When you're on a train for two days sharing a compartment with as many as three others. you hope for good travel companions. I have to say that with one small exception, I landed on the lucky side of the draw. The first day, I was with a newly married Chinese couple who were on their honeymoon. They both worked for Chinese Petroleum and his English was quite good while she wanted to practice hers. I had a great time talking with them. The funny thing: she would talk to me when he was out of the compartment but, when he was there, she became shy and insisted that he speak for her. I was a little sad to see them go. But, as replacements. I got a delightful Chinese American couple in their 70s. They both had emigrated to the US in the 1960s and received their PhDs at the Unversity of Wisconsin. They were both very proper and dignified. Sadly, she was really affected by the altitude (more on that later) and was quite sick. I mentioned that there was a small exception to my luck of the draw. One evening, we had a fourth compartment mate who was CRAY-zee! From the time he entered the train, he talked non-stop and he talked LOUDly! He was the type who would laugh at his own jokes while everyone else just stared at him with their jaws hanging open. The only saving grace for me is that he was speaking Mandarin and would stop talking when the others left the compartment and they did leave....
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