| Boats and trains are two very common modes of | | | | station and lo and behold: 4 hours after we had left |
| transport for backpackers. Here is some advice on | | | | the station the bag was still where he had left it! |
| how to get the most out of them: | | | | Boat |
| Train | | | | Check where the life jackets and life rafts are |
| Trains can be quite convenient since it is easy to get | | | | located and what to do in an emergency situation. |
| up and walk around during your trip. If you do not | | | | Some ferries have first class tickets on the lowest |
| have a specified seat you might have to be quick | | | | floor, e.g. China, which may not be so attractive if |
| when the train arrives. People waiting first in line to | | | | you travel in an old second-hand ferry with |
| get on the train might put clothes and handkerchiefs | | | | questionable floating capabilities. |
| on multiple seats. Brute force may sometimes be the | | | | Personal Experience |
| only option to get a good seat. | | | | The Zanzibar Storm |
| Personal Experience | | | | I was taking the ferry from Zanzibar back to the |
| The Japanese Journey | | | | mainland. Always the wise guy I started humming the |
| I was on an organized tour in Japan. We were going | | | | theme song from the movie Titanic (My heart will go |
| to take a Shinkansen bullet train to travel out in the | | | | on). I had barely ended when a storm hit us with |
| country side. As the train rolled away from the | | | | huge waves which broke the electronic equipment |
| station we started to relax and enjoyed the beautiful | | | | and people screaming everywhere (though I am not |
| sights rolling by and the lush nature. After one hour | | | | sure if it was because of the storm or my singing). |
| the tour guide realized he had left his bag at the | | | | Kharma seems to have a way of getting back at |
| station. After we reached our destination and had | | | | you... |
| settled into our hotel he took the train back to the | | | | |