The Overnight Train to Luoyang, China
From the Wang Family Compound, a drive back to Taiyun (prounounced "Taiwan") for the overnight train, actually a 12-hour overnight train, to Luoyang in Henan Province. Back on one of China's excellent major highways with the crazy drivers passing on the left, on the right, shoulders....they are nuts!
The majority of Shanxi Province is filled with homes built into the hillside dirt of winding crevasses and anytime there is an inch of tillable land, you'll find narrow fields at the bottom. At first, it didn't dawn on us that these were houses until we passed a few entire villages built into the dirt hillside....View image...
Jenny came with us into the soft seat waiting room where we went through the same routine as before:
- Show tickets to enter soft seat waiting room
- x-ray bags
- Twenty to 30 minutes before train time, the gates open and everyone heads for the train.
- Surrender your ticket and get that cardboard piece in its place until you leave the train.
This train was going further than Luoyang and Jenny gave specific instructions to our train car attendants to make sure we got off at the right place. Our 4-bed compartment was full, unfortunately. I wasn't smart enough to pay for an entire compartment which is what another couple on a Geographic Expeditions tour did and suffered the consequences. I got the top bunk since klutzy ex-Marine couldn't get his butt up there and three feet across from my face was a very nice Chinese businessman who spoke wonderful English and power-snored the entire night. Mega-decibels and even slightly deaf ex-Marine heard him. I would have killed for a pair of ear plugs. This man never rolled over, never changed position and had a great night sleep. And when I finally dozed off around 6:00 am, he turned on the compartment lights and read.
The other bottom bank was occupied by the tour guide for the Geo-ex couple and they were also getting off at Luoyang. Train employees walked up and down the aisles for 12 hours selling fruit, hot foods, coffee, tea and there was even a restaurant car in which you risked instant lung cancer if you stood there for more than 10 seconds. Such is life... I was starving and thirty. After one nocturnal visit to the toilets at the end of the car, I wanted to keep any additional visits under control. Not because the toilets were that bad, but it's difficult to get in and out of the upper bunks. No ladders, just a piece of metal to put your foot on between both bunks. I'm fairly agile but really, it's not easy!
There were a few interesting sights in the daylight. Primarily, more cave-style homes, fields, other trains and the ubiquitous factories.
Train matron came around, gave us back the original tickets...and arrival into Luoyang at 11:45 am with new guide, Andy, standing right at the train car door as we pulled into the station. New driver, Chao was waiting outside with a very nice vehicle and off we went for lunch.
