Foreign Travel 2/2
Being accustomed to booking train travel whilst in France has in no way improved my organizational skills further than remembering a fully charged iPod ™ and a good book. It came as no surprise to me as I lined up at 11 o’clock to get a ticket for an overnight train that left 5 hours later. Not even when it turned 12 was I concerned. By now I had realised the benefit of “pack the night before” (Biarritz being a prime example) and so as I got onto the train with half an hour to spare, after lunch with Alice, a beer with Mads Spokes, cat time and a shower I quietly patted myself on the back and went to grab my berth.
Now was the time for the “Roulette of overnight train travel”. Who was I going to spend the next 15 hours with? Unfortunately my dreams of a troop of fashion models were dashed by the Asian family that entered.
Shortly after they entered, they berated me for being in “their” room. After finally accepting my explanation in English ,with proof of my ticket, that I was entitled to be there they sat down to murmur. When they realised that I spoke French, they quickly “directed” me towards the conductor to ask to be moved. As you can imagine, the conductor quickly realised my predicament and, in between tirads of English and finger-pointing by the afore mentioned family, vowed to find me another berth.
As we waited for the return of the conductor it became increasingly uncomfortable as the temperature rose (35ºC outside and the air-conditioning was not working inside) and the family started to openly complain about me…in Mandarin. What?!? I was the stupid foreigner?!?!?
When the conductor finally returned she kindly opened the next cabin which was mine alone for the first half of the journey, and the air-conditioning worked. As I grabbed my things, I wished the family a safe journey and that there was no need to assist me with my luggage as I was sure they were keen to get there things organised…said in my best and most formal Mandarin of course. As their jaws made a dull thump when they hit the ground, I decided against mentioning anything about the air-conditioning.
Not all was peachy on the journey however. The same conductor who kindly arranged a new berth, also stamped my Eurail pass, thereby starting my 2 month validity clock. The problem with this was that I hadn’t used my pass to buy the ticket as I was saving it for use later in the year!! After returning my passport and ticket in the morning (it is normal for them to hold your passport for overnight trains to avoid waking you for border checks) I managed to explain the problem. Despite a scribbled mess on my ticket, I believe that there is nothing I can do but start travelling.
Despite the hiccoughs during the train journey, the ride itself was enjoyable. The bed was comfortable, the free breakfast nutritional and the 3 other people I ended up sharing with friendly. The transfer in Vienna the following morning was uneventful as I headed towards Hungary to meet up with Binda and her family in Budapest.
The scenery travelling from Austria to Hungary changed in three obvious ways:
1. the majority of run down , multi-storey, concrete toilet blocks were actually apartment blocks and their presence indicated that one had indeed crossed the border into Eastern Europe.
2. the graffiti on buildings was far better in Hungary;
3. there are more wind generators in Austria.
Tips for young players:
1. if you didn’t use your Eurail pass to purchase your ticket, lie and say you don’t have one.
2. avoid falling asleep in the last hour of a train ride, particularly when the penultimate station looks and sounds similar to your planned destination. It will avoid waking up in a start, grabbing you things and then resigning yourself to the fact that you will have to take another train since jumping off the now moving train is not a good idea. Thankfully, I resisted the urge (although the thought did cross my mind!!) to disembark from the moving train as it turned out my station was next!!
3. it is normal for 3 guys with guns to suddenly crowd into your cabin demanding to see your passport. It is just border control Hungary-style.
4. appreciate that not all member countries of the European Union do not use € as their form of currency. This is particularly useful when trying to purchase metro tickets from the ticket window in said country.
5. don’t get a crap tattoo, you have to wear it for life;
6. try everything that is served but don’t necessarily ask what it is. Some things taste a lot better than they look.
Now was the time for the “Roulette of overnight train travel”. Who was I going to spend the next 15 hours with? Unfortunately my dreams of a troop of fashion models were dashed by the Asian family that entered.
Shortly after they entered, they berated me for being in “their” room. After finally accepting my explanation in English ,with proof of my ticket, that I was entitled to be there they sat down to murmur. When they realised that I spoke French, they quickly “directed” me towards the conductor to ask to be moved. As you can imagine, the conductor quickly realised my predicament and, in between tirads of English and finger-pointing by the afore mentioned family, vowed to find me another berth.
As we waited for the return of the conductor it became increasingly uncomfortable as the temperature rose (35ºC outside and the air-conditioning was not working inside) and the family started to openly complain about me…in Mandarin. What?!? I was the stupid foreigner?!?!?
When the conductor finally returned she kindly opened the next cabin which was mine alone for the first half of the journey, and the air-conditioning worked. As I grabbed my things, I wished the family a safe journey and that there was no need to assist me with my luggage as I was sure they were keen to get there things organised…said in my best and most formal Mandarin of course. As their jaws made a dull thump when they hit the ground, I decided against mentioning anything about the air-conditioning.
Not all was peachy on the journey however. The same conductor who kindly arranged a new berth, also stamped my Eurail pass, thereby starting my 2 month validity clock. The problem with this was that I hadn’t used my pass to buy the ticket as I was saving it for use later in the year!! After returning my passport and ticket in the morning (it is normal for them to hold your passport for overnight trains to avoid waking you for border checks) I managed to explain the problem. Despite a scribbled mess on my ticket, I believe that there is nothing I can do but start travelling.
Despite the hiccoughs during the train journey, the ride itself was enjoyable. The bed was comfortable, the free breakfast nutritional and the 3 other people I ended up sharing with friendly. The transfer in Vienna the following morning was uneventful as I headed towards Hungary to meet up with Binda and her family in Budapest.
The scenery travelling from Austria to Hungary changed in three obvious ways:
1. the majority of run down , multi-storey, concrete toilet blocks were actually apartment blocks and their presence indicated that one had indeed crossed the border into Eastern Europe.
2. the graffiti on buildings was far better in Hungary;
3. there are more wind generators in Austria.
Tips for young players:
1. if you didn’t use your Eurail pass to purchase your ticket, lie and say you don’t have one.
2. avoid falling asleep in the last hour of a train ride, particularly when the penultimate station looks and sounds similar to your planned destination. It will avoid waking up in a start, grabbing you things and then resigning yourself to the fact that you will have to take another train since jumping off the now moving train is not a good idea. Thankfully, I resisted the urge (although the thought did cross my mind!!) to disembark from the moving train as it turned out my station was next!!
3. it is normal for 3 guys with guns to suddenly crowd into your cabin demanding to see your passport. It is just border control Hungary-style.
4. appreciate that not all member countries of the European Union do not use € as their form of currency. This is particularly useful when trying to purchase metro tickets from the ticket window in said country.
5. don’t get a crap tattoo, you have to wear it for life;
6. try everything that is served but don’t necessarily ask what it is. Some things taste a lot better than they look.
posted by santas walkabout at 12:24 am
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