This was the press trips to end all press trips and we all commented regularly on how the bar has been raised and we will forever compare our future travels to this incredible journey. Not only did we all get along famously well and we now consider everyone great friends, we had the chance to take part in the adventures of a lifetime.
It had been years since I had taken the train in Canada. I don’t even think that Dave and I have ever taken the train together. You see as Canadians, we love to drive. Canadians have no problem taking a road trip for 5 or 6 hours to get somewhere.
A boy crawls along the aisle sweeping the floor with a his sweater, a paralyzed man drags himself through the dirty path as people move their legs avoiding eye contact. A mother carries a baby on her arm as she sings to the drum beat of a young boy and a Eunuch or transvestite (I am not sure which one) walks through and simply demands money.
The thing about traveling by train in India is that it is always overbooked and very busy. You would be very wise to know your itinerary and book ahead. Unfortunately for Dave and I, we are on a very loose schedule and like to go with the flow. We never know how long we want to stay in a place, so we don’t book ahead. This has been the cause of many a headache here in India for us.
In India, Twenty Million people take the train every day! Trains are always overbooked and there is a wait list. Sometimes a wait list is 60 people long! According to India Rail, we can book online, but their website does not take our Canadian Credit Card. Booking train stations are often far away, and you are at the mercy of high commissions with travel agents.
It happens regularly, but foreigners would never notice. For every overnight train trip, payoff and bribes happen with a flurry. You see, the trains in India are always over booked and many times you won’t get the seat that you want or sometimes even what you paid for. In 3AC for example, the berths on one side of the train have six beds and six seats. If you are one of the unlucky people sitting on the other side with three seats and two beds, you are in trouble. Two people on the lower berths will not be sleeping tonight! That side of the train should have 3 and 3, but it only has 2 beds for three people.
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