The first time something inside me told me it was time to get up was at 3 a.m. I attribute this partly to the fact that I seemed to have been sleeping soundly quite early. But when it’s all about not accidentally leaving the train too early for two days, even I’m relaxed enough to doze or just lie around until the other passengers wake up.
Still, maybe I shouldn’t have waited too long, because at least one restroom was permanently closed, and the remaining one was becoming less attractive as demand increased. I don’t like waiting in line for my turn, but I dislike a line outside this particular door even more. But there are still things that need to be done.
And just a quick note for less experienced travelers (I don’t feel “experienced”, but after a few months of traveling you gain some experiences): Bring your own (paper)!
In a modification of the saying “With danger, courage grows,” I say: “Motivation and activity decrease with the lack of challenges: Lying around seems more attractive than doing things you’ve previously planned.”
Let’s see!
In Tianshui, father and son got off the train. Their language sounded neither like Turkish nor Chinese. It could be Mongolian or Hui, but other languages are spoken there as well.
That afternoon in Lanzhou, a guy entered the compartment, and I didn’t have a chance to clear enough space on the small table between the moment I realized he was about to board and his stern gesture to clear the table. At least I was quick enough to take out my charger, so my new king could plug in his without demanding something.
A while ago, the train conductor had been here and folded up my former neighbors’ used blankets. I wondered if new passengers were supposed to reuse them. I still don’t know, because the king looks like he won’t be staying overnight.
I’d learned from Han that Chinese emperors were often poets, and I also had the positive idea that nobility was associated with noble behavior. So, perhaps my new friend isn’t a real king after all? At least I was surprised when I saw him shift his position and hear him “speak,” but it wasn’t his mouth. After his speech, he leaned back in a relaxed position. Later, he briefly lifted his mask (this time it was his mouth) to spit something out, right onto the bench he was sitting on! His backpack is so small—he has to leave soon! Or does someone like that only need a few things? He left soon, another man arrived, then a couple who finally stayed overnight, so this will be the fourth time someone has used these pillows. But perhaps I should change my attitude toward pillows, because other pillows are used for a long time and by different people, for example, on a sofa. So why be picky about a pillow for sleeping?