The kids LOVED it and time passed fairly quickly. As you can see in the pictures, there were two bench seats facing one another and bunks above. Spacious, not crowded. Reasonably clean. We were stared at but not touched or bothered too much. Apart from trying to take the kids to the bathroom (imagine motion + toilet = hole in floor = their pee on MY legs), it wasn’t too eventful.
Round trip tickets for 6 people: $35.00 total. This could be due in part to the fact that we returned the next evening, a SUNDAY. AC class was full as lots of people were returning to the city for their jobs after having visited their villages over the weekend. We booked ahead of time but only S2 (second class sleeper) cars were available.
Before I proceed with the crazy details, let me thank God for the mercy that my children rode back in the car with Shae for a variety of reasons. This is a mercy because, #1) the train was over an hour late, which left Ellen, Sarah, Elijah and I waiting at the station in a tiny town not accustomed to foreigners. Another creative mercy that evening: one of the substitute drivers who had worked for us (when our driver had typhoid—have I blogged about that yet????), happened to be from this little town and had visited that weekend for his cousin’s wedding. So, instead of being totally stared at/stalked, we were surrounded by his family, meeting the bride, talking with the few who spoke English. What a mercy to have their “protection” as we were waiting for over an hour.
Despite the fact that we had inquired of a uniform-clad official, with our driver’s help in the local language (Kannada), where we should await our cabin of the train (you have to be on the right part of the platform so you can jump on the train quickly; it only stops for a very short time), we were on the opposite end and had to run, jump, try not to trample, and scramble to our cabin. We stepped on as the train started moving.
First sight to meet my eyes: several men chained to their seats with hand and foot cuffs. Charming. We’re not in AC class anymore, Toto. We proceed to our seats; we had purchased SIX, though it was just the 3 adults and 1 child who ended up riding. Our seats were occupied and no one in the vicinity spoke or admitted to speaking English. I couldn’t find any official person from whom to request assistance. As I wandered bewildered, a very kind man who’d been traveling for 20+ hours from Delhi and was perched on the edge of a row, offered his seat to Ellen who was holding Elijah. A nasty old lady from Rajasthan sat across from him with her legs thrust out lengthwise, blocking us from sitting on the bench. We made many pleading gestures and she stuck her legs out further. Her sari-clad, veiled daughter-in-law and grandson sat stony faced across from her and offered no help, though they later warmed slightly and asked a few questions in very good English. Sarah and I sucked in and folded up to make ourselves as small as possible, resting our bottoms on the sliver of seat not occupied by the old lady.
EVERYWHERE we looked our eyes met curious stares for the ENTIRE 4+ hour ride. It was a longer return journey, to be sure. Other excitements: my dear nephew Elijah has severe food allergies, primarily to nuts. We noticed within minutes that there were some unshelled peanuts crushed on the floor. Had to keep the little guy (2.5 yrs) off of it the whole time. Then, the kind aforementioned gentleman, purchased a snack to share with us… containing peanuts. I tried to eat enough to be polite and then left to find a bathroom, though I was really hoping for a trash can. As I searched, I was instructed that there was no repository for waste and I should throw it out the nearest juncture between the cars. Felt very odd to do that!
Anyway, we arrived tired, a little stinky—though it had been mercifully cool and a little rainy that evening, but safely at the Bangalore train station at 10pm. Then an hour and a half car ride home. Crazy.
