We awaken to our old friend, the rain. It has been raining pretty consistently since we arrived, and the forecast is for it to continue for a while longer. The rain has been heavy at times and responsible for numerous power outAges that have been occuring. We learn today that it has not rained for about six months here and they really needed it, especially for the tea for which this areA is famous--I hope the city is appreciative of the timing of my vacation.
It is a steady downpour to which we awake , one that has been going on all night. Today we have a two hour train ride planned on what is known as the toy train," small (2 car ) trains that run on an incredibly narrow gauge track. The classic journey runs essentially parallel to the drive we took yesterday but takes eight hour. We are taking the short two hour put and back portion of the journey that is popular with tourists. They run 17 of these trips every day.
The trip starts at 10. We had originally planned to walk to the station. We are not sure exactly where it is but it seems about a 20-30 minute walk on the map. We were also planning on having breakfast along the way, since the oil drenched omelet they served here yesterday appeals to neither of us. However the rain is causing us to rethink this strategy and consider just eating breakfast at the hotel and calling a cab. However, our fear of indigestion outweighs our fear of getting drenched, and we head out a 8, umbrella in hand.
On the way to the train station I stop and ask an Anglo looking white haired woman for directions, and it turns out that she is heading to the same train. We start to follow and it turns out she is in fact getting a ride there, so we hop on board greatful for our good fortune. I give the guy 200 rupees (about three dollars) for the lift.
We spot our train--a two coach affair, with 15 rows of 4 fitting precisely 60 passengers and filled to capacity. The coaches are pulled by a steam engine hooked to the front. We don't have a view seat it given the clouds that engulf us it really doesn't matter. Actually there was about a ten minute break at breakfast where you could begin to make out the outlines of the mountains, so we ma have to be content wth staring at those pictures for a while.
The train runs alongside traffic and next to houses, literally within inches of buildings in places and so is constantly emitting a shrill whistle. We started twenty minutes late and after about ten minutes stop for no apparent reason. Another ten minutes and we are moving again, a slow, sometimes crawling uphill churn. We reach our destination, the aptly named Ghom, in about 45 minutes and are told there is a half hour break. There is really nothing to do in Ghom except go to the adjacent train museum which tells the history of the Darjeeling train. After ten minutes of this we head back to the glum Ghom station and drink 5 rupee (about ten cents) cups of tea.
It is a steady downpour to which we awake , one that has been going on all night. Today we have a two hour train ride planned on what is known as the toy train," small (2 car ) trains that run on an incredibly narrow gauge track. The classic journey runs essentially parallel to the drive we took yesterday but takes eight hour. We are taking the short two hour put and back portion of the journey that is popular with tourists. They run 17 of these trips every day.
The trip starts at 10. We had originally planned to walk to the station. We are not sure exactly where it is but it seems about a 20-30 minute walk on the map. We were also planning on having breakfast along the way, since the oil drenched omelet they served here yesterday appeals to neither of us. However the rain is causing us to rethink this strategy and consider just eating breakfast at the hotel and calling a cab. However, our fear of indigestion outweighs our fear of getting drenched, and we head out a 8, umbrella in hand.
On the way to the train station I stop and ask an Anglo looking white haired woman for directions, and it turns out that she is heading to the same train. We start to follow and it turns out she is in fact getting a ride there, so we hop on board greatful for our good fortune. I give the guy 200 rupees (about three dollars) for the lift.
We spot our train--a two coach affair, with 15 rows of 4 fitting precisely 60 passengers and filled to capacity. The coaches are pulled by a steam engine hooked to the front. We don't have a view seat it given the clouds that engulf us it really doesn't matter. Actually there was about a ten minute break at breakfast where you could begin to make out the outlines of the mountains, so we ma have to be content wth staring at those pictures for a while.
The train runs alongside traffic and next to houses, literally within inches of buildings in places and so is constantly emitting a shrill whistle. We started twenty minutes late and after about ten minutes stop for no apparent reason. Another ten minutes and we are moving again, a slow, sometimes crawling uphill churn. We reach our destination, the aptly named Ghom, in about 45 minutes and are told there is a half hour break. There is really nothing to do in Ghom except go to the adjacent train museum which tells the history of the Darjeeling train. After ten minutes of this we head back to the glum Ghom station and drink 5 rupee (about ten cents) cups of tea.
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| End of the line |
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