1The night train pulled out of the station just as the city lights began to fade.
2I had reserved a lower berth so that I could watch the countryside roll past.
3My compartment mate was an elderly woman returning to her village for a wedding.
4She offered me roasted nuts and stories about the region we were crossing.
5Outside the window dark mountains rose and fell like the backs of sleeping animals.
6At a small station a vendor sold hot soup through the open windows.
7The steady rhythm of the wheels slowly rocked most of the passengers to sleep.
8I woke before dawn and saw mist floating above the flooded rice fields.
9Farmers were already walking along the narrow paths with baskets on their shoulders.
10By the time we reached the coast the sun was shining on the water.
11The journey had taken fourteen hours but I was sorry when it ended.
12Few experiences show a country as honestly as a long ride on its railways.