felt pretty much same as traveling in Finnish trains (although I haven’t ever took sleeping place in Finnish trains). Hard sleepers in Chinese trains means a section in train car where there’s six beds at the same space, and several bed compartments are divided by walls. Three beds are on one side, one above another and other three are on the opposite of the small compartment. And as in Finnish trains, beds are on one side of car and on another, there’s a narrow corridor. Not sure in Finnish trains, but in Chinese trains, this corridor also has few chairs and tables which offered nice place to sit and watch outside during the day.

For me this was the longest train trip I have ever taken. Before I have taken train trip that took six hours and took me to other side of Finland, but for this trip, I needed to take three different trains (well, two on the way back). This was nine hours, three hours more, in the same train, in the same car, in the same bed. And I enjoyed every moment.

Traveling is nice, and to me it is very relaxing. After all the hurry, when you finally manage to sit down, take your seat either on the bus, train or the airplane, it means that you have done your part. After that point, everything is somebody else’s problem. All you need to do is just sit back and relax and enjoy traveling. For me, nine hours on the train meant that I had lots of time to think, to watch outside, look Chinese countryside, and even read book. Chatting with my friend who was waiting for me on Jiaozuo. Basically, doing everything else expect worrying about traveling, as that was the train driver problem

And as the bonus, in Chinese trains, in sleeper cars, there’s one nice bonus. As it is expected that people sleeps on the train, you need to switch your ticket to ‘bed car’ from the conductor. You give your ticket to conductor and get a credit card sized card that has your car and bed number. And when your end station is going to be next one, conductor comes and wakes you up, so in the Chinese train, all you need to do is just relax. Even getting out of the correct station is somebody else’s problem