Stowaways on a train


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Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Varanasi
August 21st 2012
Published: August 21st 2012
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Leaving the calm state of Sikkim was not done lightly and as we sit here sweating in the streets of Varanasi as a cow waltzes past shit trailing in its wake, we still wish we were there in the cool town of Darjeeling, gazing out across the Mountains, cold glass of beer in hand.

After a bumpy ride back down to Siliguri, along steep mountain roads and flooded paths we eventually arrived at New Jailapurgi Junction to catch a train to Mughal Sarai, a train station close to Varanasi. Turns out its very hard to get a ticket on the day, and the ease in which we got the last ticket is due to the fact that no one wants to leave or visit the calamitous capital of the state of Assam.

We managed to get a general ticket which apparently means we were on the waiting list, although we didn't find this out until later. The train was then 3 hours delayed, which is obviously common in England but would have frequent users of England's national rail service in hysterics verging on convulsions.

We hopped on the first AC carriage to find the TT man (ticket man) to see whether we could get a ticket. We couldn't. We then raced through the train to find a spare 3 seats. We couldn't.

Rail users are very helpful in India and as we barged past along narrow walk ways with our heavy bags they told us that we just need to find a spare seat, put our stuff on it and wait for the TT man.

We found a spare seat (they are bed like) in the sleeper carriage, which much to Jamie's dismay only have fans and no AC fast forward to a very sweaty train journey!

We squished onto the seat, perched precariously infront of our bags and waiting for the TT man. He didn't come for about three ours and in that time the other guys in our area let Jamie sit on their beds. When the TT man finally came he told us we couldn't stay all one bed and he would go and find us another.

At about midnight, once Olivia and I had finally found the right sitting pattern and had even managed a short doze the TT man finally made a reappearance. It turns out the bed Jamies was lounging on was actually the bed of the guy that had been helping us the most!

Whilst they couldn't find us three beds, they could find one for Jamie in the next door bay. There was a family of 10 sleeping on 5 of the beds, and once they had dragged three of the children of one of them Jamie was able to have a legitamate bed!

Eight hours and 500 rupees, one future reading, one one-sided chat with an old woman and countless introductions from people in our carriage and others (seems our fame had spread) we finally leapt of the train at Mughal Sarai where we booked our next train to avoid the status of stowaway happening again.

We journeyed into Varanasi in a Tuk tuk (sat in a few still not driven one!) to find our next hostel. We are currently staying in Monalisa Peace Cottage which even comes with resident monkeys and night time singing, bell-ringing prayer ceremonies.

Last night we went to our local Ghat, Dhamesdheva Ghat to watch a hindu Ganga ceremony, where there was also a funeral.

We have had lots of pleasant wanders which include the usual Indian salesman that take you around to the Golden Temple, Nepali Temple and his shop (fortunately we managed to loose him before we had to go to his shop which obviously meant that we also got very lost). This morning we went to Surthan where there is a Buddist Temple which has a sampling from the meditation tree. This afternoon we are going to the Burning Ghat in the hope of seeing more dead bodies.

Love from

Chatty, Jamie and Olivia

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