UB - Beijing
Friday, February 8, 2013
We didn't end up catching the Russian train but another Chinese train. But train 24 wasn't just in a different class to the Trans-Siberian it was on a different planet.
Each bed has its own TV (it would be better if they worked but that's not the point there were TV's), the compartments had 240v electrical sockets and actually worked unlike the pitiful 40v ones on the Trans-Siberian that weren't powerful enough to charge anything.
The toilet facilities were immaculate with a wet room in each carriage with full shower facilities. Not only did they burn incenses in the toilets they even had toilet paper!
The dining car had a proper bar where you can sit and have a beer with a proper chef although the food was pretty ropey it was certainly a step up from the dining car on the Trans-Siberian.
This is like the Hilton in comparison to camping in squalor on the Trans-Siberian.
So that's it, part 1 over! We have travelled some 7,800 km and will be in China for the next month so it's time to knock the train lag on the head.
Jet lag or should we say train lag?
Before leaving Ross had always envisaged that slowly moving around the world would mean you wouldn't get so called jet lag. Only changing 1 hour at time would just be like putting the clocks forward in the spring. But that is not the case apart from the first day when the clocks went forward by just an hour other travel days we often crossed many time zones. We lost 3 hours on the overnighter to Moscow and the Trans-Siberian which messed with our heads, we lost 5 hours before getting an hour back before arriving in UB! The constant changing of just an hour here and there isn't as easy as it sounds, it much easier to jump on a plane and either have a long or short day and then force yourself onto the local time. When you slowly time travel you don't feel the need to adjust as soon as the clocks change and before you know it you have gone through several time zones and are eating breakfast mid-afternoon! We are now on GMT+8 hours and will be for a long time so it's time to make the change!
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