The basic hard sleeper trip is this—you get on the train, you make friends with your compartment-mates, you eat a meal, lights out at ten, you wake up, share breakfast, and if you’re lucky, you’ve arrived by eleven.
The soft sleeper has none of that. You get on the train, you get in your bed, you plug in your headphones, you watch tv, some dude turns out the lights. If you’re lucky, you don’t wake up.
On my way up to Harbin, on the hard sleeper, I had a great conversation with my bunkmates. They told me what to see in the city, that Harbin girls were, “beau-ti-ful” (which was pretty self serving, as they were Harbin girls). I told them about the States, and they gave me the required compliment on my Chinese. Just say nee how to anyone here, and they’ll compliment you on your Chinese…just as long as you aren’t of Chinese descent—god help you then—your Chinese better be good.
My way back, I rushed on to the train just as it pulled out, out of breath. My bunkmates (there are only 4 bunks in the soft, as opposed to six) were all sitting on their beds looking at the wall. I threw down my bag used the restroom and returned. It was then that I realized they were all watching television. Man, I love that effing box. It always stimulates conversation so well. So I jumped in my bunk, and no one said a word to me. I opened my book, and tuned out.
On a hard sleeper, I often don’t have a chance to open my book. You start talking to one Chinese person, and then the rest of the people in the car come over to introduce yourself. At the time, it can be a bit frustrating, but sitting in my 4 person cube of solitude, I missed it.
One thing that is nice about a soft sleeper compartment is you have a door and control over your lights. If you had for buddies going on a train trip, it would be a pretty sweet deal. Otherwise, they just go out whenever the person sitting closest to the switch wants. There is no communication, so no discussion. I have my own reading light, so I don’t complain.
Let me explain why I was traveling soft sleeper. 1. It has been a life goal since I was 24 to travel all four classes on the Chinese trains. Hard seat, soft seat, hard sleeper, soft. I have finally crossed that monumental goal of my list. 2. It was the only space left on the last train out of the city. 3. I am a sucker for Chinese television. 4. The beds in the soft sleeper are so much nicer. 5. The high class company. 6. The no-snore guarantee. 7. Stimulating conversation. 8. Control over my own lights. 9. A locking door. 10. Did I mention complimentary headphones?
As you may guess, the first 2 are the only reasons. The last 8 are very sarcastic. I missed the first train I had a ticket for because I misread the ticket. Luckily, I ran into a scalper that had tickets for the last train, and since I was most likely going to be the only one buying, gave me a good deal. Not bad for finishing a life goal.
By far the worst part about the soft sleeper was the snorer in the bunk below me. It was incredible. Huge racking snores, punctuated by fairly articulate sleep talking, broken up by stints of just not breathing. I was supposedly on the most comfortable compartment offered by a Chinese train, and I slept for all of two hours. I was super pissed.
No one else seemed to be bothered. I don't understand. Maybe after another 3 years in China I could sleep through that too.
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