Of Trains. . .

I subscribe to National Geographic Traveler. It lets me live vicariously through it's contributors as I read each glossy page, each inspiring, scary, or gross adventure, and helps me keep a check list of places I should go (and perhaps not go) visit.

Last month, there was a story on train travel and the charm of it that made me very nostalgic. I used to live in India, and we would travel all up and down the coast by train. We would go Second AC class. Which was the higher end of second class because you got, well, an air conditioner to keep you cool during the heat of the day. We would rent out 2 compartments. Each compartment had 4 beds/seats, bunkbed style, and a table between the two opposite the door.

You would provide your own blankets, pillows and whatnot to keep you comfy.

It would be days before you'd reach your destination, and the cl-clack click clack click of the train as you meandered along the countryside was hypnotic. Through jungles and mountians, rice patties and deserts, villages and cities, warm sunrises promising a hot day and cool sunsets blanketing the land with darkness.

You see much more by train than you ever would with a plane, and the food is much, much better. At every stop the car would be swarmed with vendors selling creamy chai, hot frothy coffee, fresh omlets wrapped in banana leaves, curry and rice . . . and the food was all quite safe because it was cooked right there in front of you, all fresh ingredients. I've never eaten better than when I was train traveling.

You meet interesting people. At stops, beggars also swarm the train with their children, desperate for money, the third class passengers get out to stretch their legs, and you see how cramped it is in third class vs. second (we never tried first) When the train is going, you can visit with fellow travelers and see what they're up to, if they have anything interesting going on in their cabin, perhaps a musical instrument or two that they would play. . .

It's great. And I would highly reccomend it. The cultural experience alone is worth the trip, but the landscape and the food is breathtaking.