Episode 17

With the help of one of the interns from Venu, Alex and I made our way to Old Delhi train station. And I thought New Delhi railway station was chaotic… Even at 10 at night, hoards of people crowded the platform, and we attempted to maneuver our way to the platform over the sleeping bodies sprawled out over the cold, dirty floor. Our train was about 2 hours late, and if it weren’t for a kind man who helped us find our seats, we would have never left that hectic station. One thing I am beginning to love about India is the helpfulness and kindness of so many of its people. Here, if you simply ask for directions or look the slightest bit lost, someone will go completely out of their way to see you all the way to your seat. Multiple times since I’ve been here, kind-hearted people have bent over backwards to make sure that we found our way. They don’t just point you in the right direction or show you the information kiosk; they do everything they can to see you to your destination, even if it means risking their own agendas. People just don’t help like that at home, and the kindness of some of the people here is something that still surprises me every time.

Having traveled quite a bit, I thought that I would be prepared for our night train to Corbett National Park. Wrong again… The train was even crazier than the station… Six tiny bunk –beds fit into the space of a small closet, and of course my seat was the top bunk below an entire car full of smelly, snoring, burping, talking people. The train car smelled of urine and the entire night, the bunks next to me thought it would be a great idea to play Hindi music as loud as they possibly could for the rest of the train. I think the luggage car would have resulted in a better sleep. With my bag as a pillow and earplugs in (my new most beloved item), I tried to get as much sleep as I could. And then on top of that, every single mosquito in the train feasted on my non-Indian, apparently tasty skin. What a night…. However as horrible as that train may seem, I really wasn’t all that bothered. I guess that’s when you know you love traveling; when the sleepless, dreadful thing they call a sleeper car becomes but a funny story from our adventure to Corbett National Park.