I was researching the airlines in India. There are apparently a bunch of new domestic airlines that connect many areas in India for cheap. One such airline is Spice Jet. Honestly, what Orientalist Redneck came up with that name? Okay, let’s just go ahead and name our airline Burrito Air, Curry Planes, Fried Rice Airways, or Cheeseburger Airlines. Or can we also please address the fact that there is an airline called Kingfisher Airlines. Kingfisher is the largest beer-brewer and water-bottler in India. Along with the above listed, let’s just go ahead and also have Coors Light Air, Pepsi Jets, Smirnoff Airways, or Budweiser Airlines. I didn’t really do anything after that. Well, that is, I ate at Fiesta for two meals in a row. Then I hopped over to the Study Center for a pointless meeting about Hindi, which has now unfortunately moved to Monday-Wednesday. I don’t think you can do this, but I signed up for three hours on Wednesday. At this point, Hindi takes a back seat in priority to my travels. That means I’m taking Hindi because the UC requires it, and I’m taking it pass/fail and it doesn’t really matter to me whether it’s a P or F. I got all packed and then took the Metro with Alix to Old Delhi Railway Station to catch the 9:30 overnight sleeper train to Pathankot. From there we will end up in Dharamsala, seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile and place of residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. The train station was packed and roasting hot. Passengers, mail, baggage, and vendors all converged on the crowded dirty platforms. We were riding Sleeper class, and we found our assigned seats. The trains were nicer than I thought. The seats were all labeled. The sleeper class trains had three beds on top of one another, with an aisle, and two more beds opposite. It was crowded, but this is India. The beds came without sheets and were large enough to lie down but too small to sit up comfortably. Fans blew hot air into circulation, which was necessary. We luckily rode in the upper berths, so it was extra assurance we would not be robbed. The bathrooms were ok; they had a squat toilet leading to the tracks below, with a sink to wash. It was dirty but not disgusting. We checked out second and first class AC, which were a lot nicer. Second class is not that much nicer except it’s roomier and has AC. Honestly, you really don’t need AC. First class, on the other hand, simply put, is fit for kings. You get your own compartment, with AC, sheets, closets, and a window. The toilet facilities are Western and a lot nicer. It just costs ten times the price as sleeper class (no exaggeration). We finally got going and I found it really easy to use my small bag as a pillow and fall asleep for the night.
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