Train Horrors

Dad's:

Yes, train horror is the only way to describe it. The train on the tracks was not our train. So we waited and waited. At 5 minutes before our departure time the wrong train was still on our tracks. Wait, did we just hear that our train is on track #13? I screamed up the stairs to check, no our train is still supposed to be on Track #14. Then an announcement - our train is on time. Wait, where is it? I had checked this train and it was not our train, it had no first class car. Porter, quick where is our train. Oh so slowly he said right here sir. But this is the wrong train - it says 2306 not 2652. But it is the correct train sir. How can it be - where is the first class car? Oh so slowly and complacently he jerked his thumb over his shoulder. But I was all the way down there and there was no first class car, but wait, I didn't go all the way. I stopped when I saw the kitchen car and the baggage car, I assumed the next car was another baggage car and then the engine. You mean the second last car all the way down at the far end of the train, like 20 cars away? Oh so slowly he said yes sir but I know he didn't mean the sir part. He was enjoying our agony.I ran to get Jacky and we picked up our 5 bags and started running to the far end of the train. We got to car 15 or so and it started moving. Holy crap, we've missed the train. Wait. Jacky - can you jump? NO. Give me your bags, you've got to jump and bless her heart, she jumped like a pole vaulter and up she was. And for a fleeting moment I pictured her chugging off into the distance while I stayed on the platform with the bags. But no, one by one I ran and threw each bag on and then got on myself.But it wasn't over yet. Now we had to navigate down 19 inch aisle with 18 inch bags and feet and knees and elbows everywhere. It was horrible. The stench was unbearable. The train dumps all its raw sewage right on the tracks and let me tell you, pig shit is sweet odour from heaven compared to human shit. Oh it was awful. And no-one move out of the way. For the first time we saw the inhospitable side of Indians. They resented us moving through their cars and we had to fight every inch of the way and mum was first. I was so upset by the time I got to our car because I knew mum would be in tears. But it turned out to be me. I felt so sorry that I had put her though that experience. We were just stunned for a few hours and did nothing but lie there in our bunks. I can't even talk about the toilet. And this was first class. Four more train trips to go. It will be grim that's all I can say. We really hit a low point last night.But, today in Varanasi our hotel is superb. What a relief to have a wonderful boutique hotel that is clean and gorgeous. It will never make up for yesterday's grief, but it helps.Well, we expected the worst but this was really rather worse than I counted on even in my nightmares. The stench was really unbearable. We thought it was on the train and I really figured that we were done. There was no way we could sit on a train for 12 hours with that stench. But it did pass in time only to show up again at the next station. Oh well, variety is the spice of life.See you all soon, Love Dad.


Oh my poor parents! I didn't know whether to laugh or beg them to come home when I read this. I cannot believe there's raw sewage being dumped everywhere. I don't know if I'd go so far as to call the smell of sewage 'variety' though. Sheesh, Dad really has a way with words, huh?