Day Ten - Jun 5, 2013

Day one, but really day two. After settling in and stowing gear, last night we didn't see much of the train. Our home away from home for the next week is car 9, compartment V, beds 9 & 10 on a fourteen car train. It is a first class car. Our compartment is conveniently located in the middle of the car, away from doors and such. Our room has top and bottom bunks on the left side and a large sitting chair on the right side, with a table between it and the lower bunk. We have a shared shower and sink between us and the next car, but it's a little funky and the water pressure appears to be a trickle. The compartment is nicely done up in faux wood grain paneling. It is full of clever stowage areas, retractable ladders, and has a six inch deep closet we are using as a food pantry. It reminds us of a wood grained version of the bus, in its compactness and cleverness. Most likely from three summers of interstate VW road tripping, we quickly put everything where it "belongs" and made house. The compartment has one power outlet that is so loose it won't hold our international adapter, but Brian was able to remedy this with a few of Theresa's hair bands. Our car attendant (a very nice Chinese man who speaks no english) took our tickets and brought us sheets and blankets after we boarded last night. The compartment is also nicely appointed with an oscillating fan that moves between upper and lower berths and the seating area. While we are very pleased, it would probably not impress everyone we know. The first thing Brian noticed is that the window is chinked with tissues and tape, presumably to keep out the winter. When we run too much water in the sink of the shared bathroom (which is a challenge given the water pressure) the edges of our carpet get damp. Our onboard handyman believes he has fixed this. We spent the day painting, reading, snacking, staring out the window, and trying to understand the timetable in order to anticipate stops. It was quite pleasant.