The (Mid)Night Train to Beijing

Oh where are Gladys Night and the Pips?? If you have the good fortune to be old enough (age is revered here in China, you know) you may recall “Midnight Train to Georgia” (one of Motown’s greatest hits). Since I occasionally think it would be hilarious if life were actually a musical (I hold out as a defender of musicals among the front table crowd at Cup a Joe). . . Gladys Knight would have been on board the night train to Beijing with us, with some lyric variations, of course.

Gladys was the only missing feature on the otherwise surprisingly charming ride from Hangzhou to Beijing. A splendid rule for ensuring good travel is the Rule of Low Expectations. Practicing low expectations means that anything ‘more’ that comes along turns into a delightful surprise. My other experience on a night train riding across Thailand had already set a very low bar of expectation: a night of little rest on a sparse and rattley train. In stark contrast, here I sit in the early morning after an excellent night’s sleep. The ride is smooth enough that I sit with laptop resting easily on a linen topped table next to the window (the curtain sheers pulled aside for the view). The table also holds a thermos of hot water (standard fare for your tea drinking needs), a flower filled vase, a cut-glass plate, and a small collection of glossy magazines. Katie is still sleeping on the bunk above me; Kris and Lauren are nestled into their bunk across the small aisle in our private 4-sleeper car.

In fourteen hours we have traveled from Hangzhou to Beijing. The third city of our China venture approaches outside my window.

"Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil!"
Dane, Kristin and Dr. Odom on the train to Mongolia.