TRAINS, TEMPLES, AND CYCLE-RICKSHAWS
So after 3 days in Varanasi, we had booked another night train to Jhansi and headed out fearlessly into the alleys from the river, certain that this time “we would not get lost!!!” Well, we got lost again. After getting lost in the alleys (for the 10th time) again, we finally made it to the main road and got in a cycle-rickshaw, which is basically a partially covered tricycle with just enough seat space for two (although this one was narrow).
This is where our our small packs came in handy as we balanced them on our laps and held on for dear life as our peddler struggled to move the two large Americans and their luggage though the completely girdlocked streets of Varanasi. It was the most memorable 30-minute ride of our trip, as watching this man maneuver the traffic was just astonishingly, as he brushed bus bumpers, took back “road” “shortcuts” and then merged into the complete chaos that is know as the Varanasi Junction Train Station. We tipped him well in awe, as I have a hard time bargaining with cycle-rickshaw riders as they work HARD. It doesn’t seem fair to me that they get less money for taking you the same distance as a taxi or auto-rickshaw with no pollution or noise.
We were in a second class 2-tier sleeper that most guidebooks say is just fine, except of course, the hardcore backpackers who prefer to sleep with the masses in “sleeper” class which usually makes up 90% of the train cars, and is the way most Indians travel. (our car was full of middle-class Indians). The ac cars are sealed up and the windows are always dirty, so your view is not nearly as good as from the open bar window cars of the sleeper class. Well, we boarded the train and lucked out with a semi-private two bunk area that had curtain separation from the aisle and side sleeper bunks. So all is fine and we were looking forward ( o.k. resigned) to another night on the train, which I actually kind of enjoy the surreal nature of dozing off and on as the train rolls through the night. We locked our packs under the seat and played some cards to pass the time (we are becoming ferocious gin rummy players). Suddenly, a small cockroach wanders up the wall in front of us, and then another on the bunk behind us…..then another, and another…….you get the idea. Well, after trying to control the population with about 40 paperback book kills, we gave up. Now, neither of us are freaked out by bugs that much, but the problem here was that the walls and bunks were connected on two sides, so the little guys had free access to your sheets, pillow, and face. It was pretty awful.
We kinda rocked in place on the lower bunk and then Cheryl decided to brave it and pushed her sheet into the corner, climbed up and went to sleep. i tried to kill another dozen and then, too decided to give sleep a try. It was actually fine if you just closed your eyes and ignored it. The only problem was waking up and seeing 2 or 3 right by your head. I only had one actually crawl across me. The fact that we got 4-5 hours of choppy sleep is a miracle and a sign that we have adapted a bit in our year off. And to add to our malaise, the cockroach express was 5 hours late, so we got to enjoy the entire morning with our little friends while stopped on the tracks for hours at a time. This was not a high point of the trip.
But to our relief, Jhansi is a much more sane city than Varanasi, and the train station looked like Vienna compared to Delhi and Varanasi. (well, almost) We took a nicely decorated auto-rickshaw (18 km, way too far for a bike) driven by a cheerful guy who could appear on postcards for friendly India. He chatted and pointed out the sights with one hand while dodging oncoming trucks and cows with the other. Our destination was the wonderful little town of Orchha, which rises up out of the plains in gently rolling terrain and is just flush with 16th and 17th century forts, temples, and other ruins, all along a scenic and unpolluted river. We had lots of nice interactions with the locals, as the tout pressure was much less here. These few days were a high point for me. We explored the forts and temples for a few quiet days and headed out for Agra and the might Taj Mahal slightly recharged.
Up and down in India…..but never dull
-R
Tags: India, Travel, Tag Index
rich.coffin
November 20th, 2006 at 2:41 pm
You guys are having way more fun than we did…cockroaches and all. I’m SO envious!