Getting There - Aneel's Travelogue

The night train from Jakarta was totally reasonable. Not brand-new and flashy, like the ones in China, but fairly spacious and comfortable. I'm still either jet lagged or a couple hours off of local time, so I was out like a light almost as soon as the tickets were checked. I've been pleased with my impulse purchase of an inflatable neck pillow at SFO. It might have to become part of my regular travel kit.

The train was scheduled to arrive at 3:42am, but was about half an hour late. Happily, the hotel had sent a driver around to pick me up. This may be the first time I've had someone waiting for me with my name on a sign. There was a surprising amount of activity around town, and the hotel desk was open and I was checked in promptly.

This is a far cry from the last time I took a night train that arrived in the early morning in an unfamiliar city. In Hanoi I had to sit outside of the locked gate to the hotel for hours until someone finally let me in.