September 26-27, 2009 - I boarded the train in Haridwar an hour late at around 9:30 am. I had come to find out that trains in India generally run late and I was already beginning to wonder if I’d make my connection in Delhi with only a 2 hour buffer. For this segment I chose to ride 2AC. It’s just one level below First AC which is the top class. Trains in India are very affordable if not down right cheap by western standards. When I boarded in Haridwar I was pleased to see that the train had plenty of open seats and I was able to chose a nice comfortable seat next to a window for an easy trip to Delhi.
Just a few kiometers from Delhi the train stopped. At this point I only had a little over an hour to catch my connection. The train would go for a few minutes then stop for 10 minutes. All the while the clock running. I did not want to stay another night in Delhi which has proven to be my least favorite place in India thus far. I think the hold up was train traffic and the engineer was waiting for an open platform. Luckily I made it in time and easily located the platform for my connection. The station was crazy with people pushing and shoving. The train to Varanassi was sold out and originating in Delhi which meant a large crowd was waiting to get on.
For my trip to Varanassi I chose a 2AC betth as I would be riding overnight and would not reach my destination until early morning. In India you have several different classes of train. The top classes have air conditioning and the lower classes have fans with open windows baricaded by bars. The lower non AC seats are very cheap but crowded and uncomfortable. Considering you can buy a nice 2 tier air conditioned berth on an overnight train for about $20 I see no reason not to take the more comfortable option. Even though I’m a budget traveler I don’t mind spending a little more and feel like I’m at the age where I don’t need to suffer as much.
Indian trains are not up to European standards but they’re not bad. Yes, they are kind of dirty and not all that well maintianed but they are perfectly acceptable. With a sleeper they give you a couple of clean sheets, a relatively clean blanket, and a fairly dirty pillow. You can make due pretty well with the sheets and with a little settling in you can actually sleep pretty good. A two tier berth shares a space with 4. There is a lower berth and a top berth. The lower berth serves as seating during the day then adjusts to a bed at night. On my way to Varanassi I shared my area with 3 other men that I’m fairly certain were Muslim. They spoke no English and were not particulary friendly but ok nonetheless. Actually, there were no other westerners on the train and only the conductor spoke a little basic English.
I sat at my lower tier berth and watched the scene outside. The 3 other men were packing a lot of stuff. When they started rearraning things I gave them a couple of thumbs up to signifiy that where they were putting things was ok. I found out the next day that giving a thumbs up in India is an insult. I guess that’s why they gave me a couple of thumbs up with a funny look on their face.
I slept reasonably ok but was awaken at times by people having loud conversations and or getting on or off. I arrived in Varanassi around 6:30 am..
No comments:
Post a Comment