Curry, henna and nightmare train journey!

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Good morning readers it's 08.25am as I write this blog and I'm in a sleeper train from Orchha to Varenasi. Now this has been an experience, but it will get to that later.



So yesterday we had a chill out day due to our previous and soon to come hectic schedule. So we headed off on the next stage of our journey.



We had a shortish bone rattling journey to the house of a local, lady's house for an Indian cookery demonstration presented to us by Vandana. She was lovely and very welcoming and introduced us to her husband, daughters and her sister and nephew and mother whom were all visiting.



She showed us how to cook a variety of dishes ( masala chai tea, aloo palak,bait an which is an egg plant dish, vegetable pulac, racists, paratha and lentils) which we all hungrily tucked into afterwards. We then had our hands and feet painted with henna and then had a photo shoot. I had my right hand and left foot painted - don't worry mum they are not permanent lol. Marymount and Steph had both hands and feet done and Latoya had her right foot done. All the patterns we had were individual to us and vandana's niece also helped out. Apparently they go to classes to learn how it's done.



Vandana got married at 16 and was unable to conceive children so applied to be a teacher as she was at home all day with not much to do. When she applied they didn't want to employ her as she had not finished her education. However undaunted she said let me work for you for a month and watch me teach and if you like what I do you can pay me and if not you do not have to pay me. Needless to say she got the job.



She and her husband have worked hard to move from living in a one bedroom place at the back of a shop to a lovely little new build home with separate bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and lounge. When she was working at the school an Australian exchange teacher visited and was asked to tea and was so,impressed with Vandana's cooking that she suggested she run cookery demonstrations. So she learned English and started the classes.



She saved up the money and paid for IVF and had twins a boy and a girl, but sadly the boy died as he had a hole in his heart. She now has two daughters who are a handful lol. So I have to admire her as she has worked hard and has overcome personal adversity and tragedy to have a small but successful business., a lovely family and supportive husband. He runs a stall selling tourist items near the abandoned temple I mentioned in a previous blog.



So after the meal and henna fun we headed out to the train station for another bone rattling journey. On our journey back to the station we we re stopped by an army/police road block vehicle check. They had guns! Apparently the elections were taking place that day in that region and there was extra security put on. All was good and we got through ok but Dushaynt had to have his bag checked.



We arrived in plenty of time to catch the train so waited in the ladies only waiting room. It was rather hit in there and there was an old lady taking up 3 seats. So eventually our guide asked the waiting room attendant to ask her to ove, to which the old lady gave them both a mouthful of abuse saying she was ill and tired etc so she refused to move.



So so finally the sleeper train arrived, about 20 mins late, so let the fun begin! It was a scrabble to get on the train and the lady who pushed in front of Latoya got her she caught and dropped it between the train and the platform. She tried to get it but couldn't so her husband tried but was holding all the passengers up waiting to get on. The train only stops for a certain amount if time at each station so you need to be quick to get on! So we did the done thing and pushed passed to make sure we made it on the train.



First hurdle negotiated successfully. We found our seats and pushed our bags under theM. Steph got caught in the mele of people getting on and filing past our seats and was forced up against the window and couldn't get to us, only anew feet away. People do not give way or let people past so Steph took matters in to her own hands and picked and barged her way through.



Once everyone was settled and had found their seats/bunks we organised our sleeping arrangements, so yes I have 'slept with my tour guide' but it was all above board and we all had separate bunks. They were arranged 3 on each side and the middle bunks folded down and are held in place by straps. Everyone is given a pillow and two bed sheets a blanket is optional. We did have AC and a fan, and it got flippin cold in the night so I had to wrap both sheets around me to try and keep warm.



I was on the bottom bunk with Latoya opposite me, Mary and Steph had the middle bunks and Chris and Dushaynt had the top bunks. As they are both over 6 foot their legs dangled off the edge which was funny to see. With their sheets over their feet I said it looked like they were in a morgue lol.



The train was very crowded and many of the passengers were police and army people returning home after the elections. It was noisy with people walking past chatting or on the phone - hello hello,hello etc, the door to the carriage banging shut after people had walked through



The AC was on full so it was cold but we didn't know how to get a blanket. We had to sleep with our personal belongings to keep them safe, so I used my rucksack as a pillow but it wasn't comfy. I settled in head phones on, Neil diamond playing to hopefully drift off, but sadly no that luxury was to be taken away from me.



There was an increasing amount of people coming past, and stopping by our bunks to stand durning the journey to their stop and some very funky smells as Steph delicately put it. So eventually I drifted off only to awaken to find a man sitting on the end edge of my bunk and Latoya also had the same joy. Dushyant must have heard us talking about the bizarre situation and asked the men to move as we were female and their presence was making us uncomfortable. The one on Latoya's bed moved but the one on my bunk took a bit more persuading. They even shone a torch at us to check Dushyant was telling the truth!



Then an army guy came through and slept on the floor just by the door to get to the corridor to go to the loo making it difficult for people to get past, and of course my bladder chooses this occasion to fill up so I had to make 3 Old lady wee stops! The final loo visit being more like a scene from Indiana Jones as it was the most difficult to negotiate the squatting, standing and sleeping people in the corridor, most of them police and army people with guns!



And so the night continued, freezing, noisy people sitting on the edge of our beds, and walking past or stain ding near our bunks chatting very loudly to each other or on their phones etc so no sleep til Varenasi ( a tribute to the Beastie boys there lol).



To put the icing on the cake in the morning I woke to find a red t shirt clad guy posing in the mirror and quaffing his hair in our bunk area. Latoya and I were watching him and I thought he was checking Steph out but Latoya reckons he was going for her bag but he saw she was looking at him so he did one and left sharpish.



Finally we were pulling into Varanasi we had to wait 45 mins in the heat with no AC and only a ceiling fan to keep us cool. Sweaty Betty is all I can say! So finally we arrived at the platform and headed to our hotel ........ The story continues





Xxx

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