Saturday, July 27th: Imagine for a moment being sent to jail when you thought you were going on a cruise in the Caribbean. Imagine that, in that jail, you dealt with the smell of cat urine and human feces and you also feared you might be attacked if you shut your eyes for a minute. Also, picture yourself cramped into a 4 foot by 4 foot moving box and that box also lacked airflow, with a temperature of around 90 degrees. If you can get this imagery into your head, you might have the slightest inkling of the seven-hour hell I endured last night and this morning when I took the train from Vienna to Ljubiana!
Having a Eurorail Pass had given me the opportunity to ride first class and I thought last night would be no exception. I could not have been further from my assumption. First off, the train departing Vienna was 20 minutes late and I was fearful I would miss my connection to Slovenia. When I got on the first train, I was told to switch cars, which is what I did. Then a worker told me to move back and claimed I had the wrong ticket. After some bantering, I ended up sitting on the floor by a bathroom, cramped in a small hole and holding on for dear life. All the while, I was heavily guarding my own belongings so no one would take them. Yes, I was nervous.
Once the train arrived in Salzburg, I was all excited about the possibility of sitting in a separate seat and spreading out. Instead, I found a middle aged woman with a busted arm in what was supposed to be my seat. I let her stay and I stood for 3.5 hours. We were cramped like canned sardines, with little to movement, and I almost slept standing up. Needless to say, I am wiped now and just want to sleep. Also, I do not need to take a night train for a while!
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