The Mumbai Shuffle Express to Chennai
From Mumbai we boarded our 2pm 26 hour train to Chennai. You might think what a nightmare journey, but I was actually looking forward to it for some time previous! 26 hours to do nothing but lounge around and read, my two favourite past times! We had treated ourselves to AC3 bunks. Usually we opt for sleeper class, which means no air conditioning, no sheets and usually overcrowded. AC3 is generally a little cleaner, has air conditioning you are provided with sheets and pillows and extra passengers can’t pop into the carriage for a few hours. Only once in all the trains that we’ve taken have we gone for AC (AC2) and that was because they were the only tickets available. Considering you are paying up to ten times more for your ticket it’s generally not worth it. The difference between AC2 and 3, apart from the price is the space. AC2 means two tiers of beds, instead of three. Also your bed is closed of with a little curtain so it’s private. The trains are infested with cockroaches no matter what class you take, but in AC you won’t find as many in the compartment, but go to use the toilet or sink and there they always are!
So loaded up with food, water and snacks we alighted the train, found our bunks, marvelled at our luck that this was the cleanest nicest train we’ve taken in India, chatted with our neighbours and settled in to the journey … bliss.
From Mumbai we boarded our 2pm 26 hour train to Chennai. You might think what a nightmare journey, but I was actually looking forward to it for some time previous! 26 hours to do nothing but lounge around and read, my two favourite past times! We had treated ourselves to AC3 bunks. Usually we opt for sleeper class, which means no air conditioning, no sheets and usually overcrowded. AC3 is generally a little cleaner, has air conditioning you are provided with sheets and pillows and extra passengers can’t pop into the carriage for a few hours. Only once in all the trains that we’ve taken have we gone for AC (AC2) and that was because they were the only tickets available. Considering you are paying up to ten times more for your ticket it’s generally not worth it. The difference between AC2 and 3, apart from the price is the space. AC2 means two tiers of beds, instead of three. Also your bed is closed of with a little curtain so it’s private. The trains are infested with cockroaches no matter what class you take, but in AC you won’t find as many in the compartment, but go to use the toilet or sink and there they always are!
So loaded up with food, water and snacks we alighted the train, found our bunks, marvelled at our luck that this was the cleanest nicest train we’ve taken in India, chatted with our neighbours and settled in to the journey … bliss.
After a few hours Mal started to feel crap again, just as he had been getting better. We couldn’t understand the digression, he was taking medication, had talked to the pharmacist, was drinking plenty of fluids… fluids there was the problem again! He bought 5 litter bottles of water at the station, checking the seals, but would you believe that when we examined the bottles later, only two of the five bottles contained mineral water, and the other three had been refilled with tap water, and to Mal’s misfortune he had once again drank contaminated water – I had been lucky drinking from a fresh one. You can imagine the litany of abuse Mal expressed on discovering this. That shop keep is lucky we had long since pulled away from the station (no doubt the ploy he usually relies on) as Mal was fit to strangle him. Thus poor Mal passed the journey between the toilet and fitful sleep while I could do nothing for him but worry and read.
Chennai
Nothing much to report on Chennai, only for we were flying from here to Sri Lanka we would never have visited and we feel we wouldn’t have missed much. It was hot, the beach was dirty, the water polluted, if you even thought about sun bathing a crowd of gawking on lookers would form around you and at one end of the beach a slum town had formed. We never found a centre of Chennai, as much as we looked. We did however find an awesome restaurant, which we couldn’t help returning to for lunch and dinner and lunch and dinner again! We’ve formed a new rule; if a restaurant is good go back. We generally like to try out new places see what’s around, broaden our horizons and all that, but in India, if it’s good, reasonable and doesn’t make you sick; go back! We also fed our souls visiting San Thome Cathedral, a huge Roman Catholic church containing in it’s basement a chapel housing the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle. We had masses said for our families for Christmas Eve, a Christmas present our mothers greatly appreciated.
To Colombo
Chennai is served by a great train network and we were able to get one from the city to the airport for about 6 rupees or 3 cent each, a journey of 45minutes! Unfortunately our flight with Jet Lite, India’s version of Ryan air, didn’t depart until 1am leaving us in Colombo at 2.20am. A horrible arrival time as nothing is open. As we’d no intention of staying in the city, our only option was to wait it out until we could get a bus to the beautiful beach resort of Hikkaduwa three hours further south from Colombo.
On arrival in the airport we were happily greeted by our first signs of Christmas and this was December 18th! I guess they don’t go in for it much in India.
Pan piped Christmas carols were playing softly in the background as we waited for our luggage, Christmas trees were scattered around, decorations hung from the ceiling, a nativity scene was present and Santa with his sledge! Yea, it’s Christmas!
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