[jyotirmoy]

Traveling in India all of us must have done plenty of train traveling so shall we share our memorable train journeys?
For me a journey through the ravines of Chambal on a full moon night was an awesome experience. The stark beauty of these ravines looked so amazing and unreal illuminated by moonlight.
Another that I shall remember is the winding route around the Dudh Sagar falls.
While talking of train journeys I can’t resist mentioning a train journey from Switzerland to Italy although purely off-topic in an India travel forum.

[cyberhippie]

Chambal on a full moon, that must have been surreal. Amazing landscape and those ravines hold manys a tale and secret!!

The slow climb through the Ghats and forest to the falls at Dudhsagar is unforgetable, the view of these massive falls from across the valley teases you through the trees and finally after a huge loop around the horseshoe "glen" the train slips over the falls themself.

Another favourite spot is coming down through the Ghats in Western Maharastra, beautiful wooded hills, weird wind towers carved out of hilltops, meandering rivers and women getting prawns or cockles on the mudflats, a twinkle on the horizon, a reminder that you are very close to the coast, beached boats, low red tiled Marathi bungalows, great stone viaducts, green minerets, chapels, temples. I always seem to be here early in the morning and the light always adds something to the overall picture!!

[kullukid]

Obviously the toy trains to Ooty & Shimla take some beating, but my most memorable journey was on my first train in India overnight from Delhi to Kathgodam heading for Nainital. We caught the train from old Delhi at about 11.30pm & got our heads down, we awoke at about 5am when the train was passing Haldwani & couldn't believe the views in front of us as we leaned out of the train doors. What was so amazing was the area around Haldwani & Kathgodam is as flat as a chapatti & then suddenly there are very large green hills that just reach up forever into the sky, there is no steady progression like in the rest of the Himalayan foothills, these buggers just shoot straight up from nowhere, Incredible! KK

[cyberhippie]

Funny you should say that abvout the mountains at Kathkodam I thought the same thing! LINK

[kullukid]

cyberhippie, on Sep 24 2006, 09:04 PM, said:

Funny you should say that abvout the mountains at Kathkodam I thought the same thing! LINK

Great write-up Cyber! CRANK RIDGE? Hhmmm, No Comment!
Is that where Lama Govinda Anagarika lived author of "The Way OF The White Cloud" I think it was somewhere round there?
I'm supposed to be in that area now but something came up at work,  :'( was gonna visit Naini,Almora, Ranikhet & Bageshwar, a friend of mine from Leeds is on his way there now after doing the full Char Dham.
It was'97 when I was there stayed in Naini 4nts Almora 4nts at the famous Mr Shah's Kailash Hotel,loved Kasar Devi met a guy there from U.K. who was a fairly permanent resident called Doc Steve is he still around? He took us back to his place,he was renting from a local family right on the top of Kasar through some fields, the locals had moved downstairs with the animals so that he could rent the upstairs living area, it was vereeee rustic! Amazing place!
We also went through Kausani where we had to wait an hour or 2 for a connecting bus to Karnaprayag, where we swopped buses again for Joshimath. The views from Kausani were breathtaking!    KK

Edited by kullukid, 27 September 2006 - 08:37 PM.

[Yashodhara]

cyberhippie, on Sep 24 2006, 10:04 PM, said:

Funny you should say that abvout the mountains at Kathkodam I thought the same thing! LINK

Whoa, coming home from a stressful working day, this is like a virtual trip to paradise   ! Really great, just how come I have not seen that post before?

[cyberhippie]

Thanks, now if I could only do something about that horrendous grammer!!!

[Shiver me Timbers]

I've two - one memorable for all the bad reasons, and one for all the good.

First, I travelled from Madurai to Chennai in 2nd class unreserved overnight - it's memorable cause I remember all of it cause I got no sleep at all - spent the night with my knees tucked under my chin, thinking the guy next to me was staring at me.....turns out he had a glass eye and was fast asleep the whole time.....and there was me wiggling my head and smiling at him the whole night.

Second, going from Varanasi to Delhi was my last train journey in India.....I was chatting to a few students, and happened to mention that I was liking all the Bollywood music.....within 5 minutes, the whole carriage was piled around me, singing all the hits just for me.......the French guy next to me just said 'it would never happen in Europe'.......5 stars!

[cyberhippie]

Conor M, on Sep 27 2006, 05:40 PM, said:

Second, going from Varanasi to Delhi was my last train journey in India.....I was chatting to a few students, and happened to mention that I was liking all the Bollywood music.....within 5 minutes, the whole carriage was piled around me, singing all the hits just for me.......the French guy next to me just said 'it would never happen in Europe'.......5 stars!

     Only in India Conor, I think it takes India lover such as ourselves here on "the Tree" to envisage it all!!

[Somerset]

I think with trains in India, travel is the way it should: the journey is important, not the destination. The people you meet on trains, like Conor M's singers, are what makes train travel so wonderful...or (on occasion) not.

