Back to the grind from another weekend adventure.

Snapshot: Trains are the Ticket
People tell you that if you come to India you have to take the trains. That’s totally true from an interest, economic, and in my case, obsession standpoint. The trains are awesome. I admit to always having enjoyed cross-country travel, though usually in the back seat of a family van. And every train I have taken in this country—I think its five now—has been an enjoyable and generally fascinating experience.
Of course, in telling you I have enjoyed the trains here, I have to specify class, because here there are no less than six distinctions of class and probably many more. There’s first class, second class sleeper A/C, second class sleeper non-A/C, second class, general class reserve, and general class. This runs the gamut of having your own pimped out private compartment to making a rush for your space on the wooden benches. For me, this choice has dwindled to various separations of second class on superfast, express, or non-express trains. Most of my journeys have been on second class non-A/C which essentially mean I ride in a car with about 6-10 compartments of 8 assigned seats.
Six seats are on one side, and 2 on the other. In an ingenious scheme, three people can face each other on each side with a fixed bunk above them, while the back-cushion of the bottom seat flips up so that each of the three people on each side can sleep (on the left) while a similar midsection slides down to make a bottom bunk( on the right). Especially if I’m on the top bunk, I feel like I’m in my own little fort, in the form of those I created in childhood. While the non-A/C class offers no bedding, virtually everything else you could possibly need is to be found on the train including but not all inclusive, fans (that double function for me as shoe-holders), water bottle holders on each level, a set of hooks, a wall-pocket, a mini-table, music in the form the pro-longed whistle of the train and the combined snoring of a multitude of sleeping men. Each car has a Western Style bathroom in addition to the Indian one. The former does not provide toilet but this is probably a good thing as I am relatively sure that what waste is dumped down goes nowhere but onto the tracks.
If the train doesn’t have it, the train station will. There are specially waiting rooms and even a budge-in-line right for women. There is scrumptions fried food offered never above 15 rp not to mention steaming cups of chai for the go and little packets of crackers (or should I say glucose cookies) called Parli-G’s if fat-induced heart problems are not in your future.

I actually had two such spectacular 12 hour overnight train rides this weekend, going to and from Udaipur. The 6 of us took the whole compartment and it was a spectacular time. The rest of the weekend doesn’t get quite as good reviews. Udaipur is nice, if tourist-filled city, with a beautiful lake and fantastic shopping. But while it seems to contain all the bits of ‘classic’ India (a fort, a temple, a city palace, old havelis, etc.) smashed into a small area, none of these sites made it to top of favorites in their category.
My slight displeasure was compounded by spending too much money including a ring and a miniature painting as well as other items which will remain unnamed as they are gifts for some of you fine folks. This as well as the fact that as nearly the whole class came and frictions grew between my ‘core-four’ as well as the rest of the group in the planning and execution of activities. This culminated in our attempt at ‘going out’ at night looking for a bar or club. The place we had in mind turned out to cost in excess of 330 rp a drink. And the men we asked wanted to take us to a disco-club in their car halfway across the city. What did we do? We sat around in the street in the dark discussing and disagreeing and keeping on of our number ( already a little drunk) from getting the car with our new friends… hmmm. Instead my group just went back to the hotel and watched Octopussy on the roof. This most horrible of Bond films was filmed right there in the city and included such sites as we went to see including the city palace on the lake shore, the city palace hotel in the Pichola Lake (and $500 per night), Monsoon fort perched a top a distant hill, and the palace on Jagmandir Island (known for having inspired Shah Jihan’s Taj and sheltering British women and children during the 1857 Sepoy rebellion/1st war of independence).
Also notable from our weekend of excess, we rented bikes for the day and rode out searching for the other 2 lakes of the city but finding only one. Exhaustion came on as people repeatedly gave conflicting advice that sent up dirt hills, down windy roads, and urban development. This particular adventure was a lot of fun.
The weekend can’t have been too much of flop with lots of good restaurant and street food (including chitorri, samosa, and breaded stuffed hot peppers), bikes with gears, and warmer weather.

written by  Drie on February 20, 2008 from Udaipur, India
from the travel blog: Adventures in Hindustan
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Air conditioned is its own class and has multiple varieties. There are "chair" classes and different tiered sleepers. And I agree wholeheartedly trains are the way to go!

It is interesting that your blog site finally allowed me to comment. The last couple of times I got on, the option either wasn't there or didn't function.

written by  peggy cuciti on February 21, 2008

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You wrote on my b-day, yay! lol, I'm glad to hear your still having a good time. I've never been on a train, but I'd love to someday.

written by  Jade *wink* on February 21, 2008

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Udaipur is so awesome, I'm jealous!

written by  Josh on February 25, 2008

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