After saying goodbye to Claire in Delhi (we saw Harry Potter.. I really liked it!! The cinema even had an intermission.. although they called it a popcorn and coca-cola break) I walked to the New Delhi train station. It was about 35 degrees and by the time I reached the station (it was like a 10 minute walk) I was drenched in sweat, it was hurting to walk and I wanted to go home. Only problem I still had another 40 hours of travelling ahead of me.
I found my platform alright, thankfully there are alot of english signs around Delhi station.. and then walked up and down the platform about 15 times (no exaggeration) before finally cracking it and asking the Policeman/Soldier on patrol where I could find my carriage.
If you've never seen an Indian train it's a scary prospect trying to guess exactly where your carriage might or might not be. I've ridden a few trains since coming here but every other time its been with a guide.. this time it was up to me..
Anyways, so im walking backwards and forwards up the platform... everyone staring at me as per usual, the only problem is that the trains are about 40 carriages long and to go from one end to the other takes about 10 minutes... The train stops at the station for a maximum of maybe 5 minutes, so if you screw up and stand at the wrong end, its a bit of a shit fight to get through all the people and get on your carriage in time.
Luckily, the soldier knew what he was talking about and I found my carriage in time, managed to get my bag strap stuck on something and held up half the carriage!! AHHHHHHHHHHH the joys of being a foreigner!!
Fast forward 14 hours, my train pulled up at Gorakphur, where I departed and was instantly surrounded by dudes asking me questions about where im going and saying stuff like "Sunuali.. 150 rupees only.." Im extremely tired by this point on account of having very little sleep on the train so I just mumbled something and went along with this guy and was promptly liberated from my backpack (which was stuck on the roof racks of this car) and told to sit quietly in the car and any move I made would be my last...
I sit and wait for another 10 minutes, two more dudes show up, people staring in the window as they ride/walk/drive past the window and then I learn from this other guy that they need 6 more people before the car will even leave... only problem is its a 7 seater 4WD.. maximum.. (INCLUDING THE DRIVER)
Fast forward 2 hours, still waiting for people to show up.. im watching the wheels... and all the people spitting. Apparantly nobody told The Lonely Planet that Gorakphur is the Paan capital of the world. Nice teeth guys.
FINALLY, the car packs in with 9 people.. 3 hours later, after driving down these back streets of the cow belt of India, none of which looked like they led anywhere in particular, we arrive at Sunali, the border town between Nepal and India (although calling it a town is stretching the truth a little). Instantly hassled by about 7 different people, all assuring me that they are nice and dispensing bits of knowledge that id already read about. Hoiked my bag onto my bag, trooped off up the road to the India Border post, got my passport stamped, walked over the border, into the Nepalese border post, filled out some forms, paid $30US for a visa and then wandered up the road again to find a bus.
Nepali Border
Get probably 50 metres up the road and some guy starts talking to me about changing money.. and leads me to a place where I can buy a bus ticket.. he assured me that it was ok to pay in Indian money.. so I did, and 260 rupees later im sitting on this bus to Kathmandu. The bus appeared to double as a mail service and stopped about 50 times before it even left the border town. The driver was also so deaf and played Nepalese music ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT at full bore. I got maybe 20 minutes sleep.
So anyways, after this 12 hour trip (bus left border at 5:15 and arrived at around 5am the next day) I arrived in Kathmandu, was instantly taken by some dude who charged me 300 rupees to get to my hotel (which is absolutely ridiculous) but by that point I was so tired I didn't care anymore and just paid him. He then tried to claim commision from the hotel for bringing me there even though I had already pre-booked it! If this trip teaches me anything its that you should never trust anyone. Ever.
The 7 hours of sleep I just had were the best ive ever had.. now im lost in Kathmandu somewhere. End of Essay.
1 comment:
wow...
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