[Jock & Di]

As I have only had one Indian train trip it is very memorable.  More so as Jarrad and I were returning to Delhi from Haridwar on first trip having failed to find any trace of Ryan.  While Jarrad napped during the 6 hours, I remained awake to take in the views- from the magnificent scenery/greenery, small villages, the mounds of cowpats and so on.  

Another thing I saw and which I have not been able to get an explanation to date.  Another train had dozens of large milk cans attached to the outside of the windows.  

Is this how milk was transported, would they have been possessions of individuals, or owned by a supply company??

Edited by Jock & Di, 28 September 2006 - 04:52 AM.

[chetanzcool]

Wow I just loved every bit of this forum,thanks for the memories.

[sugarnspice]

As far as possible when in India, I travel by train unless there are time constraints. All of my journeys have been memorable in one way or another. I even remember spending hours in the ladies waitrooms at little stations waiting for a connection.  Meeting people, making friends, it is all wonderful!

[anju]

hi...
I wouldlike to go with my mom to char dham this year...was wondering if you could give me some info pls ?
like could we do it in 6-7 days and where could we get our bookings done and how comfortable is it for a healthy 65yr old to travel etc etc...
pls do help, I dont want me mom to face any inconvenience
thanx
rgds
anju
ripudiana@yahoo.com

kullukid, on Sep 27 2006, 09:07 AM, said:

Great write-up Cyber! CRANK RIDGE? Hhmmm, No Comment!
Is that where Lama Govinda Anagarika lived author of "The Way OF The White Cloud" I think it was somewhere round there?
I'm supposed to be in that area now but something came up at work,  :'( was gonna visit Naini,Almora, Ranikhet & Bageshwar, a friend of mine from Leeds is on his way there now after doing the full Char Dham.
It was'97 when I was there stayed in Naini 4nts Almora 4nts at the famous Mr Shah's Kailash Hotel,loved Kasar Devi met a guy there from U.K. who was a fairly permanent resident called Doc Steve is he still around? He took us back to his place,he was renting from a local family right on the top of Kasar through some fields, the locals had moved downstairs with the animals so that he could rent the upstairs living area, it was vereeee rustic! Amazing place!
We also went through Kausani where we had to wait an hour or 2 for a connecting bus to Karnaprayag, where we swopped buses again for Joshimath. The views from Kausani were breathtaking!    KK

[noflylist]

In 2002, a train from Amdavad to Mumbai stops at Navsari. Mrs Noflylist dispatches me to buy some food. While I am paying the vendor, he casually mensions "Is that the train you are travelling in?" I look back, the train is leaving, wait, has already left. I fly and jump on the train, by the time I catch and reach my compartment, a small crowd has gathered around my wife and TC is there. Turns out my wife has pulled chain, but like other things in India, it did not work.

TC, turns around, looks me up and down and says...

a terrific punchline...

"Are you the child who got left behind?"

[dzibead]

noflylist, on Jun 13 2007, 07:18 PM, said:

In 2002, a train from Amdavad to Mumbai stops at Navsari. Mrs Noflylist dispatches me to buy some food. While I am paying the vendor, he casually mensions "Is that the train you are travelling in?" I look back, the train is leaving, wait, has already left. I fly and jump on the train, by the time I catch and reach my compartment, a small crowd has gathered around my wife and TC is there. Turns out my wife has pulled chain, but like other things in India, it did not work.

TC, turns around, looks me up and down and says...

a terrific punchline...

"Are you the child who got left behind?"

   What a story!

[ChrisJ]

Travelling from Puri to Chennai in 1990 as east coast was struck by a very violent cyclone.

I ended up being stuck on the train in the middle of nowhere for 3 days. The rest of the trip was memorable for all the wrong reasons however: The destruction to the countryside and villages was terrible. It was one of the worst storms for over a decade.

Most plesant memory was an overnight train to Kerela. Going to sleep in a dry dusty area and waking up in green lushness for the first time is something I wont forget!

[cyberhippie]

Here's one memorable trip for the person concerned!
The publishing of this letter later lead to the introduction of toilets aboard Indian Railways trains!

Just as I am doing the nuisance...

From Okhit Chandra Sen

Quote

Beloved Sir,
I am arrive by passenger train at Ahmedpore Station and my belly is too much swelling with jackfruit. I am therefore sent to privy. Just as I am doing the nuisance that guard making whistle blow for train to go off and I am running with lota in one hand and dhoti in the next when I fall over and expose all my shockings to many female women on the platform. I got leaved on Ahmedpore Station.

This is too much bad in
passengers go to make dung that dam guard not wait train five minutes for him. I am therefore pray otherwise I am making big report to papers. Pray your honour to make big fine on that dam guard for public sake otherwise I am making big report to papers.

Yours faithfully,
(Sd/- Okhit Chandra Sen)

[noflylist]

You made my day CH, I bet the story is true, English is authentic enough, incredible India!

[kullukid]

cyberhippie, on Jun 14 2007, 03:39 PM, said:

Just as I am doing the nuisance...

BRILLIANT!!!!!!         KK