Night Train to Simferopol

Night Train to SimferopolOctober 27, 2009 The night train left at 9:32 p.m. from Kharkov to Simferopol. I had a first class compartment to myself in car 11. There were 26 cars on the train so it was a long train. The car conductor came to visit me shortly after I had settled into my compartment but I could not understand what she was saying so gave her my tickets and that was the last I saw of her that evening. Closed and locked the door and climbed into my bed because it was quite chilly in the compartment. The heater was not running in the train. Just as I was thinking that I bet the conductor was asking me if I wanted heat, I fell asleep. Usually I do not sleep well in trains. The stopped and starting and slowing and speeding keeps me awake. I had been warned that while it was a fast train, there would be maybe 10 stops or so. From 11 p.m. when I fell asleep until around 5:30 a.m. when I woke, I could have been home in my own bed as I was so sound asleep. No, I take that back. At home, my cat would have waked me around 3 a.m. so I slept even better than in my own bed. How unusual for me. The train was to arrive at 6:22 a.m. I got up and got dressed and sat on the edge of my bed and fell back asleep. When I woke again, it was about 6:15 but the train didn't stop again until maybe 6:45. As it wasn’t a big station, I figured that the time had changed on me again because I knew that my station was the very last one and the conductor would not let me stay on the train if she was trying to clean up sheets and such. Finally we arrived at Simferopol at 7:45, just a wee bit late. My contact was waiting for me and since he knew what car and compartment I was in, he was outside my window knocking on it. I saw him but he didn’t see me but he was on board and hauling off my suitcase for me by the time I got to the exit. Very nice train ride.