The Insanity Of Indian Transport

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I can't help but laugh at the insanity of Indian transport. Following our lengthy train journey from Agra to Goa (36.5 hours) we decided to try the bus. Thinking a sleeper bus with air con sounded rather comfortable we booked through a reputable travel agent for a trip from Goa to Hampi (about 9 hours) with the thought of National Express in our minds. Our thoughts couldn’t have been further from reality - we should have known better!

The clapped out bus arrived a couple of hour’s late (India time) and boarding the bus was complete chaos. Only in India could seat numbers cause so much confusion. In the end we just sat where they put us, and as you can imagine there was no air con or toilet. Actually there were no seats. We were made to lie down flat on the top of a bunk bed with about a meter between us and the roof of the bus! We had to sleep together in a space about the width of a single bed - a little close for comfort!

The fact that we were made to lie down traveling head first was a bit scary. On several occasions the bus driver would slam on the breaks and both mine and Glyns head would smack against the metal wall that divides each bunk. The rest of our body would soon follow adding to the head injuries we had already suffered.

The pot holes in the road added to the insanity of the situation. It was impossible to sleep, especially with the driver hanging on the horn and acting like he was on drugs. During the night we hit a few things on the road (probably animals) followed by the screeching of the breaks and the subsequent ringing in our ears as our head would impacted against the metal dividers one again .. Ouch!

At one point some other backpackers begged the driver to stop so they could go to the toilet. As soon as they stepped off the bus (5 seconds), the impatient driver began pressing the horn and proceeded to drive down the road chased by some backpackers with their trousers around their ankles. He did this every time the bus did a toilet stop. You only went if you were desperate! The driver though it was hysterical... It was the most bizarre situation. Still, I can’t stop chuckling about it to myself now! Only in India.

We are now in Hampi and it’s a fantastic little village with rice paddies, banana plantations and boulders piled on top of each another forming a peculiar landscape. It is a very chilled out town with very little hassle, so it’s easy to walk around town. The boulders are fantastic fun to climb, as are the 8th century ruins which exist all over Hampi.

We climbed to the top of a mountain and sat on top of a bolder hanging over a cliff edge. To get up on the bolder we had to climb on top of each an others shoulders. My legs about gave way from fear as I sat on the edge of this random bolder. It was a very long way down. I kept thinking "this bolder has been here millions of years - what are the chances of it falling today?" followed by "who’s insane idea was this anyway" - it was mine!

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Photos

A Bed On The Bus?
Travelling head first!

A Little Dangerous?
A balancing bolder on top of a cliff