24-25 Dec 2006 Varanasi to Darjeeling
Well here we have a recipe for a very interesting Christmas, perhaps regrettable unforgettable even...
Ingredients
Nutella
Chocolate 'zingle' bells
Ferror Rocher
Indian Sweets
Paper for Xmas decorations
Lasanga
Train ticket to Darjeeling
Preparation
Our Christmas preparations began as soon as we stepped out of our hotel in Varanasi on the morning of the 24th, after asking the reception guy where we could do some Christmas food shopping. He kindly told us we could 'very well go to Archie's Gallery where we would very well find some chocolate 'zinlge' bells and other such christams treats.' So off we went yet unfortunately we did not find our 'zingle' bells or the nutella we were so looking foward too. Instead we got some ferror rochers and a pack of uno cards. Our next step was to order packaged lasanga from the hotel to eat on our overnight train ride to Darjeeling. After the shopping came our actual trip to the station. This involved a 2km walk over a damaged bridge and a ride in a overpacked autorickshaw. Finally we arrived to the station and made our way to the ladies waiting room where we proceeded to cut out our christmas decorations (paper garlands). This provided generous entertainment for two curious little kids who ran back and forth to ask us endless questions and to see what we were doing. We began to get excited about our attempts to have some sort of Christmas celebration in the train, but then to our dismay found out that the train was delayed by 3hrs, making its arrival time 10pm. Not letting this dampen all our Christmas spirits we quietly sang some Christmas carols to ourselves and continued cutting out our decorations, not knowing was hassle and 'adventure' which was about to come...
It happened ike this:
Around 10pm our trian finally arrived, but the platform was crowded with a swarm of people all pushing and shoving to get on the train. We had mistakenly thought we could find our own carriage, I mean how hard can it be? But not in India as not everything is sign posted. Finally in desperation we ask a group of army guys who point us out to the 'right' carriage. We push and shove through the mass of people and suitcases and onto the narrow corridors of the train, again filled with people standing in the passage and doorway. To our dismay we find out we are on the wrong carriage so with some difficulty we backtrack and get of the train. But then it starts moving! Scared to miss it we run up the platform to our carriage which is actually locked! Laughing in disbelief we run back to the other open carriage and a guy tells us its better to catch the train before it leaves then worry about finding our seats. But how to catch a moving train (even if its moving at snail pace) with our heavy backpacks! Miraculously the train stops and we begin the long haul through the crowded corridor of the train. Luckily some one allows us to sit with their family and advises us that we can move to our carriage at the next stop. Simple we think... but that is not so, this is where our nerves and dignity are put to the test. At the next stop we get up only to find the doorway to the next carriage is blocked by a crowd on men and their suitcases. I cannot even see the floor! We attempt the crossing, yet it is not without a price. We are greeted with a sea of groping hands finding places they shouldnt, while we nosedive helplessly all over their baggage, our feet and legs getting stuck, while our hands break our fall and hold our bags. Exhausted and annoyed, we finally make to our seats only to find and large Indian family sprawled all over our bunks (we're in the sleeper class) With many animated gestures we managed to retain one of our bunks but not the other. Dismayed, we pile ourselves and our packs onto the narrow top bunk and settled down to eat our lasagna. When finally we do get ready sleep, we are all curled up, our packs at either end of the bed and our legs sprawled uncomfortably in all directions, squashed like two peas in a pod. We are settled in for a ong sleepless night. But then nature calls... Devastated we realised we cannot even make it to the toilets as men are sleeping all over the floor of the corridor and even if we were to make it over them the doorway to the toilets is packed with like one hundred people. We resign ouservels to wait until morning...
Morning comes and we answer nature's call although it takes us three hours to muster up enough courage to brave the sea of people. Once again there was a small price to pay as some wondering hands found their target. I am now sitting on our bunk and contemplating the true meaning of Christmas. I feel as though it cannot just be about your circumstances (as lets face it ours were horrible!) I mean its bad enough having Christmnas in the train (Thanks to Naz our tour operator guy), but we had made some preparations to make it fun. We were going to hang up our decorations, eat our lasanga and relax on our beds. But we did not know our train would be so impossibly crowded and that we would have to share a bed for two people and two backpacks and not even be able to go to the toilet! Yet despite all this, maybe our Christmas was special in its own way... Two best friends battling the waves of an Indian train experience on the dawn of Christmas and still managing to keep us some of the Christmas spirit with half made decorations, no Christmas tree and some sweets. I think we've done pretty well. I mean the important thing (and maybe is what Christmas is all about) is that we tried our best to keep the Chritmas spirit, despite our circumstances.
