I got up, packed and did a little bit more diary writing before it was time to leave for the station. I picked up a cold bag(!) of milk on the way as we trudged uphill in the hot sun laden with baggage. There was only one carriage in the station, divided into two halves, 1st Class and 2nd Class.
We found our seats in two facing couches which were designed, or at least numbered to seat six passengers. We defended our lot, keeping the six seat unit to the four of us, despite the onslaught of stout local women with sacks, boxes and bulky bundles wrapped up in blankets. Catering packs of toilet rolls seemed to be a favourite item of luggage. Perhaps there was a shortage of it in Chile?
We had one scare as our carriage was shunted out of the station while David was still in the bog (toilet) on the platform. Fortunately, it was only a dummy run and we soon returned to our previous position where we waited for two hours passed the scheduled departure time.
The train finally set off at 14:00 hrs. The scenery was a uniform wide flat plain covered with scrub grass and every so often a huge crusty white salt flat. The distant mountains seemed to start at the same distance on each side of the track, mauve and snow-capped.
Towns that we passed were low, uniform mud block constructions with peripheral fields of crops and grazing llamas. We read our books most of the time as we rattled monotonously along. Lunch was a major event with the excitement of making and eating tuna and cheese rolls.
Afternoon gave way slowly into evening with only the long stops at stations to interrupt our motion. Night fell and the temperature dropped. Karin produced a sleeping bag which unzipped into a huge square quilt, enough to cover the four of us. We dozed under it as the group opposite played dice, noisily rattling them in a plastic cup before each cast.
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