India preparations
It is interesting as I prepare for my trip to India learning about things over there. I have been investigating train tickets this week and that has been an eye opener. There are hundreds of different trains and up to 8 types of seat/berth to choose from for each one. I found a great site, ‘Train travel in India - a beginners guide‘ which gives a run-down of each type of seat and even has photos.
For two of the trips I am going to try for ‘Air-conditioned 2 tier’ berths because those journeys are at night and the site says for those types there are individual reading lights. They have bunks which fold out from the wall and an attendant also brings around sheets, pillow and a blanket. With the third one, during the day, I am going to go for ‘Sleeper class’ which may be crowded and noisy but should be interesting seeing all the activity around and the scenery out the window (the windows are tinted in the air-conditioned carriages so you don’t get to see outside). BTW Sleeper class costs about $4 for hundreds of km journey!
It takes a while to get your head around all the ins and outs but I’m starting to really get a sense of the massiveness of the country and its population. I had a look at some of the train network maps and they are seriously like balls of twine - I couldn’t decipher them.
There is a site where you can actually book train tickets online but it’s pretty slow and seems to have a few technical problems so after a few hours of trying I have just about given up and will try to get a travel agent to book for me. Seats book up quickly so I need to get it done asap.
Amit has been helping me a lot to understand how things work. He suggested doing all ablutions before and after the train journey and informed me that I would need to take my backpack with me to the bathroom. Mmmmm - sounds interesting! I read that you can chain your backpack to the lower berth - just need to take along a padlock and there is a chain already there. This makes me a little nervous. 
Ruth, what an adventure but also a bit nerve-wracking. I don’t think I could do it (with my weak bladder) but you’re a professional traveller and can hold on like a hen!!!!!! We’re in for some interesting blogs after the trip.
You are becoming quite the international traveller aren’t you? It would be interesting to read your review on India as you travel through various part.
Yes I’ll look forward to updating the blog. Not sure how much I’ll be able to do while I’m travelling - if I can I will - but definitely when I get back. I couldn’t hold on like a hen today in a meeting at work - I’d drunk too much water before the meeting and had to nip out in the middle of it. Hee hee!
Wow! That’s a first for you, Ruth. You must be getting older!!!! Now a year older!! You’d better not drink any water before the train. It’s a pity Amit can’t with you on your trip.
Yes I think he would have liked to but couldn’t this time. Next time we will all have to go together.
I’ve had to book the train tickets through a travel agent in Australia because my payment wouldn’t go through online. It has taken all week to get sorted out and still isn’t confirmed - should be on Monday though. It has turned out to be very expensive compared to what the tickets actually cost but I can’t risk them being sold out by the time I get to India and it would be difficult for me to book them myself when I arrive in Delhi as I will not know how everything works. It’s annoying that it costs so much.
That’s very frustrating for you. I do hope everything works out and you have the booking confirmed. It would be very risky not to have it all booked. You are very courageous doing it on your own.
I think it will be a blast. I look forward to seeing your photos and hearing all your travel tales when you return.