A train of trains

Hey sorry for the huge gap in updates... the further east I went in Europe the harder it was to get consistent internet access--especially one that allowed me the time to update you guys. But now I'm actually back in Western Europe--Germany--and am willing to regale you with tales of my harrowing journey through the Balkans...in person. The last week has been so hectic that simply writing about it wouldn't do the entire region justice (and I'll probably forget a lot of the important events). So instead I shall talk about trains.

Since 10AM yesterday morning I have been on 4 trains (2 domestic Hungarian, 1 international, and 1 domestic Germanic). In fact in the last 30 hours I have spent 20.5 hours on a train going from Budapest to Lake Balaton and back (2 hours each); an overnight from Budapest to Munich (about 11 hours) and from Munich to Germany (5.5 hours). In short, I am tired of trains.

But it was interesting to see the differences in quality between public transportation.

Hungarian trains were much more rundown compared to the other national trains. Doors were ajar if not completely open (a small safety hazard when traveling at 150 km/h) and the cabin we chose was littered with empty beer cans and wine bottles. It was actually quite disgusting as Budapest was the first stop yet no one had bothered to even clean up the mess. But when trains are the most affordable and efficient method for travel with a constant influx of riders hourly, maintenance can be quite difficult, especially when funds are limited.

The international train from Buda to Munich was backbreaking. 11 hours cramped in a seat with the airconditioning blasting on one side, the heat of other travelers on other and not a comfortable place to rest your head on either makes Leang a cranky and groggy person. Since I'm backpacking in August I packed only the bare essentials--lots of t-shirts and very thin layers. I did not anticipate a froststorm in the form of an overzealous cooling system to literally freeze my limbs--which had already gone numb from the contortions of angles I tried to get a comfortable sleeping position. The train was also an hour late, making us rush to our next train departing 10 mins later.

Germanic trains save any semblance of favor I have towards rail transportation. Sleek, new, and endowed with the infamous German work ethic and efficiency, our ride on the ICE was pleasant even after 16 hours of travel prior. The bathrooms weren't soiled and a major health issue like other trains but were constantly stocked with the essentials (paper towels), actually had a working toilet, and designed with wood paneling and mirrored walls. It's sad to get excited about the WC, but Germans have created a way to turn even the basics into amenities. The dining cars offered gourmet cuisine created by world renowned chefs (a new chef and menu per month for a year) making fine dining accessible to everyone at affordable prices (well not to me since meals were 12 euros ish and I'm pretty poor right now).

Ugh time running out... I gotta go. But I will be taking an overnight sleeper from Berlin to Brussels and the Eurostar to London so I'm not quite done yet with trains. Hopefully they won't be a disappointment.


Lots of love... Leang