Train tribulations

We just purchased onward tickets from Beijing to Chengdu (in central China). We intentionally purchased them 8 days in advance in order to ensure that we would not be on a hard seat for the 27 hour journey. So far 3 of our 4 day day long (at least 20 hour) journeys have been on hard seats, and at the end of every ride we swear to each other that we will never do the hard seats again. But each subsequent visit to the ticket counter, we discover that those are the only tickets available. The hard and soft sleeper tickets disappear immediately at this time of year when the Chinese take to the rails to move about the country. My fear is that our ride will be similar to our worst train trip yet on this journey (India included!) Even with reserved tickets, we found ourselves crammed into the seats of an overflowing car. A trip to the bathroom meant you lost your seat and would have to fight your way back into it. The aisle was so crowded that you were climbing over and squeezing past people, hoping you wouldn’t step on anyone, that the trip to the bathroom hardly seemed worth it! My breaking point was when everyone jumped off the train at a stop to buy drumsticks on the platform. Slurping the meat off the bones, while spitting small bones and cartilage into the already cramped aisle. The fellow across from Tim used the seat cover to wipe his hands and mouth clean. When we climbed off the train our ankles were huge and swollen from not moving for countless hours, and we found ourselves to be more sore than many of our hiking days in Nepal! Every train ride we have taken has been completely different and we haven't a clue what to expect, since we have had our nicest, most comfortable rides here...and our longest, most dreadful ones also. But, we are learning the ropes and board with tea and ramen noodles in hand, as all the trains have hot water dispensers. We just follow suit of the other travelers and add some of our own snacks that always amuse our seat mates. (Who would have thought that oatmeal was SO strange??) As always, it's an adventure and we keep returning for more.